The short answer
A Google review QR code is a printed square that opens your review form when a customer points their phone camera at it. Create it on a computer from business.google.com → Read reviews → Get more reviews, then right-click the code to save it. Print it at least about 2 cm (0.8 in) wide, larger for wall signs, test it on several phones, and place it where customers naturally pause, such as the counter, table or invoice.
- Google only generates the review QR code in a desktop browser, not in the mobile app.
- Size the code for scanning distance: roughly one-tenth of the distance the customer stands from it is a safe rule of thumb.
- The sign's words matter as much as the code. Ask for honest feedback, never for five stars.
- Test every printed batch on both an iPhone and an Android phone before it goes out.
Two ways to make your review QR code
From Google directly. Sign in on a computer, open your Business Profile, choose Read reviews and then Get more reviews. The share card shows your short review link and a QR code. Right-click the code and choose Save image as to download it. Google's help page notes that review QR codes can only be generated in a computer browser, so if you only ever use the phone app, borrow a laptop for five minutes.
From your review link. If you already have the link, any reputable QR generator can encode it. Our free Google review link and QR code generator finds your business, builds the link and gives you a code to download in one step. If you need the link on its own first, our guide to getting your Google review link covers every method.
Print size, contrast and file format
Most QR codes that fail in the wild are too small, too low-contrast or printed on glossy stock under bright lights. The fixes are cheap.
| Where it goes | Typical scan distance | Suggested code width |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt, invoice or business card | Hand-held, 15–25 cm | 2–2.5 cm (about 1 in) |
| Table tent or counter stand | 30–50 cm | 4–5 cm (about 2 in) |
| Door or window sticker | About 1 m | 10 cm (4 in) |
| Wall poster in a waiting room | 1.5–2 m | 15–20 cm (6–8 in) |
- Dark code on a light background. Inverted (light on dark) codes fail on some older phone cameras.
- Leave a quiet zone. Keep a blank margin around the code roughly four modules (the little squares) wide. Do not let borders, text or logos touch it.
- Use vector or high-resolution files. Save as SVG or a PNG of at least 1,000 pixels across, so the printer does not blur the edges.
- Matte beats gloss. Laminated table tents under spotlights can glare so much the camera cannot lock on.
- Skip the logo in the middle unless your generator adds error correction for it. A tiny saving in style is not worth the failed scans.
Where to put the code in a real business
The best spot is wherever the customer has a free hand and a spare thirty seconds right after the good part of the experience. That moment looks different in each business.
| Business | Good spot | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant or cafe | On the bill folder or a small card delivered with the check | Guests are seated and waiting for change or the card machine. |
| Salon, spa or barber | At the front desk during checkout, or on the mirror station card | Clients are looking at the result they just paid for. |
| Dental or medical office | On the checkout counter, not the waiting room | Asking before treatment is premature; after is natural. |
| Trades and home services | On the invoice or a leave-behind card | The work is done and visible; the customer is at home with their phone. |
| Hotel | In-room card or at the checkout desk | Guests have time in the room and a fresh memory at departure. |
| Retail | Packaging insert or receipt footer | They review once they have used the product, not at the till. |
One placement to avoid: a code next to a staff member who is watching. Google's content policy prohibits requiring or pressuring customers to leave reviews while on your premises. A sign customers can scan later, in their own time, is fine; standing over them while they type is not.
What the sign should say
A bare QR code gets ignored. A code with a short, honest reason to scan gets used. Keep the copy to one line plus the instruction.
Do
- "How did we do? Scan to leave a Google review."
- "Your feedback helps the next customer choose. Scan to review us on Google."
- "Enjoyed your visit? Or think we could do better? Tell us on Google."
- Add a short fallback URL under the code for people whose camera will not scan.
Don't
- "Leave us 5 stars!" Asking for a specific rating influences content.
- "Scan for 10% off your next visit." Any incentive for a review is prohibited by Google.
- "Happy? Review us on Google. Unhappy? Tell the manager." That splits customers by sentiment, which is review gating.
- Tiny print that explains the code only to people who already scanned it.
Google's Maps user-generated content policy lists these behaviors under rating manipulation and fake engagement. In the US, the FTC's consumer reviews rule also targets incentives that are conditioned on a positive review. A neutral invitation to everyone keeps you safe under both.
Test it like a customer would
Scan the proof, not the screen file
Print one copy at the final size on the final paper. Screens are bright and flat; paper is not.
Try at least two phones
Use the built-in camera app on an iPhone and on an Android phone. If one needs to be held very close, the code is too small or too dense.
Check what opens
The scan should land on your business name with the star picker. If it opens a search page or someone else's listing, regenerate the code from your Business Profile.
Test signed out
Open the link in a private window to see what a customer who is not signed in to Google sees: a sign-in prompt first. That is normal, but it is worth knowing.
Test in place
Put the sign where it will live and scan it from where a customer stands, in the actual lighting. Glare and distance catch out more codes than anything else.
Keep it working after it is on the wall
Scan every code once a quarter, and immediately after any change to your Business Profile such as a move, a name change or a merged duplicate listing. If you encoded a redirect on your own domain (for example yoursite.com/review), you can repoint it in a minute without reprinting.
Watch what happens next, too. A good QR placement can noticeably raise review volume, and that brings more reviews to answer. Replies show the next customer you are listening. Responsly drafts an on-brand reply to every new Google review and alerts you when a sync finds a 1 or 2-star review, so a busy week of new feedback does not turn into a backlog. See how AI replies work, or browse review response examples to write your own.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews — QR codes are generated only in a computer browser.
- Maps User Generated Content Policy: Prohibited & restricted content
- FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, Questions and Answers
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews