A new report has revealed an important issue for business owners who reply to Google Reviews. According to the study, many Google review replies are being rejected and removed. This is done by Google without any clear notification to the business owner.
This means a business may take time to write a polite reply to a customer review, but later Google may delete that reply. In many cases, the business owner may not even know that the reply is no longer visible.
The study was shared by GMBapi and looked at 12,752 rejected Google review replies. The data gives useful insight into why review replies may be removed and what businesses should understand before using copied, delayed, or AI-generated responses.
According to the study, 92.6% of rejected replies were responses to 5-star reviews. This shows that positive reviews are seeing the highest number of reply rejections. One possible reason is that many businesses and AI tools use very similar, overly excited, or templated replies for positive feedback.
The report also found that rejected review replies increased sharply in 2024. In 2022, there were 354 rejected replies. In 2023, there were 398 rejected replies. However, in 2024, the number jumped to 9,393 rejected replies. This could mean that Google’s filter became much stricter, or that the quality and style of review replies changed during that time.
Another important finding is related to timing. The average rejected reply was posted around 1,221 hours after the original review, which is roughly 50 days later. This suggests that delayed replies, especially bulk-scheduled replies, may have a higher chance of being rejected. The study also says this average delay has grown since the first data pull.
Michel van Luijtelaar, co-founder of GMBapi.com, shared more details on LinkedIn:
He explained that from April 2025 onward, rejection volumes changed significantly. The total number of rejected replies dropped, and the share of AI boilerplate replies among rejected content also fell from above 70% to single digits in some months.
There may be two possible reasons for this change. First, AI reply tools may have become smarter, and businesses may have stopped using poor-quality templates. Second, Google’s filter may now be working at a different stage of the review reply process.
For business owners, this report is a clear reminder that Google review replies should sound natural, helpful, and specific. Instead of using the same reply again and again, businesses should write responses that match the customer’s actual review. A short, personal, and professional reply may be safer than a long or generic response.
This is also important for local SEO because Google Reviews play a big role in online reputation, customer trust, and Google Business Profile performance. If replies are rejected without notice, businesses may lose a chance to show care, improve customer experience, and build trust with future customers.
For a deeper look at the data, businesses can read the full analysis post shared by GMBapi.
There is also a forum discussion available on LinkedIn and Local Search Forum.
Overall, the study shows that review replies should not be treated as a copy-paste task. Businesses should reply on time, avoid repeated templates, keep the tone natural, and make every response feel real. This can help reduce the risk of rejection and create a better impression for customers who read Google Reviews before choosing a business.
