AI for small business

Reply to Reviews with AI

Draft a calm reply to a Google review with AI. A prompt you can copy, what you should not offer in public, and the line between a reply and a fake review.

Last reviewed October 20, 2026 · 2 min read

On this page
  1. 1. Copy this prompt
  2. 2. Read it like a customer
  3. 3. The line you do not cross
  4. Common mistakes
Illustration of a prompt that drafts an owner reply to a late-cake review, and a short sample reply. Not a Google or ChatGPT screen. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

Illustration of a prompt that drafts an owner reply to a late-cake review, and a short sample reply. Not a Google or ChatGPT screen. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

What you'll need

  • The review text

  • What you actually offered or fixed

  • A person who will read the reply before it goes up

1. Copy this prompt

Swap in the real review and the real fix. Do not add the customer's phone number or address.

Draft a reply from the owner to this review:
"The cake was late and the frosting was smeared."
Facts: we remade the cake the next morning at no charge.
Under 70 words. No excuse story.
Do not offer a public discount.
Do not ask them to delete or change the review.
Do not invent a policy.

2. Read it like a customer

  1. The reply admits what is true.

  2. It does not argue, and it does not tell a long backstory.

  3. It does not promise money or a free item you have not approved.

  4. It does not ask anyone to take the review down.

  5. You post it yourself from the business profile.

The steps to post, and when to report a review instead, are in reply to Google reviews.

3. The line you do not cross

Do not ask a tool to write five positive reviews, and do not post a 20% discount you have not approved. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

Do not ask a tool to write five positive reviews, and do not post a 20% discount you have not approved. Diagram: Sac Business Launch.

You are drafting your reply. You are not drafting a review that pretends to be a customer. The FTC's consumer review rule bars reviews that misrepresent that the reviewer exists or used the product or service.

Google also says businesses should not pay for reviews or offer an incentive to change one. A calm public reply is enough. Take the detailed fix to email or a phone call.

Common mistakes

  • A reply that says "as a valued customer" and sounds like nobody wrote it.

  • Offering 20% off in the public thread.

  • Asking the tool to "write five positive reviews."

Questions people ask

Can AI write the review itself?

No. You can draft your reply. The review has to be written by a real customer. The FTC bars reviews that misrepresent that the reviewer exists or used the product or service.

Can I ask the customer to change or delete a review in exchange for a discount?

No. Google's review policies prohibit incentives to change a review.

Should I paste the customer's phone number into the prompt?

No. The review text and the facts of what you did are enough. Leave phone numbers, addresses, and order IDs out.

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Words to know

  • Reply: Your public response under a review.

  • Incentive: A gift, discount, or payment tied to a review. Google prohibits incentives to change a review.

Sources

  1. Reply to reviews - Google Business Profile Help · support.google.com
  2. Report or fix reviews - Google Business Profile Help · support.google.com
  3. 16 CFR Part 465 - Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (eCFR) · ecfr.gov

This is general information for Sacramento and Northern California businesses. We are not attorneys or tax advisors, and this is not legal or tax advice. Check the official sources, and a local pro, before you act.

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