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Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team

Yelp for business owners

How to remove a Yelp review (and what Yelp will not remove)

The short answer

Only Yelp or the reviewer can remove a Yelp review. Yelp removes reviews that break its Content Guidelines, such as a conflict of interest, no firsthand experience, threats or private details, and takes no side in factual disputes. Report it from your business account (Reviews, the 3 dots, Report Review); Yelp says evaluation may take several days.

Checked on 4 and 5 Nov 2026 against Yelp’s Content Guidelines, Business Help Center, Support Center, Terms, Trust & Safety site and 2025 Trust & Safety ReportWritten by the Essentras editorial team

Essentras is not affiliated with Yelp and does not remove Yelp reviews. Yelp decides every report; every route on this page is free.

Find my move in 1 click Get a free case read

Free decision table

Flag it, reply, legal route, or live with it: start here

Find what the review says, then click your move. Every rule comes from Yelp’s own pages, read on 4 and 5 Nov 2026. Yelp decides every report.

What the review isYelp’s ruleYour moveProof that helpsWho decides
By a competitor, a current or former employee, or the owner’s friends or familyConflicts of interest, even if the reviewer insists they were a customerFlag it: Report ReviewEmployment dates; the reviewer’s public link to a competitorYelp moderators
Paid for, or written for a discount or freebieConflicts of interest: paid or incentivized reviewsFlag it: Report ReviewThe offer or message behind itYelp moderators
Not your customer, or about someone else’s visitPersonal experience: firsthand only, not hearsay or newsFlag it, then reply calmlyA dated search of bookings or orders that finds no matchYelp moderators
Mainly an argument with another reviewer, or only about your hours, offerings or policiesBoth are reasons Yelp says it may remove a reviewFlag it: Report ReviewThe review text itselfYelp moderators
Meant for another business or locationRelevance: reviews belong on the page of the location visitedFlag it: Report ReviewThe other name or address it describesYelp moderators
Threats, hate speech, lewd remarks or harassmentInappropriate contentFlag it straight awayA dated screenshot of the wordsYelp moderators
A staff member’s full name or address, or a customer’s photoPrivacy (people commonly known by their full name are an exception)Flag it, and never repeat the detailA screenshot; never repeat the detailYelp moderators
Copied from another site, posted again and again, or written with an AI toolPost your own content; Review updates and repeated postsFlag it with the link to the copyLinks to the original and to every copyYelp moderators
The reviewer wants money or freebies to remove itDemanding payment breaks Yelp’s guidelines and TermsTell Yelp Support, and never payEvery message, saved with datesYelp Support
A surge of reviews after a news story or a viral postYelp can place an alert, pause new posts and clean up the pageFlag the worst, then let Yelp’s alert workThe dates and the post or articleYelp
Listed under “not currently recommended”Not counted in your star rating or review countLive with it: it is out of your ratingNone: no report neededYelp’s automated software
A real customer’s harsh but honest reviewStays: Yelp lets users stand behind what they writeReply, fix it, and live with itNot neededThe reviewer, who can update it
A review you say is falseYelp takes no side in factual disputes; it acts on a final court orderReply with facts; the legal route is a lawyer’s callA final order from a court of competent jurisdictionA court, then Yelp
Yelp kept a review you reportedSupport can look again; Yelp says reversals are not commonAsk Support once, then replyA fact the first report lackedYelp Support
You wrote a Yelp review and want it goneOnly you can edit or remove your own reviewRemove or edit it yourselfNoneYou
The same person reviewed you on Google tooGoogle applies its own named rulesCheck it against Google’s rulesThe link to the Google reviewGoogle

Yelp gives businesses no delete button. Its software can also move a review to “not currently recommended”: still readable behind a link, but out of your rating. Flagging and replying are not either-or; for most reported reviews you do both.

Not sure which row you are in?

Send us the link to the Yelp review. A specialist replies by email with an honest read: which Yelp rule fits and how to report it, or that it will stay and how to reply. Free, with no obligation. We never ask for your Yelp login: you file every report yourself.

Get a free case read

There is no paid shortcut on Yelp

Yelp says no amount of money lets a business alter reviews or ratings, and that reputation firms claiming to remove negative reviews for a fee “can’t”. Essentras does not sell Yelp review removal. Our only paid removal covers Google reviews that break a named Google rule, from $499 per review, and Google decides those.

Key facts, checked on 4 and 5 Nov 2026

Yelp’s rules

What Yelp removes, and what it leaves up

Yelp’s Content Guidelines are the whole test. Yelp removes a review when it believes the review breaks them, and otherwise it generally lets users stand behind what they write. A person on Yelp’s moderation team reviews each case that a business owner, a user or Yelp’s systems raise.

