Google Review Request Text Message Templates (12 That Actually Convert)

By the Plummy team · June 5, 2026 · 8 min read

If you are still asking for reviews by email, you are leaving most of them on the table. A text message lands in the one inbox people actually check, gets read in minutes, and converts to a finished Google review several times more often. Below are 12 copy-paste templates that get replies, plus the timing, the link setup, and the rules that keep you on the right side of Google and the law.

Why a text out-converts an email every time

The case for SMS is not close. Text messages open at roughly 98%, against about 20% for email, and 90% of texts are read within three minutes of arriving. Email review requests sink into the promotions tab and die there. A text gets seen while your customer is still in the parking lot.

It shows up in the finish line too, not just the open. Local businesses that send a review request by text 24 to 48 hours after the service typically convert 12 to 15% of customers into reviews, compared with just 3 to 4% from email. Click-through on the review link itself runs 25 to 40% by text versus 5 to 12% by email. End to end, SMS produces completed Google reviews at roughly three to five times the rate of email. Shops that switch their review requests from email-first to text-first often see their review pace double or triple within a couple of months.

Here is the kicker: only about a quarter of businesses text their customers for reviews, even though owners name it the use case they most wish they had set up. The channel is wide open, and whoever moves first banks the reviews.

Get your Google review link first

A review request text is only as good as the link inside it. Do not tell people to "search for us on Google and scroll down." Every extra tap costs you reviews. You want a single link that opens the five-star review box directly.

To find yours, sign in to your Google Business Profile, look for the "Ask for reviews" or "Get more reviews" option, and copy the short link Google generates for you. It usually looks like g.page/r/... and drops the customer straight onto your review form. Save it somewhere you can grab it in a second, because you will paste it into every message below. All three ways to make one, including the Place ID backup and QR codes, are in our guide to creating a Google review link.

Tip: shorten and brand the link if you can, so it reads like yourshop.com/review redirecting to the Google link. A clean, recognizable URL gets more taps than a long string of random characters, and it looks like it actually came from you.

The anatomy of a text that gets a reply

Before the templates, understand why they work. Every high-converting review request text does the same five things in under three sentences:

• Names the customer. "Hi Sarah" out-pulls "Hi there" every time. It signals a person, not a blast.
• Says who you are. A text from an unknown number gets ignored. Name your business in the first line so they know it is you.
• Thanks them, then makes one ask. Gratitude first, a single clear request second. No menus, no multiple links, no "and also follow us on Instagram."
• Hands over one direct link. The link does the work. It should be the only thing standing between a happy customer and a finished review.
• Stays short and human. Two or three sentences, written the way you actually talk. The second it reads like marketing, conversions drop.

The 12 templates (copy, paste, personalize)

One rule before you copy anything: change at least one detail in every message. Identical, mass-blasted texts read as robotic and convert worse. Swap in the name, the service, a specific word about their visit. Fifteen seconds of personalization is the whole game.

The first ask (your workhorse)

1. The simple classic. "Hi [Name], thanks for choosing [Business] today. If you have a quick second, an honest Google review really helps our small team get found: [link]. Thank you, [Your name]."

2. The warm personal. "Hi [Name], it was a pleasure helping you with [service] today. Would you mind sharing how it went in a quick Google review? It takes about 30 seconds: [link]. Really appreciate you, [Your name] at [Business]."

Templates by industry

3. Restaurant or cafe. "Hi [Name], thanks for dining with us at [Restaurant]. We would love to hear what you thought, and a quick Google review means a lot to a small kitchen: [link]. Hope to see you again soon."

4. Salon or barbershop. "Hey [Name], hope you are loving the fresh [cut/color]. If you have a sec, a quick Google review would genuinely make my week: [link]. Thanks for sitting in my chair today, [Stylist]."

5. Dentist or medical office. "Hi [Name], thank you for visiting [Practice] today. If you are comfortable, a short Google review helps other patients in [city] find us: [link]. We appreciate you, [Front desk team / Dr. Name]." Keep it general and never reference a procedure or any health detail in a text.

6. Home services or contractor. "Hi [Name], thanks for trusting [Company] with your [job, for example water heater] today. A quick Google review helps other [city] homeowners find a crew they can count on: [link]. Appreciate you, [Your name]."

7. Auto repair. "Hi [Name], your [vehicle] is all set, and thanks for choosing [Shop]. If we earned it, we would be grateful for a quick Google review: [link]. Drive safe, [Your name]."

8. Retail or ecommerce. "Hi [Name], hope you are enjoying your [product]. A quick Google review would help other shoppers know what to expect: [link]. Thanks for supporting a small business, [Your name]."

