Google review QR code: how to make one and where to put it
The short answer
A Google review QR code is a square code that opens your Google review box when a customer points their phone camera at it. Make it from your business's direct review link, print it at least 1 inch wide, put it where people wait or pay, and scan it yourself before printing many.
By Reputant · Updated 2026-10-30 · 7 min read
What is a Google review QR code?
It is a square pattern that works like a link you can point a camera at. When a customer scans it with their phone, their screen jumps to your Google review box, with the stars ready to tap. There is no searching for your business and no scrolling through your profile.
Google allows this. Its help page on asking for reviews says businesses can remind customers to leave reviews by sharing a link or a QR code that opens the review form. You can read it at Google's page on asking for reviews.
The code is only a picture of your review link. If the link is right, the code is right. That is why the first step is getting the link.
How do I make a Google review QR code?
Use the free tool below. Type your business name, pick the right listing, and it gives you your direct review link and a QR code you can download. You do not need an account.
Follow these steps in order.
- Search for your business in the tool and pick the correct listing.
- Copy the review link it creates and open it on your phone to check it lands on your review box.
- Download the QR code image.
- Scan the code from the screen with your phone camera and confirm it opens the same review box.
- Add it to a sign, card or receipt, then print one copy and test it again before printing a batch.
The same link works in texts and emails. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews explains who to ask and when.
This is what comes back. Paste your Place ID to get yours.
Google review link
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJ-your-place-id
A QR code to print on receipts, table tents or a sign by the register, with a PNG download.
Where should I put the QR code?
Put it where customers are already holding their phone, have a spare moment, and have just had a good experience. Place it at the point where the job feels finished.
| Business | Good places | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Cafe or restaurant | Table card, bill folder, till | People wait for the bill with phone in hand |
| Salon or barber | Mirror, reception desk, receipt | Customers are happy with the result in the mirror |
| Dentist or clinic | Front desk, waiting room, after-visit card | People are at the desk paying or booking |
| Plumber, electrician or contractor | Invoice, business card, van door or leave-behind card | The customer sees it when they pay |
| Retail shop | Till, bag card, receipt | It reaches people at the moment of purchase |
| Law firm or accountant | Closing letter, email signature, reception | Clients get it with the final paperwork |
Avoid places where scanning is awkward, like a sign across the room, a window customers pass at speed, or a spot with no signal. If customers will be standing at a counter or sitting at a table, that is the place.
What size should I print the QR code?
Bigger is easier, and the right size depends on how far the phone will be from the code. A common rule of thumb is that the code should be about one tenth of the scanning distance. That is a guideline, so test it with your own phone.
| Where it goes | Scanning distance | Minimum code size |
|---|---|---|
| Business card or receipt | About 6 inches | 1 inch square |
| Table card or counter sign | About 1 to 2 feet | 1.5 to 2 inches square |
| Wall poster or window sticker | About 3 to 5 feet | 4 to 6 inches square |
| Van door or storefront | A few feet and up | 6 inches square or larger |
- Keep dark squares on a light background. Black on white is safest.
- Leave a clear blank border around the code, about the width of four of its small squares.
- Do not stretch it. Keep it square.
- Print on matte paper or laminate with a matte finish, since glossy surfaces can glare under shop lights.
- Add a few words above it, like "Enjoyed your visit? Leave us a Google review." People scan when they know what it does.
How do I test it before I print a batch?
Test it every time you change anything. A QR code that does not work wastes the print run and the customer's goodwill.
- Scan the on-screen code with your phone camera. It should open your Google review box, not your website or a search page.
- Print one copy at the real size on the real paper.
- Scan the printed copy from the normal distance, in the normal lighting.
- Scan it with a second phone, ideally one of a different make, and with an older phone if you can.
- Check it works on mobile data as well as wifi.
- Only then order the full batch or have it printed on signs.
If the code opens your profile and not the review box, check you copied the review link, not your normal Google Maps link.
Is a QR code enough on its own?
Usually not. A code catches people who are in front of it and willing to take out their phone. Many customers leave without noticing it, and some will never scan. A second ask by text or email, sent after they have gone, reaches the rest. Our review request templates have wording for both.
The simplest setup is to use both. Keep the code at the counter, and send the same link to every customer after the job. If you serve many customers, tie the message to a payment or a closed job so it goes out without anyone having to remember.
Whatever you do, offer the same ask to everyone. Do not hand the card only to customers who seem happy, and do not give a reward for scanning. Google says offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is strictly prohibited.
Wording for every moment · How to reply to the reviews you get
What if the code does not work?
Most problems come from a few causes. The code is too small or too low-contrast. The link was copied from the wrong place. The print is blurry. Or the phone camera cannot focus because of glare.
Fix them in that order. Make the code bigger, check the link by tapping it on a phone, reprint at a higher quality, and move the sign out of direct light. If a customer reports a problem, ask them to try the link in a text instead, and look at what the code opens.
If a review you expected does not show up after someone scans and posts, give it a day. Google sometimes holds new reviews while it checks them. If a bad review does appear and you think it breaks the rules, see how to remove a Google review.