Yelp’s rules for reviews, and when each fits a report

Yelp’s names, in the order its Content Guidelines list them, read on 4 Nov 2026. Its Business Help Center groups them into 3 main reasons (a conflict of interest, not the reviewer’s own experience, inappropriate material) and adds that mere suspicion usually is not enough. If the review fits no row, it needs a reply, not a report.

Yelp’s ruleWhat it saysReport under it when
RelevanceNo rants about political ideologies, a business’s employment practices or extraordinary circumstances; post on the page of the location visitedIt is about another location, or is commentary rather than an experience
Inappropriate contentColorful language is fine; threats, harassment, lewdness and hate speech are notThe words themselves are a threat, a slur or lewd
Conflicts of interestNo reviews of your own business or employer, friends’ or relatives’ businesses, peers, competitors or your networking group; businesses should never ask for reviewsYou can show the link: employment dates, a competitor’s profile, the offer that paid for it
PrivacyNo private information, close-up photos of patrons without permission, or full names unless the person is commonly known by a full nameA staff member’s full name or address, or a customer’s details, appear
Promotional contentNo promotional material outside Yelp’s advertising productsThe review advertises a business or an offer
Post your own contentNo copied content, and no third-party AI tools or chatbots to create, draft or revise a reviewYou can link the original the text was copied from
Personal experienceFirsthand experience only, not what the reviewer heard from others or saw in the news or on social mediaYour records show no visit, or it retells someone else’s experience
AccuracyOpinions are fine; exaggerating or misrepresenting the experience is not. Yelp says it does not take sides in factual disputesRarely on its own: Yelp expects reviewers to stand behind what they write
Demanding paymentNo threatening to post, or offering to remove, a negative review to extract paymentA reviewer asks for money or freebies to remove or hold back a review
Review updates and repeated postsUpdates should reflect a new experience; no repeated posts or copied text across pagesThe same person posts again about the same visit

Usually removed after a report

  • A review by a competitor, an employee or the owner’s family, when you can show the link
  • A visit your records show never happened, with the dated search to prove it
  • A rebuttal of another review, or a review only about your hours, offerings or policies
  • Threats, hate speech, lewd remarks, or a private person’s details
  • A review posted on the wrong business or location

Usually stays up

  • A real customer’s bad experience, however harsh or exaggerated
  • Colorful language and occasional profanity
  • A dispute about what happened, which Yelp will not settle
  • An old review about something you have since fixed
  • A review you suspect is biased but cannot show

For reviews that stay, the levers are a calm public reply and fixing the problem. Yelp says many customers who feel heard update their review on their own.

Yelp’s own pages:Yelp: Content GuidelinesYelp: When should I report a review?Yelp Trust & Safety: content moderation

Step by step

How to report a Yelp review as the business owner

Yelp’s free report tool is the only route to its moderators. The steps come from Yelp’s Business Help Center, read on 4 Nov 2026; you file every report from your own business account.

How to report a review on Yelp from your business account

  1. 01Use your business accountReport from biz.yelp.com or the Yelp for Business app, not a personal Yelp account: Yelp’s Business Terms bar owners from using the consumer site for business activities such as flagging reviews. Yelp says you may need to claim your page first; claiming is free.
  2. 02Save the evidence firstScreenshot the review with its date and the reviewer’s profile link: reviewers can edit a review within 30 days, and reviews move in and out of the recommended section.
  3. 03Pick 1 Yelp ruleMatch the review to the rule it breaks in the table above. If none fits, reply instead.
  4. 04Open the reportOn biz.yelp.com, find the review in the Reviews section of your business account, click the More Options button (the 3 dots) and click Report Review. In the Yelp for Business app, tap the 3 dots More Options (iPhone) or Overflow Menu (Android) icon, then Report Review.
  5. 05Give specific evidenceName the rule and add proof a moderator can check: dates, a records search, links (templates 1 to 3 and 9). Write it as if the reviewer will read it: Yelp’s Privacy Policy says it may share the substance of a complaint with the person who posted the content.
  6. 06Track the decisionHover over the flag icon next to the review to see whether Yelp is still reviewing it or decided not to remove it. Yelp emails its decision to the address in your Account Settings.

Yelp says evaluation may take several days, and that it notifies the reviewer if their review is removed. A reviewer who demands money to remove a review is a different case: Yelp asks you not to engage or pay, to save every message and to contact its Support team promptly (template 4). Yelp adds that it will not get involved when a customer simply asks for a refund.

What happens after you report

OutcomeWhat you seeWhat to do next
Still under reviewThe flag icon says Yelp is reviewing your reportWait. Do not report the same review again
RemovedAn email from Yelp; the review leaves your page and Yelp notifies the reviewerKeep your evidence in case the reviewer posts again
Not removedAn email, and the flag icon says Yelp decided not to remove itAsk Support once for a second evaluation, then reply
Not removed, but not recommendedThe review sits under “not currently recommended”Nothing: it no longer counts in your star rating

In the European Union

Yelp says you can report content you believe is illegal under EU law, or national law in line with it, through its in-product reporting or a form, and appeal its moderation decisions within 6 months. Yelp says no out-of-court dispute settlement body has been certified for Yelp yet, and that such decisions would not bind you or Yelp.

Yelp Support: Digital Services Act

Yelp’s own pages:Yelp: How do I report a review?Yelp Terms of Service (Business Terms)Yelp Privacy PolicyYelp Support: a reviewer demands something to remove a review

Without a report

Yelp’s recommendation software and Consumer Alerts: what changes without any report

2 Yelp systems change what readers see without a report from you. The recommendation software decides which reviews count in your rating; Consumer Alerts warn readers about businesses that try to game reviews, and about review surges driven by the news.

Yelp in 2025, in its own numbers

What Yelp reports for 2025NumberSource
Reviews contributedAbout 22 milliontrust.yelp.com
Reviews reported by the community and removedMore than 193,700Yelp blog
Reviews with inappropriate content removedMore than 46,200trust.yelp.com
Suspected AI-generated reviews filtered outNearly 500,000trust.yelp.com
User accounts closed for review exchange rings or other suspicious review activity1,991trust.yelp.com
User accounts closed for breaking Yelp’s Terms of Service, 138% more than in 2024More than 1.3 milliontrust.yelp.com
Reviews removed after viral social media posts (US data)More than 63,100trust.yelp.com
User accounts subject to legal demands whose personal information Yelp kept from being produced99%trust.yelp.com
Average length of a recommended review (Yelp requires text with every star rating)446 characterstrust.yelp.com

Both sources cover 2025 and were read on 4 Nov 2026; figures are global unless marked US. The recommended and removed shares are in the key facts above.

How the recommendation software works

From Yelp’s Trust & Safety site, Support Center and Terms. None of it is a removal: it decides which reviews count.

Automated, with no override

Yelp says the software is completely automated and that no employee can override its decisions for a particular business, a choice it calls deliberate to avoid conflicts of interest.

Not recommended is not removed

Those reviews stay readable through a link below your recommended reviews, but do not count in your star rating or review count.

What it looks for

Conflicts of interest (competitors, disgruntled employees, friends or family), reviews it suspects the business asked for, reliability and usefulness, judged on hundreds of signals.

It changes over time

Yelp says a review can become recommended or not in the days, weeks or even months after posting, as the software learns more about the reviewer. Its Terms say the software may sometimes suppress legitimate reviews or fail to detect illegitimate ones.

Advertising changes nothing

Yelp says advertisers and non-advertisers are treated exactly the same, and its Terms say buying ads does not influence the software.

Asking for reviews backfires

Yelp says the software tries to spot reviews that seem prompted by the business and not recommend them, and that asking may hurt your Yelp rating.

Consumer Alerts: what triggers them and when they come off

Yelp places an alert over a page’s reviews after an investigation, and links the evidence when it can. An alert is about the business, not 1 review: the way out of the first 2 is to stop the behavior.

AlertWhat triggers itWhere it showsWhen it comes offPlaced in 2025
Compensated Activity AlertEvidence that someone is buying reviews or offering incentives for themUSGenerally after 90 days, if the behavior stops128
Suspicious Review Activity AlertA disproportionate number of reviews from the same IP address, or a possible link to a review ringWorldwideGenerally after 90 days, if the behavior stops363
Questionable Legal Threats AlertEvidence the business may be making a dubious legal threat against a reviewer or using a gag clauseUSCase by case6
Unusual Activity AlertAn influx of reviews motivated by a news event; posting is temporarily disabledUS and CanadaCase by case, when activity returns to normalMore than 1,190
Public Attention AlertSomeone tied to the business is accused of, or the target of, racist or discriminatory behavior, with an influx of reviewsUS and CanadaCase by case266
Business Accused of Racist Behavior AlertAn escalation when a credible media organization reports overtly racist conduct; it links a news articleUS and CanadaCase by caseNot reported separately

Counts: Yelp blog, 25 Feb 2026. Trust.yelp.com gives the totals: 491 Compensated and Suspicious alerts, and more than 1,450 Media Attention Alerts, 75% of them tied to viral social media posts.

Yelp’s own pages:Yelp Trust & Safety: recommendation softwareYelp Support: Does Yelp recommend every review?Yelp Trust & Safety: Consumer AlertsYelp: What are Consumer Alerts?Yelp 2025 Trust & Safety Report

If it stays

If Yelp keeps the review: 1 second look, your reply and the reviewer

Most honest negative reviews stay on Yelp. What is left: 1 request for a second evaluation, a public reply future customers will read, and a fix that may lead the reviewer to update the review on their own.

