How to Ask for Reviews: Email & Text Templates That Work
Copy-paste review request templates for email and text — plus the timing, subject lines, and follow-up that get more replies without nagging.
Knowing how to ask for a review in person is one thing — but most reviews these days come from a quick message sent after the job is done. A good review request email or text gets your happy customers to your Google page while the experience is still fresh, without you having to be there to ask.
This guide gives you copy-paste templates for email and SMS, the subject lines that get opened, and the one follow-up that's worth sending. If you've already read our ten in-person ways to ask for reviews, think of this as the written companion — the scripts you send rather than say.
Our free Review Request Generator turns your business name and review link into ready-to-send email and text wording in seconds — no copywriting required.
The rules every review request follows
Before the templates, four things make or break an asking for reviews template, whether it goes out by email or text:
- Keep it short. Two or three sentences. The longer the message, the fewer people finish it.
- Include the direct review link. The single biggest factor in whether someone follows through is how few taps it takes. Drop them straight on the "write a review" screen.
- Send it at the right time. Soon after a good experience, not days later. We cover the exact windows in our guide to the best time to ask for reviews.
- Make it personal. Use their name and, where you can, a detail from the job. A templated message that feels written for them outperforms an obvious mail-merge.
You can build the direct link in a minute with our free Google review link generator, then paste it into any of the templates below.
Subject lines that get opened
If your review request email never gets opened, the wording inside doesn't matter. Keep subject lines plain, specific, and free of anything that reads like marketing. A few that work well:
- Quick favour, [First name]?
- How did we do, [First name]?
- Thanks for choosing [Business name] — one quick thing
- Mind sharing your experience?
Avoid words like "REVIEW" in capitals, exclamation marks, and anything that smells like a promotion — those land in the promotions tab or spam, where nobody replies.
Email templates
Here's a friendly, all-purpose review request template you can adapt to almost any local business. Swap the bracketed parts for your own details and paste your direct link behind "leave a quick review."
Subject: How did we do, [First name]? Hi [First name], Thank you for choosing [Business name] — it was a pleasure helping you with [job / service]. If you've a spare minute, we'd be hugely grateful if you could leave a quick review of your experience. It genuinely helps other local people decide whether we're right for them. [Direct review link] Thank you, [Your name], [Business name]
— Friendly all-purpose email
For a service business, where the work is finished and signed off, a slightly more specific review request template works better because it references the outcome:
Subject: Thanks for choosing [Business name] — one quick thing Hi [First name], Glad we could get [the job — e.g. your boiler back up and running] sorted for you today. If you were happy with how it went, a short Google review would mean a lot. It only takes a moment and the link below takes you straight there: [Direct review link] Any problems at all, just reply to this email and we'll put it right. Best, [Your name]
— Post-service email
Inviting unhappy customers to reply privately is not the same as gating. You're sending the review link to everyone — you're simply giving people an easy way to raise a problem with you directly. Steering only happy customers to Google while diverting the rest elsewhere is what breaks the rules.
The one follow-up worth sending
Most people who intend to leave a review forget. A single, gentle follow-up three to four days later recovers a good share of them. Send it once — never more — and keep it lighter than the first:
Subject: Just a gentle nudge, [First name] Hi [First name], No worries if you've not had a chance — I know life gets busy. If you did have a spare moment for a quick review of your experience with [Business name], here's the link again: [Direct review link] Either way, thank you for your custom. [Your name]
— One-time follow-up email
SMS and text templates
Texts are opened far more often than emails and are ideal when you have a mobile number and consent to use it. The catch is length, so a text review request template has to be tight — get to the link fast:
Hi [First name], thanks for choosing [Business name] today! If you've a spare moment, we'd really appreciate a quick Google review: [Direct review link] — thank you!
— Short SMS template
If you'd rather lead with a name to feel less automated, this version reads a little warmer:
Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Business name]. Lovely to help you with [job] today — if you were happy, a quick review here would mean a lot: [Direct review link]
— Personal SMS template
Always include a way to opt out where required, and never text people who haven't agreed to be contacted that way — the rules on this are stricter than for email.
A short in-person script to pair with it
The written message lands better when you've flagged it first. One line at the end of the visit does the job: tell them to expect it and why it helps.
"I'll send you a quick link by text in a bit — if you've got a moment, a Google review really helps a small business like ours. No pressure at all."
— In-person heads-up
For more spoken approaches like this, our guide to asking customers for reviews has ten you can lift straight into your routine.
What not to do
The fastest way to lose reviews — or have them removed — is to break Google's rules with the ask itself. Steer clear of these:
- No incentives. Don't offer discounts, freebies, prize draws, or anything of value in exchange for a review. It's against Google's policy and it taints every review you have.
- No gating. Don't screen people first and send only the happy ones to Google. Send the same link to everyone.
- Don't tell people what to write. Asking for a specific rating or wording can get reviews taken down.
- Don't blast everyone at once. A sudden flood of reviews can trip spam filters. A steady trickle looks natural and is safer.
- Don't bury the link. If a customer has to hunt for where to click, you've lost most of them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ask for a Google review by email?
Send a short, friendly message soon after the job is done: thank them, ask for a quick review of their experience, and include a direct link that opens your Google review screen. The friendly email template above is a good starting point — keep it to a few sentences and make the link impossible to miss.
When should I send the review request?
Shortly after a positive experience, while it's still fresh — typically within a day or two. The exact best window varies by business type, which we break down in our guide to the best time to ask for reviews.
Should I follow up if they don't leave a review?
Yes — once. A single gentle reminder three to four days later recovers people who simply forgot. More than one follow-up tips over into nagging and tends to annoy more customers than it converts.
Is it OK to offer a discount for a review?
No. Offering anything of value in exchange for a review breaks Google's policy and puts your reviews at risk of removal. Ask everyone, make it easy, and let honest feedback stand on its own.
Put it on autopilot
Once you've got wording you like and a direct link, the work is mostly remembering to send it. Our free Review Request Generator writes the email and text for you from your business details, and our Google review link generator builds the one-tap link to drop inside. If you'd rather the asking happened on its own at the point of sale, our tap & scan review products send customers straight to your review page without a message at all.
Our free Review Request Generator turns your business name and review link into ready-to-send email and text wording — copy, paste, and start collecting more reviews.
