How do I make a QR code for Google reviews?
Find your business's Google Place ID, paste it into this generator and click Generate. The tool builds a write-a-review link for that place and encodes it as a QR code. Customers scan it and land on the star-rating form for your business, without searching for you first. The review link itself appears in the output box, ready to copy into an email or text message, and the QR code shows underneath it. Download the PNG and add it to receipts, table cards or a counter sign.
Step by step
- Open Google's Place IDs documentation and use the embedded Place ID Finder.
- Type your business name and pick it from the suggestions. Copy the ID that appears, such as
ChIJgUbEo8cfqokR5lP9_Wh_DaM. - Paste it into the Google Place ID box here and click Generate.
- Scan the QR code under the link with your phone. It should open a review form for your business.
- Click Download QR code to save
google-review-qr.png, or Copy to copy the review link.
What the code contains
The generator places your ID into this address and encodes the result:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJgUbEo8cfqokR5lP9_Wh_DaM
Spaces at either end of the ID are trimmed. Anything that can't be a Place ID (fewer than 16 characters, or containing spaces, slashes or other punctuation besides _ and -) is rejected with an error rather than turned into a broken link. The QR uses error correction level M and comes out as a 256 × 256 pixel PNG with the standard 4-module white border. For the example above the link is 79 characters long, giving a 37 × 37 module code.
This writereview address pattern is widely used, but Google doesn't formally document it as a public API, so it's worth scanning your code again occasionally. Google's own way of sharing a review link is described in Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews. If you can sign in to your Business Profile, compare the two links; either should take customers to the same place.
The output box holds that review link as plain text, so Copy puts it on your clipboard for an email, a text message or a "Review us" button on your website. The QR code and its download button are shown underneath.
Place ID or profile link: which to use
| This generator (Place ID) | Business Profile's "Get more reviews" | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs a sign-in to your profile | No | Yes, as an owner or manager |
| Output | Review link, plus a PNG QR code | A share link, plus a downloadable QR code |
| Works for any business you can find | Yes | Only your own |
| Link format | Fixed writereview URL |
A link generated and managed by Google |
An agency or a designer building print material for a client usually finds the Place ID route quicker, because it doesn't need access to the client's account.
Keeping the code working
Google's documentation notes that Place IDs can change as the Maps database is updated, and recommends refreshing stored IDs that are more than 12 months old. A move, a merger of duplicate listings or a big change to the listing can all produce a new ID. Before reprinting signage, look up the ID again and regenerate if it differs.
Troubleshooting
| What happens when scanning | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Google opens, but no review form | The ID is wrong or outdated | Look it up again in the Place ID Finder |
| Review form for a different business | Picked the wrong suggestion in the finder | Check the name and address in the finder's result |
| Code won't scan from a sign | Printed too small, or on a busy background | Print it bigger and leave a white border |
| Phone asks to sign in | Reviews require a Google account | Expected behaviour; nothing to fix |
Using it well
Asking at the right moment matters more than the code itself. Put it on the receipt or the follow-up email, at the end of the visit, rather than at the door on the way in. Google's guidance also prohibits rewarding customers for reviews, so a "scan for 10% off" offer is out.
For other kinds of QR codes, such as a menu link or Wi-Fi details, use the general QR code generator, which also lets you pick a stronger error correction level for outdoor signs. To let customers message you instead, build a WhatsApp chat link. If you need the PNG at a specific size for a print template, run it through the image resizer.
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