Ask for a second evaluation, once

Ask Yelp’s Support team to reevaluate the review. Yelp says original decisions are not commonly reversed, so lead with what is new (template 5).

Yelp Support: second evaluation

How to reach Yelp Support

Yelp’s Business Help Center lists (877) 767-9357 for business owners, with its hours on the page, and a log-in route for more help. A call does not remove a review: moderators still apply the Content Guidelines.

Yelp Business Help Center

Reply in public first

From a claimed page, select Respond under the review. Yelp recommends starting with a public response, which appears under the review for everyone to read, then taking the conversation offline.

Yelp Business Help Center: respond to reviews

Get your profile approved

Replies need an approved profile photo, a real, clear photo of the business representative (Yelp rejects logos, storefronts, stock and group photos), and an approved name: a first and last name, or a first name and last initial.

Yelp: Business Account profile photo

Then send a direct message

Yelp lets you click Respond, Direct Message or both, and recommends starting with the public response. Yelp says owner comments should not launch personal attacks, advertise or offer an incentive to change a review (template 11).

Our Yelp reply rules and templates

Fix the problem, not the review

Instead of asking for an updated review, Yelp recommends thanking the reviewer, owning what went wrong and saying how you are fixing it. It tells consumers not to accept payment or a refund for changing a review.

Yelp Support: if a business pressures a reviewer

Yelp’s rules and advice for replies

  • Take a minute before you reply: Yelp says your response represents your business.
  • No personal attacks, no advertising and no incentive to change a review: Yelp says owner comments that do any of these can be reported.
  • Keep customers’ private details out of every reply: Yelp’s Content Guidelines bar publicizing people’s private information.
  • Yelp says its own study found that responding to critical reviews increases the chance of an upgrade to that review’s rating.
  • You can edit or delete your response later from the 3 dots next to it.

What gets a business in trouble on Yelp

Reviewing your own business or competitors, paying or offering freebies for reviews, hiring firms that offer to “fix your reviews”, asking anyone for reviews, and pressuring, paying, bullying or suing people over critical reviews. Yelp warns these can lead to a Consumer Alert.

Yelp: The DOs and DON’Ts of Yelp for Business Owners

Reply well: 14 templates and each platform’s reply rules

Our guide to responding to negative reviews covers Yelp’s reply rules next to Google’s, Tripadvisor’s and Trustpilot’s, with templates for a fair complaint, a reviewer you cannot find and the same complaint on several sites.

How to respond to negative reviews

Yelp’s own pages:Yelp: Business Account nameYelp Support: reporting a business owner commentYelp Support: Don’t Ask for ReviewsYelp: reputation management companies

If you wrote it

If you wrote the review: edit, update or remove it

A reviewer can change their mind at any time. The steps below are Yelp’s, read on 4 Nov 2026.

How to remove a Yelp review you posted (yelp.com)

  1. 01Open your reviewsGo to the Reviews section of your Yelp account.
  2. 02Open the menuClick the 3 dots on the right of the review you want to remove.
  3. 03Remove itClick Remove Review, enter your reason for removal, then click Remove Review again.

In the Yelp app: tap Me, then Reviews, tap the review, open the 3 dots and follow the same 2 steps. If you reviewed the same business more than once, remove the most recent review first, then the older ones.

Edit or update instead

  • Edit a review within 30 days of posting it, to fix a mistake or add something you forgot: 3 dots, Edit Review, then Post Review.
  • A review update is for a newer experience with the same business, and can itself be edited within 30 days.
  • Yelp asks reviewers not to accept payment or a refund for changing or removing a review, and to tell its Support team if a business pressures them.

Yelp’s own pages:Yelp Support: How do I remove a review that I posted?Yelp Support: How do I edit one of my reviews?

Legal routes

Legal routes, named: court orders, the reviewer, subpoenas and the EU

The law changes the outcome only for a false statement of fact, and in the US it usually runs against the person who wrote the review, not Yelp. The routes below are named, not recommended: which one fits, if any, is a question for a lawyer.

