GBR
Step-by-Step Setup 10-15 minutes

Google Reviews Setup

Reputation & Reviews Basic
Need more detail? Read the full guide for config deep-dives and best practices.

Google Reviews Setup

Connect your verified Google Business Profile to centralize review monitoring, response management, automated review request campaigns, and reputation tracking inside your CRM.

Prerequisites

Before connecting your Google Business Profile, confirm you have:

  • A verified Google Business Profile for your business location
  • Owner or Manager access to the GBP account in Google
  • Admin access to your GoHighLevel sub-account
  • The Google account used for GBP must be accessible for OAuth authorization
  • Browser pop-ups enabled (required for OAuth flow)

Connect Your Google Business Profile

Link your GBP to enable review sync, direct response posting, and advanced reputation features.

  • Log in to your GoHighLevel sub-account
  • Click Settings in the left-hand menu
  • Click Integrations in the Settings menu
  • Scroll to locate Google Business Profile in the integration list

Authorize the Connection

  • Click Connect next to Google Business Profile
  • A pop-up window will open prompting you to sign in with Google
  • Sign in with the Google account that has Owner or Manager access to your GBP
  • Review the requested permissions (read reviews, respond to reviews, access profile data)
  • Click Allow to authorize all requested permissions

Select Your Business Location

  • After authorization, a dropdown list of available business profiles appears
  • Select the correct business location from the list
  • If you manage multiple locations, you can connect additional profiles by repeating this process for each sub-account
  • Optionally toggle on GBP Call Tracking to capture call data from your listing
  • Click Connect to finalize the integration

Verify the Connection

  • Confirm that a green Connected status badge appears next to the Google Business Profile icon
  • Check the Connected Pages section to see your specific business name
  • Navigate to Reputation in the left menu
  • Verify that existing Google Reviews are populating in the Reviews dashboard
  • Check the Conversations tab to confirm that new review notifications appear in real time

If the connection shows as active but features are not working, return to Settings > Integrations > Google and look for a missing-permissions warning. Click Reconnect to grant any additional permissions that Google requires.

Configure Review Monitoring

Set up alerts and filters to stay on top of incoming Google Reviews.

Enable Email Notifications

  • Navigate to Reputation > Settings
  • Locate the Notifications section
  • Toggle on Email Notifications
  • Enter the email address where review alerts should be sent
  • Choose notification frequency: Real-time or Daily digest
  • Click Save

Access the Reviews Dashboard

  • Navigate to Reputation in the left sidebar
  • Click the Reviews tab
  • Use the Source filter to isolate Google Reviews specifically
  • Sort by Date, Star Rating, or Response Status to prioritize your queue

Each review card displays:

  • Reviewer name and profile image
  • Star rating (1 through 5 stars)
  • Full review text
  • Date posted
  • Response status (Replied or Not Replied)
  • Platform badge confirming the source as Google

Set Up Workflow-Based Alerts

For advanced notification routing based on review sentiment:

  • Navigate to Automation > Workflows
  • Click Create Workflow
  • Add the Review Received trigger
  • Apply filters:
    • Review Source: Select Google
    • Review Rating: Filter by star rating (for example, 1 or 2 stars for negative reviews)
  • Add an action:
    • Send Internal Notification to alert team members immediately
    • Send Email to the account manager with review details
    • Send SMS to the location owner for urgent escalations
  • Save and publish the workflow

Configure Review Response Management

Set up systems to respond quickly and professionally to every Google Review.

Create Response Templates

Build saved templates for common review scenarios to speed up your workflow:

  • Navigate to Reputation > Settings > Templates (or use a document outside the platform)
  • Create templates for:
    • Five-star thank you responses
    • Responses to service-specific compliments
    • Empathetic replies to negative experiences
    • Follow-up prompts for customers who left brief reviews
  • Include personalization merge fields like {{contact.first_name}} where applicable

Respond to Reviews Manually

  • Navigate to Reputation > Reviews
  • Locate the review you want to respond to
  • Click on the review to expand the detail view
  • Type your response in the reply field
  • Click Send to publish your reply directly to Google

Your response appears on your Google Business Profile listing within minutes. Both the reviewer and anyone viewing your profile on Google Search or Maps will see your reply.

Enable Reviews AI (Optional)

For AI-generated response suggestions:

  • Navigate to Reputation > Settings > Reviews AI
  • Toggle on Enable Reviews AI
  • Set your Tone Preferences: Formal, Casual, or Balanced
  • Set your Response Style: Concise or Detailed
  • Click Save

Once enabled, click the AI Reply button when viewing any review to generate a draft response, edit if needed, and send.

Set Up Automated Review Requests

Build a workflow that automatically sends Google review requests to customers after completed services or purchases.

