Email and customers · Lesson 5.5
Free Automated Review Requests Template: Copy, Fill, Ship
A blank page is the reason many review requests never get written. This post gives you a free template for automated review requests: the ask, the one reminder, three reply patterns and a short setup sheet. Copy it, fill the blanks, and you can have a working version today.
The template follows the official rules and the structure taught in Lesson 5.5: Get five star reviews without chasing. It is plain text, so it works in any email tool, in a text message tool if you have consent to use one, or on a printed card.
Five blanks make the ask: name, what they bought, one honest-review line, your link and your sign-off.
Before you copy it
Three quick points keep you inside the rules, based on Google's Maps policy and help pages:
- No incentive. Google says offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is prohibited.
- No steering. Do not ask for five stars or request specific wording or content.
- Ask everyone. Do not use the template only for customers you think are happy. Google's policy says merchants should not selectively solicit positive reviews.
For your link, Google's help says to go to your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews. You can copy the link or use the QR code. Open it on your phone first.
Template 1: The first ask
Copy this and fill in the square brackets.
Subject: How did [product or service] work out? Hi [first name], Thank you for choosing us for [what they bought]. If you have a minute, an honest review helps other people find us and tells us what to improve. Here is the link: [your Google review link] Thanks again, [your name]
That is the whole thing: about 45 words once filled in. Do not add a discount, a long story or a set of instructions.
The filled example
This one is illustrative, for a made up dog groomer:
Subject: How did Biscuit's groom go? Hi Maria, Thank you for choosing us for Biscuit's full groom. If you have a minute, an honest review helps other people find us and tells us what to improve. Here is the link: [your Google review link] Thanks again, Jo at Paws and Polish
Notice that it mentions the pet's name. A detail like that makes the message feel written for the person. If you cannot get such a detail from your data, leave it out rather than risk a wrong one.
Template 2: The one reminder
Send this about a week after the first, only to people who were asked and have not responded to anything. Then stop.
Subject: A quick reminder, [first name] Hi [first name], Just a short note in case the last message got buried. If you have a minute, an honest review of [what they bought] would help us. No pressure either way. [your Google review link] Thanks, [your name]
"No pressure either way" is not decoration. It tells the customer the reminder is the last word, and it keeps your tone in line with Google's guidance not to pressure people.
Template 3: Reply to a positive review
Hi [reviewer name], thank you. [One specific detail they mentioned] is exactly what we aim for. We hope to see you again. [your name]
Google's tips say to keep replies short, personalise them, and be conversational, not promotional. So do not add an offer. Do mention a real detail.
Template 4: Reply to a mixed review
Hi [reviewer name], thank you for the honest feedback. You are right that [the specific problem]. We are [what you will change or have changed]. If you would like to talk it through, please email [address]. [your name]
Template 5: Reply to a negative review
Hi [reviewer name], I am sorry about [specific issue]. That is not what we want for anyone. [Explain what happened or what you can do, without blaming them.] Please contact me at [email or phone] so I can put it right. [your name]
Google's help for negative reviews says to protect privacy, avoid personal attacks, be honest about limits, apologise when appropriate, personalise, and respond promptly. Do not share the reviewer's order details in public. If a review breaks Google's content policies, Google says you can flag it. Do not argue.
A caution on AI: you can paste a review and ask for a draft reply in your voice. Edit before posting, and make sure the draft makes no promise you cannot keep.
The automated review requests setup sheet
Make a sheet or table with these columns:
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| First name | As the customer gave it |
| Contact | Email, or phone only if you have consent |
| What they bought | Short description |
| Completed on | Delivery or job finished date |
| Ask due | Completed on plus your chosen number of days |
| Asked on | Date you sent the first ask, blank until sent |
| Reminder sent | Date, blank until sent |
| Reviewed? | Yes, no or unknown |
For the number of days, Lesson 5.5 uses three days after delivery as its example for products. Use it as a starting point and adjust.
Each week, filter for rows where "Ask due" is today or earlier and "Asked on" is blank. Send the template. Mark the date. If your customers are not in one list yet, Lesson 5.1 explains how to set one up.
Fill in the five blanks quickly
Answer these five questions in a note and you have everything the template needs:
- What do customers actually call what you sell?
- How long after it is finished is the right time to ask?
- What is your Google review link?
- Whose name will it come from?
- Where will replies go if someone has a problem?
Adjusting the template for your type of business
- Services: Mention the job type and the technician or person who did it. Google's policy does say merchants should not request that staff members be named in reviews, so mention them in the thank you, not as a request for what to write.
- Shops: Mention the product. Time the ask for after delivery.
- In person, such as a salon or cafe: Put the QR code on a small card and keep it a quiet option. Google's policy says not to require or pressure people to review while on the premises.
- Digital products or courses: Ask after the customer has had a first result, not after payment.
Do not use it for these
- Yelp. Yelp's business help page says you shouldn't ask customers to post reviews on Yelp, so do not use this template for it.
- Review swaps or paid reviews. Google's policy and the FTC's rule both prohibit fake or purchased reviews.
- Customers who have not got what they paid for. Fix the problem first.
For an idea of how this plays out in different businesses, see the post of 12 examples you can adapt.
Questions people ask
Can I change the wording?
Yes. Keep it short, honest and free of incentives, rating requests and scripts.
Do I need the reminder?
It is optional. If you send one, send only one.
Can I put the ask on a receipt or card?
Yes, with the QR code from your Business Profile. Keep it low pressure.
Should AI write my replies?
For a first draft only. Read and edit each one before it goes out.
Ship it
Copy template 1, fill in the five blanks, test the link on your phone and send it to yourself. Once it looks right, put it into your email tool or send it from your sheet each week. To build the whole thing with the ask, link and reply workflow in order, take Lesson 5.5: Get five star reviews without chasing.