The legal routes, as Yelp’s own pages describe them

RouteWhat Yelp saysWho decidesThe catch
A final court order sent to YelpIf moderators kept a review and you obtain a final order from a court of competent jurisdiction explaining why it is defamatory, contact Yelp’s Support team (template 8).A court, then YelpUntil then, Yelp takes no side in factual disputes.
A claim against the reviewer (US)Yelp says consumer speech is protected even when it is negative. Section 230 says a platform is not treated as the publisher of what its users write, so a claim generally runs against the reviewer.A courtA dubious legal threat can bring Yelp’s Questionable Legal Threats Alert (6 placed in 2025).
A subpoena to identify an anonymous reviewerYelp accepts properly served, lawfully issued subpoenas from California state courts and the Northern District of California.A court, then YelpYelp says it kept 99% of accounts facing legal demands in 2025 from having their personal information produced.
Suing Yelp itselfYelp says lawsuits are extraordinarily expensive and you may be responsible for its legal bills at the end of the case.A courtYelp says it is not responsible for your customers’ opinions, and that suing draws more attention to the review.
EU: a Digital Services Act noticeReport content you believe is illegal under EU or national law, and appeal Yelp’s moderation decisions within 6 months.Yelp, then a certified out-of-court bodyNo out-of-court body has been certified for Yelp yet, and its decisions would not bind you or Yelp.

Read on 4 Nov 2026. General information, not legal advice.

What a business may not do: the FTC rule, 16 CFR Part 465 (eCFR, current on 4 Nov 2026)

SectionWhat it bansWhat it means for a business on Yelp
465.2Writing, creating or selling fake or false reviews; buying reviews, or getting reviews from officers, managers, staff, agents or their relatives, that the business knew or should have known were falseNo fake 5-star reviews to bury a bad review
465.4Compensation or other incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment, positive or negativeNo discount for a better review, and no paying for bad reviews of a competitor
465.5Reviews by officers or managers without a clear disclosure, and asking staff or relatives for reviews without telling them to disclose the relationshipOwners, managers and their families do not review the business
465.6Presenting a review website the business controls as independentNo “independent” review site of your own that ranks you first
465.7Unfounded legal threats, physical threats, intimidation or knowingly or recklessly false public accusations used to prevent or remove a reviewNo threatening letters to reviewers
465.8Selling, buying or procuring fake indicators of social media influenceNo bought followers or views to look bigger than you are

Courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations, up to $53,088 per violation (16 CFR 1.98(d)). The FTC says businesses can still reply publicly, contact reviewers to resolve the problem, and threaten legal action when they have a legitimate basis. The FTC is enforcing the rule: it warned 10 companies in Dec 2025, and in 2026 it charged a company over reviews its own employees wrote (Apr) and another over fake 5-star reviews used to dilute real 1-star ones (May).

Rules that protect reviewers (US)

  • The Consumer Review Fairness Act makes it illegal to use contract terms that bar or restrict honest reviews, charge a fee or penalty for a review, or take the rights in a review, says the FTC.
  • Yelp’s Business Terms say such gag clauses are prohibited under California law and the CRFA, and that a business may not try to enforce a non-disparagement or gag clause against a consumer.
  • Yelp’s Consumer Alerts can tell readers when a business makes a dubious legal threat or uses a gag clause.

Essentras is not a law firm

This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a lawyer before any legal step, and never threaten a reviewer: under 16 CFR 465.7, an unfounded legal threat aimed at removing a review is itself unlawful.

When suing over a fake review is worth it

Yelp’s own pages:16 CFR Part 465, Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (eCFR)FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, questions and answers (Nov 2024)FTC: Consumer Review Fairness Act, what businesses need to know (Feb 2017)Yelp Support: Can I sue Yelp for a bad review?Yelp Support: How do I send a subpoena to Yelp?

Templates

11 copy-ready reports and replies for Yelp

Templates 1 to 4 and 9 go in Yelp’s report box (a payment demand also goes to Support); 5 asks Support for a second evaluation; 6, 7 and 10 are public replies; 11 is a direct message; 8 is for a final court order. Replace everything in [square brackets].

Before you send anything

  • Name 1 of Yelp’s rules and quote only the words that break it.
  • Give Yelp something it can check: a date, a records search, a link.
  • Write as if the reviewer will read it: Yelp may share the substance of your complaint with them.
  • No threats, no accusations you cannot show, and nothing offered for a changed review.
  • Never share other customers’ data, or repeat a private detail in public.

Template 1: Conflict of interest

When to use it: A competitor, a current or former employee, or someone close to the owner.

Report text

This review appears to break Yelp's Content Guidelines on conflicts of interest.
The reviewer [worked for us as (role) from (date) to (date) / is listed as (role) at (competitor), a competitor, on their public profile: (link) / is (relationship) of (person)].
The review was posted on [date]. Evidence: [employment dates only / screenshot of the public profile / link].

Employment dates only: never attach HR files or performance notes.

Template 2: Not a firsthand experience

When to use it: Your records show no visit, or the review retells someone else’s experience or a news story.