  • Navigate to Reputation > Settings > Review Link
  • Select Review Balancing (if using multiple platforms) or Custom Link (if using Google only)
  • If using Custom Link, paste your Google Review URL (the direct link to your review submission form)
  • Click Save

Your Google Review URL follows this format: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID

You can find your Place ID by searching for your business on Google Maps and extracting it from the URL.

Build Your Review Request Workflow

  • Navigate to Automation > Workflows
  • Click Create Workflow
  • Name your workflow (for example, “Google Review Requests After Appointment”)
  • Add a Trigger based on your use case:
    • Appointment Status Changed to “Completed”
    • Invoice Paid
    • Pipeline Stage Changed to a success stage
    • Contact Tag Applied for satisfied customers
  • Add a Wait step (for example, 1 to 4 hours after the trigger event) so the request arrives when satisfaction is highest
  • Add a Send SMS or Send Email action
  • Include your review request message with the merge token {{reputation.review_link}}
  • Save and publish the workflow

Sample SMS template: “Hi {{contact.first_name}}, thank you for choosing us! We would love to hear about your experience. Leave us a quick Google Review here: {{reputation.review_link}}“

Configure Timing and Follow-Up

For maximum response rates:

  • Set the initial wait time to 1 to 4 hours after the positive interaction
  • Add a second Wait step (5 to 7 days)
  • Add an If/Else Branch to check if the contact has already left a review
  • Send a follow-up reminder if no review was submitted

This ensures you capture reviews while the experience is fresh and follow up once without being intrusive.

Set Up Review Widgets for Your Website

Display your Google Reviews on your website to build social proof and encourage conversions.

Create a Review Widget

  • Navigate to Reputation > Widgets
  • Click + Create Widget
  • In the Layout tab:
    • Set Review Source to Google (or All if displaying multiple platforms)
    • Choose a Widget Type: Grid, Carousel, Slider, List, or Floating Badge
    • Set Minimum Ratings to 4 or 5 stars to show only top reviews
    • Set Max Number of Reviews (recommended: 6 to 12)
  • In the Content tab:
    • Toggle on Title and enter a heading (for example, “What Our Customers Say”)
    • Optionally add a Description below the heading
    • Toggle on Header to display aggregate star rating and total review count
  • In the Appearance tab:
    • Choose a Theme: Light, Dark, or Custom
    • Select a Font that matches your website
    • Customize colors if using Custom theme
  • Click Save

Embed the Widget on Your Website

For HighLevel-built sites:

  • Open your site or funnel page in the builder
  • Drag the Reviews element onto your page
  • Position and save

For external websites (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.):

  • In the widget builder, click the Code icon
  • Use the dropdown to select the correct widget
  • Click Copy Code
  • Paste the code into a Custom HTML block on your website
  • Save and publish your page

The widget displays immediately and updates automatically as new Google Reviews come in.

Enable Reputation Reporting

Track your Google Reviews performance over time with built-in reporting tools.

Access the Reputation Dashboard

  • Navigate to Reputation > Overview
  • View key metrics:
    • Overall star rating: Your average rating across all Google Reviews
    • Review volume: Total number of reviews and rate of new reviews per week or month
    • Response rate: Percentage of reviews that received a reply
    • Response time: Average time between a review being posted and your team responding
    • Sentiment trends: Track whether your ratings are improving or declining over time

Set Custom Date Ranges

  • Use the Date Range filter to analyze performance for specific periods
  • Compare week-over-week or month-over-month trends
  • Identify patterns in review velocity and sentiment

Use these metrics to adjust your review request timing, response templates, and overall reputation strategy.

Test Your Setup

Verify that all components of your Google Reviews integration are working correctly.

Test Review Sync

  • Navigate to Reputation > Reviews
  • Use the Source filter to show only Google reviews
  • Confirm that all existing Google Reviews appear in the dashboard
  • Check that review details (star rating, text, reviewer name, date) display correctly

Test Response Posting

  • Locate a test review (preferably an older one) in the dashboard
  • Click on the review to open the detail view
  • Type a test response in the reply field
  • Click Send
  • Visit your Google Business Profile listing directly to confirm the response appears

Test Review Request Workflow

  • Create a test contact with your own phone number or email
  • Manually trigger the workflow (or simulate the trigger event, such as marking an appointment as completed)
  • Confirm you receive the review request message
  • Click the review link and verify it opens directly to your Google Review submission form

Test Widget Display

  • Visit the page where you embedded the review widget
  • Confirm that Google Reviews are visible and rendering correctly
  • Check that star ratings, review text, reviewer names, and dates display properly
  • View the page on mobile to verify responsive behavior

Next Steps

Now that your Google Reviews integration is live, you can expand your reputation management strategy:

  • Set up Review Monitoring to track reviews across all platforms in one dashboard
  • Configure Facebook Reviews integration to balance review generation across platforms
  • Build workflows that tag contacts based on review submission or star rating
  • Create internal notifications that alert your team when negative reviews come in
  • Schedule weekly reputation audits to monitor response rates, review velocity, and overall star rating trends
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