What to put in a review request text, and what to leave out

Most review requests fail before the customer finishes reading them. They're too long, they sound like a marketing blast, or they make the customer go hunting for where to leave the review. A good request takes a few seconds to read and under a minute to act on.

Start with their name and the job. "Hi Maria, thanks for having us out to fix the water heater today." That one line tells the customer this isn't spam and reminds them of the work while it's fresh.

Then make the ask simple and direct, with a link straight to your Google review page. Google's own advice to business owners is to give customers a link or a QR code that takes them right there. Every extra step, like searching for your business or scrolling to find the review button, is a chance for them to give up.

Here is a template that works: "Hi Maria, thanks for having us out today. If you have a minute, we'd appreciate a Google review. It helps other homeowners find us." Then the link. That's it. No paragraph about your company history, no list of services, no exclamation points.

What you leave out matters as much as what you say. Don't offer anything in exchange: no discount, no gift card, no entry into a drawing. Google prohibits incentives for reviews. And don't tell the customer what to write. Google's policy bars businesses from directing what a review says, and since April 2026 that explicitly includes asking customers to mention a specific employee by name. Asking for five stars falls into the same trap. It steers the review, and customers can tell.

Send the same text to every customer, not just the ones who seemed happy. Google prohibits selectively asking for positive reviews. And only text customers who have agreed to receive texts from you. A review request should never be a text the customer didn't expect.

Timing matters too. The best moment is shortly after the job is done, while the work is still fresh. PorchPrompt sends the same short, compliant request after every job marked complete, with a direct link to your Google review page, so every customer gets the right message at the right time without anyone on your team writing it.