Start your free 14-day trial · See pricing
Can I use AI to reply to Google reviews?
Yes. A reply is your business talking to a customer. Google's Business Profile Help says that replying to reviews "shows that you value their feedback" (support.google.com/business/answer/7091, read 2026-11-10). What matters is that the reply is accurate, personal and in your voice. The same generic "Thanks for your review!" under every review reads like a robot, whether a person or a program typed it.
Two limits apply no matter which tool you use. Do not offer anything in return for a review, and do not ask only happy customers to post. Google's policy for reviews and ratings says "Rating Manipulation includes Incentivized or Biased Reviews, which are not allowed" and bans offering "payment, discounts, free goods and/or services" for reviews (Google Maps contributed content policy, read 2026-11-10). Those rules cover how you ask for reviews. They are not about replies, but they are why a reply should never promise a discount for a changed review.
How it works
- Connect your Google Business Profile. You sign in through Google's own screen, so Scan And Review never sees your Google password. It uses the Google Business Profile API with your permission.
- A new review arrives. Scan And Review finds it and reads the reviewer's name, the stars and the text.
- AI writes a reply for that review. It mentions what the customer actually said. Replies follow the reviewer's language: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish or Turkish.
- Posting follows your rules.
You choose how replies go out. There are two modes, and you can use both:
- Manual approval. Generate a draft when you want to reply. Edit it if needed, then publish it yourself. Nothing is published until you approve it.
- Automatic posting. You pick the star ratings that get an automatic reply, and for those ratings the reply is posted to Google for you. A reply that does not pass our checks waits for you instead. You can also let the AI work through older unanswered reviews, one every five minutes, and an optional email summary shows what went out.
Ratings that are not set to automatic stay in approval mode.
- You hear about unhappy customers fast. When a 1 to 3-star review arrives, you get an email straight away, so you can look at it yourself.
Rules by star rating
| Review | What a good reply does | How we suggest you set it |
|---|---|---|
| 5 stars | Thanks the customer by name, mentions one detail, invites them back | Automatic posting is a reasonable setting, or approve in one click |
| 4 stars | Thanks them and picks up one thing they liked | Automatic posting is a reasonable setting, or approve in one click |
| 3 stars | Thanks them, names the small problem, says what you will change | Read it yourself before it goes out |
| 1 to 2 stars | Apologizes without excuses, addresses the specific problem, gives a direct contact | Reply yourself, or review the draft closely. Do not leave these on autopilot |
Most owners keep negative reviews for a person. The AI saves the most time on the praise you would otherwise leave unanswered. Our guide to responding to Google reviews has 25+ templates for all of them.
Example replies
These are illustrations we wrote to show tone. They are not from real customers.
5 stars. Review: "Great service and friendly staff! Will definitely come back." Reply: "Thank you so much, John! We're glad you had a great visit with our team. We'll see you next time."
3 stars. Review: "Food was good but we waited 40 minutes for a table." Reply: "Thanks for the honest feedback, Maria. We're glad you liked the food, and we're sorry about the wait. We're looking at how we seat walk-ins on busy nights. If you'd like to tell us more, email me at [email]."
1 star. Review: "Our order was wrong and nobody apologized." Reply: "I'm sorry, Chris. A wrong order and no apology isn't how we want anyone to feel. Please email me at [email] with your order number so I can look into it and make it right. Dana, Manager"
Always check that a reply fits the review. The AI does not know your refund rules or what happened in your shop, so never let it promise a refund or invent details.
What the AI does not do
- It does not write reviews for customers, and it does not post reviews. Reviews must come from real customers, from their own Google accounts.
- It does not remove or hide reviews. You can report reviews that break Google's policy, and reply to the rest.
- It does not reply on Facebook or Yelp. Reviews come from your Google Business Profile.
- It does not send text messages. SMS is not supported.
- It does not know your business beyond the review and your settings. Check facts before you approve a reply.
How this differs from our free generator and from review requests
The free AI review response generator writes one reply at a time. You paste a review, copy the reply and post it yourself. It works without signing up, with one reply a day. The app does the same for every new review, in the background.
Asking customers for reviews is a separate job, covered on the review automation page: QR cards, surveys and direct links. Replies are what this page is about.
What it costs
Replies are part of the plan: unlimited AI responses are included. The plan is €49 a month for up to 5 locations, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card. See pricing.
Questions people ask
Can I use AI to respond to Google reviews?
Yes. Use it for the draft, and keep the reply accurate and personal. Give the AI the facts only you know, and read every reply for 1 to 3-star reviews before it goes out. Google's guidance on replies is that they show you value feedback (read 2026-11-10).
How do I set an automatic reply on Google?
In Google Business Profile you reply to each review by hand: open your profile, choose Reviews, then Reply. A tool such as Scan And Review connects to your profile through Google's own sign-in and writes the replies for you.
Will AI replies sound robotic?
They should not. Each reply is written for that review and mentions what the customer said. You can edit any reply before or after it goes out. If a reply does not sound like you, change your settings or write that one yourself.
Can I choose which reviews get a reply?
Yes. You choose which star ratings get an automatic reply. For other ratings, you can generate a draft, review it and publish it manually.
Does it reply in the reviewer's language?
Yes. Replies follow the language of the review.
Does Scan And Review post replies to Google without asking me?
Only if you switch automatic posting on, and only for the star ratings you choose. For other reviews, you can generate, review and publish a reply manually. If you prefer to approve every reply, leave automatic posting off.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. 14 days with full access, no credit card required. After that you choose a plan, and you can cancel at any time.
Try it on your own reviews
Connect your Google Business Profile and see the first replies the same day.
Start your free 14-day trial · No credit card · Cancel any time