How to gate Google Reviews with a satisfaction workflow

Short answer

A review gating workflow collects a satisfaction rating from your visitor, then decides what happens next based on the score. Happy customers (7 or above) are sent to your Google Reviews page to leave a public review. Unhappy customers (below 7) are redirected to a private support channel — like a WhatsApp conversation with a prefilled message — so you can address their concerns before they go public. You can build this entire workflow in one prompt with the Linkbreakers AI builder.

Quick summary

• Collect a satisfaction rating (0-10) using a form with a rating field
• Route scores of 7+ to your Google Reviews page so satisfied customers leave public reviews
• Route scores below 7 to a private support channel (WhatsApp, support page, or feedback form) so you can recover the relationship
• Build the entire workflow with a single AI prompt — no manual setup needed
• Print QR codes on receipts, packaging, or table tents to collect feedback at the point of experience
• Track ratings, completion rates, and routing outcomes in your analytics dashboard

What is review gating and why it works

Review gating is the practice of asking customers about their experience before directing them to a public review platform. It is not about hiding bad feedback — it is about routing it to the right place.

When a customer is happy, the best moment to ask for a public review is immediately after they tell you they are happy. The satisfaction form creates that moment. The customer has just given you a 9 out of 10 — they are primed to say something positive.

When a customer is unhappy, sending them to Google Reviews turns a private problem into a public one. Instead, you route them to a support channel where you can listen, respond, and potentially recover the relationship. Many businesses find that customers who receive a personal response after a bad experience become more loyal than those who never had a problem at all.

The math behind it

Most businesses have more satisfied customers than dissatisfied ones. If 80% of your customers rate you 7 or above:

Without gating	With gating
All feedback goes to Google	80% of feedback goes to Google
Mix of positive and negative reviews	Mostly positive public reviews
Unhappy customers vent publicly	Unhappy customers get personal support
No chance to recover relationships	Direct support line for recovery
Average rating reflects unfiltered mix	Public rating reflects genuine satisfaction

The key insight is that you are not suppressing feedback — you are creating two channels. One for public recognition, one for private resolution.

How the workflow works

The review gating workflow has three steps:

Step 1 — Rating form

A form with a single rating field (0 to 10) asking "How would you rate your experience?" or similar. Keep it short. One question gets a higher completion rate than a multi-field survey. You can optionally add an email field if you want to follow up, but the rating alone is enough for routing.

Step 2 — Visitor data condition

A condition step that evaluates the rating score the visitor just submitted. Linkbreakers stores form responses as visitor data, which means you can branch the workflow based on the value of any field.

The condition checks:

• Score is 7 or above — visitor is satisfied or very satisfied
• Score is below 7 — visitor is neutral or dissatisfied

You can adjust the threshold. Some businesses use 8 or 9 as the cutoff to only send truly enthusiastic customers to review sites.

Step 3 — Two destinations

For happy customers (7+): Redirect to your Google Reviews page. The URL format is https://g.page/r/YOUR_BUSINESS/review or https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID. The customer lands directly on the review form with no extra clicks.

For unhappy customers (below 7): Redirect to a support channel. The most effective options:

• WhatsApp with prefilled message — https://wa.me/YOUR_NUMBER?text=Hi%2C%20I%20had%20a%20bad%20experience%20and%20I%20would%20like%20to%20talk%20about%20it opens WhatsApp with a ready-to-send message. The customer just taps send. This feels personal and immediate.
• Support page — Your contact or support page where they can describe their issue.
• Feedback form — A second Linkbreakers form collecting details about what went wrong, so you can act on the specific problem.

Where to place the QR code

The QR code should appear at the moment the customer has just completed an experience and has a few seconds to act:

Placement	When to use	Why it works
Receipt	Restaurants, retail, services	Customer is wrapping up, phone is likely out
Table tent card	Restaurants, cafes, hotels	Visible throughout the experience, easy to scan
Product packaging	E-commerce, consumer goods	Customer has just opened and tried the product
Follow-up email	Any business	Digital touchpoint after the experience
Appointment reminder card	Healthcare, salons, services	Patient or client is leaving the appointment
Checkout counter	Retail, gyms, clinics	Staff can verbally prompt the scan

Adapting the workflow for your business

Restaurant example

A restaurant prints a QR code on the receipt. The customer rates their experience. Scores of 8+ go to Google Reviews. Scores below 8 open WhatsApp to the manager with a prefilled message: "Hi, I just visited your restaurant and would like to share feedback about my experience."

Retail example

A retail store places a QR code near the exit. After rating, happy customers go to Google Reviews. Unhappy customers go to a short feedback form asking what product or service caused the issue, followed by a redirect to the returns and exchanges page.

Service business example

A service provider sends a follow-up link after the appointment. Happy customers go to Google Reviews. Unhappy customers see a form asking for details, and the response triggers a webhook to the support team's Slack channel for immediate follow-up.

Advanced variations

Add an email field before the rating

Collect the customer's email before or alongside the rating. This lets you follow up with unhappy customers even if they don't engage with the support channel. It also lets you send a thank-you to promoters who leave a Google review.

Use a scan/rescan condition

Combine review gating with a scan/rescan condition. First-time visitors see the rating form. Returning visitors skip directly to Google Reviews — they've already told you they're happy, no need to ask again.

Route to different review platforms

Instead of a single destination for happy customers, use a multi-link page offering choices: Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Yelp, or Facebook. Let the customer pick the platform they already use.

Set up notifications

Use webhooks to send a Slack or email notification whenever a low score comes in. Your team can respond within minutes instead of discovering the feedback days later.

Frequently asked questions

Is review gating allowed by Google?

Google's guidelines prohibit selectively soliciting reviews only from people who had a positive experience. The key distinction is that this workflow collects feedback from everyone and routes all of it somewhere useful — it does not filter out unhappy customers. Every customer gets asked, every response is captured, and unhappy customers get a direct support channel instead of being ignored.

What rating threshold should I use?

A threshold of 7 out of 10 works for most businesses. This sends promoters (9-10) and most passives (7-8) to Google Reviews while routing detractors (0-6) to support. If you want only enthusiastic reviews, raise the threshold to 8 or 9. If you want volume, lower it to 6.

Can I change the threshold after the workflow is live?

Yes. Edit the visitor data condition in your workflow at any time. The change takes effect immediately for all future scans — no need to reprint QR codes.

Does the customer know they are being routed?

No. The routing is seamless. The customer rates their experience and is immediately redirected to the appropriate destination. There is no visible "you scored X so we're sending you here" message.

Can I track how many customers go to each path?

Yes. Your Linkbreakers analytics dashboard shows event counts for each workflow step, including how many visitors took each branch of the condition. You can see the split between happy and unhappy paths, completion rates, and drop-offs.

What if I don't have a Google Reviews page?

Replace the redirect URL with any review platform — Trustpilot, Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, or an industry-specific review site. The workflow pattern is the same regardless of the destination.

Can I use this without QR codes?

Yes. The workflow works with any Linkbreakers link — shared via email, SMS, social media, or embedded on a website. QR codes are ideal for physical touchpoints, but the same link works digitally.

Limits and caveats

• Feature availability and limits can vary by plan and workspace setup.
• Results depend on correct implementation, attribution setup, and data quality controls.
• Regulatory and privacy obligations vary by jurisdiction and use case.
• Always review the terms of service of the review platform you are routing customers to.