Report text

This review does not describe the reviewer's own consumer experience.
We searched [booking system / orders / call log] for [reviewer name] from [start date] to [end date] and found no visit, order or contact. The review describes [the event], but on that date [the fact from your records].

Never attach other customers’ records.

Template 3: A rebuttal, a policy-only review or the wrong location

When to use it: A review mainly arguing with another review, only about your hours, offerings or policies, or meant for another business.

Report text

This review [mainly disputes another reviewer's review / speaks only to our (hours / offerings / policies) / describes (other business or location) at (address), not our business at (address)].
Yelp's guidelines list this as a reason a review may be removed.
Review link: [link]. Posted on: [date].

Template 4: Threats, private details or a payment demand

When to use it: Inappropriate content or private details in the review, or a reviewer asking for money or freebies to remove it.

Report text

This review contains [a threat / hate speech / lewd comments / private information about (an employee / a customer)]: "[quote only what is needed, without the private details]".
[For a payment demand: On (date) the reviewer asked for (money / free service) to remove the review. The messages are attached, with dates.]
Review link: [link].

Do not pay or negotiate: Yelp says to save every message and report it promptly. A customer simply asking for a refund is not a demand.

Template 5: Ask Yelp Support for a second evaluation

When to use it: Once, after Yelp kept a review you reported, and only with something new.

Message to Yelp Support

Subject: Second evaluation of a reported review

Business: [name], [Yelp page link]
Review: [link], posted on [date]. Reported on [date] under [rule]; Yelp did not remove it.
What is new: [the fact the first report lacked].
Please reevaluate the review against the [rule] guideline.

Template 6: Public reply to a genuine bad review

When to use it: A real customer had a bad experience.

Public response

Hi [first name], thank you for telling us. We are sorry [the problem] fell short of what you expected. [What you have changed since.] If you would like to talk it through, please call [name] at [business phone] or send us a message here on Yelp.

Health, legal and financial businesses: never confirm the person is a client.

Template 7: Public reply to a review you have reported

When to use it: Report first, then reply calmly. No accusations in public: Yelp decides.

Public response

Hi [name], thank you for the feedback. We could not find a visit or order that matches your review, and we would like to understand what happened. Please send us a direct message with the date of your visit.

Template 8: Cover note for a final court order

When to use it: Only with a real, final order from a court of competent jurisdiction, after Yelp’s moderators kept the review.

Message to Yelp Support

Subject: Final court order: defamatory review on [Yelp page link]

Attached is a final order from [court], case number [number], dated [date], finding that the review at [review link] is defamatory. [What the order says about the review.]
We reported the review on [date] and Yelp's moderators did not remove it.

Contact: [name], [owner of the business / attorney for the business], [email]

Have your lawyer check it first.

Template 9: Copied, repeated or AI-written review

When to use it: The text is copied from another site or page, the same person posted again about the same visit, or the review looks machine-written and you can show a pattern.

Report text

This review appears to break Yelp's guidelines on [posting your own content / review updates and repeated posts].
[The text matches (link to the original), posted on (date). / The same reviewer posted about the same visit on (date) and (date). / The same text appears on (other Yelp page link).]
Review link: [link]. Posted on: [date].

Yelp bars reviews drafted or revised with third-party AI tools, but a hunch is not proof: link the original, the copy or the repeated posts.

Template 10: Public reply to an old problem you have fixed

When to use it: The review describes something real that you have since changed.

Public response

Hi [first name], thank you for this review. You were right about [the problem]. Since [month and year] we have [what changed]. If you visit again, please ask for [name], who looks after [the area that changed].

Say what changed, not that the reviewer was wrong. Readers judge the reply.

Template 11: Direct message after you fixed the problem

When to use it: After your public reply, to a reviewer whose problem you have now solved.

Direct message

Hi [first name], this is [your name], [role] at [business]. I read your review and I am sorry about [the problem]. We have [what you did to fix it, for every customer]. If you would like to tell me more, you can reply here or call me at [business phone]. Thank you for taking the time to write.

No request to change the review and nothing offered in return: Yelp recommends replying well and leaving any update to the customer.

Mistakes

10 mistakes that keep a Yelp review up, or make it worse

Each comes from Yelp’s own pages or the FTC rule, read on 4 and 5 Nov 2026.

