Google will review your appeal as soon as possible: what it means

Google lets a business report a review it believes breaks a content policy. If Google's first decision says the review breaks no policy, its help page says: “If you disagree with the decision, you can submit a one-time appeal.” The message you saw is the acknowledgement of that appeal. It confirms three things: the appeal form went through, the review is now in a second assessment, and the answer will reach you by email.

In the Reviews Management Tool, an appealed review shows the status “Escalated - check your email for updates.” Google describes it this way: “The appeal has been escalated, and you'll get an email about the final decision.” That label means the appeal has left the tool. The next thing you will see is the email.

1. 01

   Reported

   The status reads “Decision pending.” Google's words: “The review is flagged, but it hasn't been evaluated yet.”

2. 02

   First decision

   If Google finds no breach, the status reads “Report reviewed - no policy violation.” This is the point where an appeal opens.

3. 03

   Appeal sent

   In the tool you select Appeal eligible reviews at the bottom, pick the review, and fill out the form in a new tab. Google allows up to 10 reviews in one appeal.

4. 04

   Escalated

   The status changes to Escalated and the review waits for a second look. This is the stage you are in now.

5. 05

   Result by email

   Google says the review is removed if it violates its policies and stays live if it complies.

For a first report, Google's help page says “Review evaluation typically takes several days.” For the appeal stage of a review, the same page gives no time at all. A date you read on a forum is someone's experience, not a rule. Plan around the email rather than the calendar, and check the status in the Reviews Management Tool once a week instead of every hour.

The page on appeal status covers what each status means if it has not moved for a long time, and the page on escalation covers who else at Google can be reached about a review.

• Do not send a second appeal for the same review. Google's appeals help says not to submit multiple appeals for the same issue before receiving a decision.
• Screenshot the review with the reviewer's name, the star rating, the date and the full text, and save the link to it.
• Save the acknowledgement and write down the date you appealed. Keep both with the screenshot.
• Write one sentence naming the policy the review breaks, and copy out the exact words in the review that meet it.
• Collect the record that backs it: an employment file, a customer search with no match, or a message that shows who the writer is.
• Watch the inbox of the Google account you used to file the appeal, and its spam folder.

A public reply is for the people reading your listing, and it can go up while the appeal is open. Keep it to two or three calm sentences about the business. Do not mention the report or the appeal, do not argue the facts line by line, and do not include any private detail about the writer. If the review is later removed, a short and polite reply has cost you nothing.

The email gives one of two results, and each has its own next step. The guide to the appeal email explains both and what to do after each one.

If you have other low reviews you have not reported, the free audit on this site reads every one of them against Google's policies and labels each with a clause and a fee class, or No rule broken. A case sheet is written for any review you choose to pursue before anything is filed. The fee is per removed review, set by a fixed class, and a case Google declines is filed a second time at the same fee.