9. Service business or B2B. "Hi [Name], it has been great working with you on [project]. If the results have been useful, a Google review would help other [type] businesses find us: [link]. Thank you, [Your name]."

10. One-off event, photographer, or planner. "Hi [Name], it was an honor being part of [event] with you. When you have a moment, a Google review would mean the world and helps other [couples/clients] find us: [link]. Wishing you all the best, [Your name]."

The single follow-up (send once, never more)

11. The gentle nudge, two or three days later. "Hi [Name], floating this back to the top in case it got buried. No worries at all if you are slammed, but if you have 30 seconds, here is that review link again: [link]. Thanks either way, [Your name]." Send this exactly once. A second reminder crosses the line from helpful to pest.

The in-person hand-off

12. The text you send while they are standing there. Say it out loud first: "I am going to text you the link right now so it is easy." Then send: "Here is that Google review link I mentioned, [Name]: [link]. Thanks so much, [Your name] at [Business]." Pairing a verbal ask with an instant text is the highest-converting move there is, because the customer is already happy and the link is already in their hand.

Timing: when to hit send

The best message at the wrong time still flops. Send your request within 24 to 48 hours of the service or purchase, while the memory is sharp. The ideal trigger is the peak-happiness moment: the haircut they love in the mirror, the leak you just fixed, the meal they just finished. Wait two weeks and the warmth is gone, the details are fuzzy, and your conversion rate falls off a cliff. For tone and cadence beyond timing, see how to ask for reviews without being annoying.

For most local businesses, same-day or next-morning works best. For a service people live with for a day, like a repair or installation, a short wait so they can confirm everything works can actually lift your rating: they are reviewing a solved problem, not a fresh one.

Stay compliant: the rules you cannot skip

Texting customers is powerful, which is exactly why it is regulated. Two sets of rules matter, and both are easy to follow once you know them.

Google's review policies. You can ask every customer for an honest review. What you cannot do is offer anything in return, a discount, a freebie, a raffle entry, because incentivized reviews violate Google's policies and can get your listing penalized. You also cannot "gate" reviews, meaning you cannot send the review link only to customers you expect to be happy while steering unhappy ones somewhere private. Ask everyone the same way, point them all to the same link, and let the honest reviews land where they may. For the bigger picture, see our guide on how to get more Google reviews.

Texting law (the TCPA). In the US, sending marketing texts requires the customer's prior consent. Having someone's number from a job ticket or a reservation is not the same as permission to text them, so collect a clear opt-in at booking or checkout, with a checkbox, a form, a keyword, or a quick "okay to text you?" at the counter. Every message should make opting out effortless, usually by letting people reply STOP, and you should honor those requests immediately. Identify your business in the text, keep a record of who agreed and when, and you are covered. The penalties for ignoring this run $500 to $1,500 per text, so it is worth getting right.

The simplest compliant setup: add one line to your booking form or checkout, "Okay to text you about your visit and a review afterward?", with a checkbox. That single yes makes everything above clean and legal.

Mistakes that quietly kill your reply rate

• Sending from a number they do not recognize. No business name in line one means straight to ignore. Identify yourself first.
• Writing a paragraph. Long texts get skimmed and dropped. Two or three sentences, maximum.
• Burying the link or adding three of them. One link, one ask. Every extra option lowers the odds anyone acts.
• Asking days or weeks late. The emotion that earns a five-star review has a short shelf life. Strike while it is warm.
• Blasting identical copy to everyone. Carbon-copy texts read as spam and convert worse. Personalize one detail every time.
• Nagging. One follow-up is fine. A third message annoys the very customers you wanted to delight.

Frequently asked questions

Can you ask for Google reviews by text message?

Yes. Asking for honest reviews by text is allowed and highly effective, as long as the customer agreed to receive texts and you are not offering an incentive or screening out unhappy customers. Texts get opened and read almost immediately, which is why SMS out-converts email by a wide margin.

What should a Google review request text say?

Two or three sentences: the customer's name, your business name, a thank-you, one clear ask, and one direct link that opens the review box in a tap. Write it the way you would actually speak, and skip anything that sounds like marketing.

When is the best time to text a review request?

Within 24 to 48 hours of the visit or purchase, ideally right after the customer is visibly happy. The longer you wait, the lower your conversion, and requests sent more than two weeks out rarely land.

Is it legal to text customers asking for reviews?

In the US, marketing texts fall under the TCPA, so you need the customer's prior consent, an easy way to opt out such as replying STOP, and a clear mention of your business. A phone number from a transaction is not automatic permission, so collect a simple opt-in at booking or checkout.