MistakeWhat Yelp or the law saysDo this instead
Reporting a review because it is negative or unfairYelp generally lets users stand behind what they write, and allows colorful languageReport only a rule break, with proof
Flagging from a personal Yelp accountYelp’s Business Terms bar owners from using the consumer site for business activities such as flagging reviewsReport from biz.yelp.com or the Yelp for Business app
Reporting a suspicion without evidenceYelp says mere suspicion usually is not enough: a conflict of interest must be clear to moderatorsAttach dates, records or links Yelp can check
Asking customers for reviews to bury itBusinesses should never ask for reviews; the software may not recommend requested onesEarn reviews without asking, and reply well
Offering a refund or gift to change the reviewYelp bans incentives to change or remove reviews and can place a Compensated Activity AlertFix the problem for every customer, with no condition
Paying a reviewer who demands moneyYelp says paying may not get the review removed and may even encourage further attemptsSave the messages and contact Yelp Support
Threatening to sue the reviewerYelp can place a Questionable Legal Threats Alert; 16 CFR 465.7 bans unfounded threatsTalk to a lawyer before any letter
Paying a firm that promises removalYelp says these firms can’t remove reviews for a feeUse Yelp’s report tool, or a free case read
Reporting the same review again and againYelp says original decisions are not commonly reversedAsk once for a second evaluation, with new proof
Closing your Yelp account to make reviews vanishClosing a business account does not remove the business page or its reviewsRead our guide to removing a business from Yelp

Yelp’s own pages:Yelp Business Help Center: How do I close my account?Yelp Support: Does Yelp extort small businesses?Yelp Support: Don’t Ask for ReviewsYelp: The DOs and DON’Ts of Yelp for Business Owners

Optional

Often added

Optional, and none of these touches Yelp. Yelp decides every Yelp review; Essentras does not sell Yelp review removal.

Optional

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FAQ

Removing a Yelp review: FAQ

Can a business owner delete a Yelp review?▾

No. Only Yelp or the reviewer can remove a review. Yelp removes reviews that break its Content Guidelines after a report from your business account, and its software separately decides which reviews are recommended. An honest negative review stays: reply calmly and fix the problem.

How do I get a Yelp review removed?▾

Report it from your business account: on biz.yelp.com, find the review in Reviews, click the 3 dots (More Options), then Report Review, and name the rule it breaks with specific evidence. Yelp’s moderators decide. The main reasons are a conflict of interest, no firsthand experience and inappropriate content.

How long does Yelp take to review a report?▾

Yelp says evaluation may take several days. Hover over the flag icon next to the review to see the status, and check the email address in your Account Settings for the decision. If Yelp removes the review, it also notifies the reviewer.

Why won’t Yelp remove a review I know is false?▾

Yelp does not take sides in factual disputes and generally lets users stand behind what they write, so a review that breaks no other rule stays. On defamation, Yelp acts on a final order from a court of competent jurisdiction. Reply publicly with the facts in the meantime.

What does “not currently recommended” mean on Yelp?▾

Yelp’s automated software does not recommend every review. Not recommended reviews stay readable behind a link but do not count in your star rating or review count. Yelp says 70% of the reviews contributed in 2025 were recommended, no employee can override the software, and reviews can move between the 2 groups over time.

Can I ask happy customers for Yelp reviews to push a bad review down?▾

No. Yelp’s Content Guidelines say businesses should never ask customers to write reviews, and its software tries to spot reviews that seem prompted by the business and not recommend them; Yelp says asking may hurt your rating. Reply to the review and earn reviews without asking.

How much does it cost to remove a Yelp review?▾

Reporting a review to Yelp is free. Yelp says firms that claim to remove reviews for a fee can’t, and that no business can pay Yelp to alter reviews. Essentras does not sell Yelp review removal. Our only paid removal covers Google reviews that break a named Google rule, from $499 per review, where Google decides.

How do I delete a Yelp review I wrote?▾

On yelp.com, go to the Reviews section of your account, click the 3 dots next to the review, click Remove Review, enter a reason and confirm. In the app, tap Me, then Reviews, and use the same menu. You can also edit the review within 30 days of posting it, or post an update after a newer visit.

How do I contact Yelp about a review?▾

Report the review from your business account first. For a second evaluation, a payment demand or a final court order, contact Yelp’s Support team; Yelp’s Business Help Center lists (877) 767-9357 for business owners. A call does not get a review removed: moderators still apply the Content Guidelines.

Can the reviewer change or delete their Yelp review?▾

Yes. A reviewer can edit a review within 30 days of posting it, post a review update after a new experience, or remove it from their account. Do not ask or offer anything for it; Yelp says many customers update reviews on their own after a business responds well.

Can I sue over a Yelp review?▾

In the US, a claim generally runs against the reviewer, not Yelp, and only a false statement of fact can be defamatory. Yelp warns that suing Yelp is extraordinarily expensive and draws more attention to the review, and a dubious threat can bring a Questionable Legal Threats Alert. Talk to a lawyer first; this is not legal advice.

What is a Yelp Consumer Alert?▾

A warning Yelp places over a business’s reviews after it finds bought reviews (Compensated Activity), many reviews from 1 source (Suspicious Review Activity), legal threats against reviewers, or a surge driven by the news. The first 2 generally come off after 90 days if the behavior stops.

