Every extra step between a happy customer and your review form loses you reviews. If a customer has to search for your business and hunt for the “write a review” button, most of them will give up. A direct Google review link — and a QR code built from it — removes all that friction. Here is how to set both up, and where to put them so they actually get used. If you look after several client profiles, keeping each client’s link and QR artwork in one place saves repeated setup work; the system I use is described on this review setup.
The short answer
A Google review link takes a customer straight to your review form, skipping the search that loses most reviewers; a QR code is that same link in scannable form. Get the link from your verified profile dashboard, test it in a private window, print the code at least 3 cm square, and put both where the happy moment happens.
Step 1: Find your review link
Only a verified owner or manager of a verified Google Business Profile can do this, and the route is inside your profile dashboard:
- Sign in to Google Business Profile and open your business.
- Look for the option to get reviews — in the dashboard this appears as a “Get more reviews” or “Ask for reviews” action, depending on the current layout.
- Copy the short review link it generates. This link takes a customer straight to the review form for your business, skipping the search step entirely.
Test it before you share it: open the link in a private browser window and check it lands on your business’s review form, not a search results page or a different listing.
If the option is not visible, the usual cause is an unverified profile, or an account that is not an owner or manager. Fix that first — the link tool only appears for verified profiles managed by the right account.
Step 2: Turn the link into a QR code
A QR code is simply your review link in a scannable picture. Any reputable free QR generator will do the job:
- Paste your review link into the generator.
- Generate the code and download it as a print-ready image.
- Test it with your own phone camera before printing anything — scan it, and confirm it opens the same review form as the link.
An illustrative example: a café in Sydney prints the QR code on a small counter stand and on receipts. In the first week, the owner tests it three times — from the counter stand, from a receipt, and from a photo of the stand sent by a friend — and each time it opens the review form directly. That testing habit matters, because a code printed too small, or on a glossy surface that reflects light, can fail to scan, and a code that fails in a customer’s hand is a lost review.
Print the code at least 3 cm square, on a matte surface where possible, with a short line beside it such as “Loved your visit? Scan to leave a review.” Customers scan codes they understand; a bare code with no explanation gets ignored.
Step 3: Shorten and brand the link (optional, but useful)
The link Google generates works fine as it is, but a shorter, recognisable version is easier to use in texts, emails, and social bios. A link shortener, or a simple redirect page on your own website, can turn a long address into something you can say out loud. Just make sure the shortened link still lands on the same review form — test it as you tested the original, and re-test it every few months, since a broken redirect silently kills every request that uses it.
One caution: never disguise the destination. The link must go to your genuine Google review form. Sending customers somewhere else first, or wrapping the link in a page that filters who sees it, risks looking like review gating — and breaks the trust the review is supposed to build.
Where to place the link and QR code
Placement is where most businesses waste a good link. The rule is simple: put it where the happy moment happens.
- In person: a counter stand, a table card, or the bottom of a receipt for cafés, salons, and shops. For trades, a small card left on site at the end of the job works the same way.
- In messages: the follow-up text or email after a job, sent within 24 hours while the experience is fresh. My guide to how to get more Google reviews without sounding pushy covers the wording and the follow-up; the link itself should be one tap, never buried three paragraphs down.
- On your website: a “Review us on Google” button on your contact or thank-you page, linking straight to the review form.
- In email signatures: for freelancers and agencies, a small review link under your signature turns every delivered project into a gentle, standing invitation.
Do not put the QR code on a page or card that only some customers see, and never offer anything in exchange for scanning it and leaving a review. Incentivised reviews are prohibited, and a QR code that comes with a bribe is a policy problem, not a growth tactic. Ask everyone the same way, and let the reviews be honest.
A setup checklist, start to finish
Run through this once and you are done:
- Confirm the profile is verified and you are signed in as an owner or manager.
- Copy the review link from the dashboard and test it in a private window.
- Generate the QR code, print a test copy, and scan it with your own phone.
- Print the code at a scannable size, with a short explanatory line beside it.
- Add the link to your follow-up message template, your website, and your email signature.
- Re-test the link and the code every few months, and after any profile change.
If you manage profiles for several clients, repeating this six-step setup for each one is exactly the kind of repeatable task a system should handle: one place holding every client’s link, QR artwork, and follow-up template. The system I use for that kind of client work is described on this local marketing setup, and it pairs naturally with timing advice — a link sent at the wrong moment still underperforms, while the right link at the right moment converts.
Questions owners ask next
The review link option is not showing in my dashboard — why?
Almost always one of two causes: the profile is not verified yet, or you are signed in with an account that is not an owner or manager of it. The link tool only appears for verified profiles managed by the right account. Fix the verification or the access first — there is no workaround version of the link worth sharing.
Can I show the QR code only to customers I expect to be happy?
No. Put the code where every customer can see it — the counter, the receipt, the card left at the end of the job — and ask everyone the same way. A code placed so only selected customers see it, or wrapped in a page that filters who reaches the review form, risks looking like review gating. And never offer anything in exchange for scanning it: incentivised reviews are prohibited.
My shortened link stopped working — what should I do?
Re-test it, then go back to the source. Shorteners and website redirects can break silently, and a broken redirect quietly kills every request that uses it — you lose reviews without ever knowing. Copy a fresh link from your dashboard, test it in a private window, and re-test both the link and the printed code every few months and after any profile change.
How big should I print the QR code, and where?
At least 3 cm square, on a matte surface where possible — a code printed too small, or on glossy card that reflects light, can fail to scan in a customer’s hand. Always print a short line beside it, such as “Loved your visit? Scan to leave a review”: customers scan codes they understand, and a bare code with no explanation gets ignored. Test your printed copy with your own phone before it goes out.
What to do next
Today, get your review link, test it, and turn it into a QR code. Print one counter card or add the link to one follow-up message template — just one placement to start — and check next week whether reviews mentioning specifics start arriving. If you want to know how many reviews make this effort worthwhile, my guide to how many Google reviews you need to stand out explains the numbers honestly. And if you manage reviews for clients and want links, QR codes, requests, and reporting organised in one place, see my Local Alchemist AI page. Note the honest terms: it needs your own hosting and your own API keys, and its AI drafts need a human review before anything is sent.
Disclosure: the page linked above contains an affiliate link. If you buy through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.