Review response management can feel like an endless game of whack-a-mole for business teams. Just when you think you’re caught up, a days-old review might suddenly appear without a timely response. While this may seem like an oversight, it’s often the result of Google’s sophisticated review moderation systems.
In an effort to prioritize authenticity within its ecosystem, Google may flag customer reviews for potentially suspicious content and temporarily withhold them from public view. During this period, the review isn’t visible on Google or accessible through API connections. Only the person who submitted the review can see it on the location’s listing profile.
If a review is ultimately determined to violate Google’s content policies or is identified as spam, it will be permanently removed. However, if it passes Google’s authentication and policy checks, the review will become public—retaining its original submission date. This can make it appear as though the review was missed.
To provide transparency into this process, LocalClarity released a review timeline visibility. Within the ReviewsInbox™, users can access detailed timeline data for each review. By selecting a review and clicking the circular clock icon in the right-hand panel, you’ll see a comprehensive overview showing:
This timeline data is also avalilable in the ReviewsInbox™, giving teams concrete documentation of review histories. It helps validate response times and ensures teams can confidently track their review management performance.
By understanding the full lifecycle of each review, businesses can better demonstrate their commitment to timely, attentive responses. Knowing the mechanics behind review moderation is half the battle—especially when dealing with reviews that appear backdated due to Google’s processing delays.