Next steps

  1. 01Find your row16 situations, each sorted into flag it, reply, legal route, or live with it.Open the decision table
  2. 02Check the filter firstNot recommended reviews already sit outside your rating.How the software works
  3. 03Report with proofFrom your business account, with template 1, 2, 3, 4 or 9.Copy a template
  4. 04Reply to the rest1 calm public reply, then a direct message.Yelp reply rules
  5. 05Unsure? AskSend the review link for a free, honest case read.Get a free case read

Related guides

Sources and method

Sources, read on 4 and 5 Nov 2026

Checked on 4 and 5 Nov 2026

Every Yelp rule on this page comes from Yelp’s own pages, read again on 4 and 5 Nov 2026 (dates below), including the collapsed Review Guidelines. Yelp’s blog blocks automated readers, and its “When should I report a review?” article needs JavaScript, so both were read through a page reader; the blog’s totals match trust.yelp.com. Help articles carry no date, so the read date is the stamp. The FTC rule is the eCFR’s current text.

  1. Yelp: Content Guidelines (General and Review Guidelines) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  2. Yelp: How do I report a review? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  3. Yelp: When should I report a review? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  4. Yelp Support: false or defamatory reviews · Read 4 Nov 2026
  5. Yelp Support: second evaluation · Read 4 Nov 2026
  6. Yelp Support: a reviewer demands something to remove a review · Read 4 Nov 2026
  7. Yelp Support: Digital Services Act · Read 4 Nov 2026
  8. Yelp Support: Does Yelp recommend every review? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  9. Yelp Support: advertisers and the recommendation software · Read 5 Nov 2026
  10. Yelp Trust & Safety: recommendation software · Read 4 Nov 2026
  11. Yelp Trust & Safety: content moderation · Read 4 Nov 2026
  12. Yelp Support: Don’t Ask for Reviews · Read 4 Nov 2026
  13. Yelp: The DOs and DON’Ts of Yelp for Business Owners · Read 4 Nov 2026
  14. Yelp: reputation management companies · Read 4 Nov 2026
  15. Yelp Support: Does Yelp extort small businesses? · Read 5 Nov 2026
  16. Yelp: How do I respond to reviews? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  17. Yelp: Business Account profile photo · Read 5 Nov 2026
  18. Yelp: Business Account name · Read 5 Nov 2026
  19. Yelp Support: How do I report a business owner comment? · Read 5 Nov 2026
  20. Yelp Support: How do I edit one of my reviews? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  21. Yelp Support: How do I remove a review that I posted? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  22. Yelp Support: pressure to change a review · Read 4 Nov 2026
  23. Yelp: What are Consumer Alerts? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  24. Yelp Trust & Safety: Consumer Alerts · Read 4 Nov 2026
  25. Yelp 2025 Trust & Safety Report (trust.yelp.com) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  26. Yelp blog: 2025 Trust & Safety Report (25 Feb 2026) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  27. Yelp Support: How do I send a subpoena to Yelp? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  28. Yelp Support: Can I sue Yelp for a bad review? · Read 4 Nov 2026
  29. Yelp Terms of Service, effective 1 Jan 2026 (Business Terms) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  30. Yelp Privacy Policy, last updated 1 Oct 2025 · Read 4 Nov 2026
  31. Yelp: How do I close my account? · Read 5 Nov 2026
  32. 47 U.S.C. 230 (Cornell LII) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  33. FTC: Consumer Review Fairness Act, what businesses need to know (Feb 2017) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  34. 16 CFR Part 465, Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (eCFR) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  35. FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, questions and answers (Nov 2024) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  36. 16 CFR 1.98, civil penalty amounts (eCFR) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  37. FTC, 22 Dec 2025: warning letters to 10 companies · Read 4 Nov 2026
  38. FTC, 13 Apr 2026: employee-written reviews (TruHeight) · Read 4 Nov 2026
  39. FTC, 11 May 2026: fake 5-star reviews (Premium Home Service) · Read 4 Nov 2026

What Yelp does not say, so this page does not either

  • How long a second evaluation takes, or how Yelp tells you its result.
  • The reasons listed inside Yelp’s report form: the form sits behind the business sign-in, so the page uses the reasons Yelp publishes in its help articles.
  • Yelp’s support hours: its help pages list different hours in different places, so the page gives only the phone number from the Business Help Center.
  • The recommended share: Yelp gives about 3 quarters platform-wide with no period, and 70% of 2025 contributions. The page states each with its scope.

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it against Yelp’s page. Report an error

General information, not legal advice. Essentras is not a law firm and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Yelp. Yelp decides every report on its platform; nobody can promise an outcome.

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