Policy
Review gating
Review gating is the practice of screening customers before asking for a public review, so only those likely to leave a positive one are directed to the review form.
A typical gate asks 'how was your experience?' and routes happy customers to Google while sending unhappy ones to a private feedback form. It reliably raises a star average, which is exactly why platforms treat it as manipulation of the rating rather than as customer service.
Google's review policies prohibit selectively soliciting positive reviews, and the FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, effective from 2024, treats suppressing negative reviews as a deceptive practice with civil-penalty exposure.
In practice
Ask every customer, with the same message, at the same point in the journey. If you want a private feedback channel too, offer both on the same screen rather than branching on sentiment.
Source: FTC rule on consumer reviews and testimonials
Common questions
- Is review gating illegal?
- In the United States the FTC's rule on consumer reviews makes suppressing negative reviews a deceptive practice, and platform policies prohibit it independently. It is at minimum a policy violation and can be an enforcement matter.
- Can I send unhappy customers to a private form?
- Yes, as long as everyone sees the same options. The violation is the branch, not the form.