For local businesses, reviews are among the strongest trust signals. Stars and written reviews help decide whether someone picks up the phone — and, according to Google, also how your business is ranked in local results: the number of reviews and the average rating are part of the calculation.
At the same time, stricter rules have applied since 28 May 2022. The implementation of the EU Omnibus Directive added § 5b(3) to the UWG (German Unfair Competition Act), along with new prohibitions in the UWG annex. Many businesses still don’t know them, but the courts enforce them — for example the Higher Regional Court (OLG) of Frankfurt am Main in May 2026. On top of that come Google’s own policies, which are in part stricter than the law when it comes to collecting reviews.
This article covers both: what you need to watch out for when you display reviews, and how to get reviews without leaving yourself open to legal action. One important note up front: this is an assessment from practice, not legal advice. If in doubt, ask a lawyer who specializes in competition law.
The key obligation: say whether you verify
§ 5b(3) UWG states: anyone who makes consumer reviews accessible must provide information on whether and how they ensure that the reviews come from people who actually used or purchased the product or service. That includes you if you embed reviews from your Google Business Profile on your website via a widget or quote customer testimonials.
The crucial point: the disclosure obligation applies even if you don’t verify at all. In that case, you have to say that. What doesn’t work: staying silent and still advertising with stars.
In practice, a short notice placed clearly next to the reviews is usually enough, for example: “Die angezeigten Bewertungen stammen aus unserem Google-Unternehmensprofil. Wir prüfen nicht, ob die Bewertenden unsere Leistungen tatsächlich in Anspruch genommen haben.” In English: the reviews shown come from our Google Business Profile, and we do not check whether the reviewers actually used our services.
Where the notice appears does matter. In May 2026, the OLG Frankfurt am Main confirmed (case no. 6 U 305/25) that a notice behind a vaguely labeled link such as “Wettbewerbsrechtliche Hinweise” (competition law notices) is not enough. Visitors must be able to see that the notice refers specifically to the reviews shown.
Careful with the word “Kundenbewertungen” (customer reviews)
No. 23b of the annex to § 3(3) UWG is even stricter: anyone who claims that reviews come from people who actually bought or used the product, without having taken reasonable and proportionate steps to verify this, always acts unlawfully — with no case-by-case weighing. At the end of 2024, the Higher Regional Court of Cologne (OLG Köln) confirmed that advertising with “Kundenbewertungen” was unlawful for exactly this reason (judgment of 20 December 2024, 6 U 59/24): the term suggests that real customers wrote the reviews, but this had not been verified. So if you don’t verify, stick to the neutral “Bewertungen auf Google” (reviews on Google).
What exactly can get you a cease-and-desist letter
A star rating without a source or verification notice. “4.9 out of 5 stars” on the homepage, with no indication of where the figure comes from or whether the reviews were verified. A classic on business websites.
Showing only the good reviews. A widget that deliberately shows only five-star reviews and hides the weaker ones creates a false impression. This can be classed as a misrepresentation of consumer reviews under No. 23c of the UWG annex, or as misleading advertising. If you only show a selection, be transparent about how it is chosen and state the real overall average.
Buying or faking reviews. Submitting fake reviews or commissioning others to do so is always prohibited under No. 23c of the UWG annex. This can also include reviews you ask family, friends or employees to write even though they have never been customers. Google removes such reviews and can restrict the profiles concerned, for example by temporarily blocking new reviews and displaying a warning.
Rewards for reviews. This is where the law and Google differ. Under competition law, if you advertise with reviews that were given in exchange for a discount, a voucher or a chance to win, you must disclose this. In 2020, the OLG Frankfurt am Main ruled that advertising with such reviews without a corresponding notice was unfair (judgment of 20 August 2020, 6 U 270/19). Rewarding only positive reviews is unlawful in any case. Google goes further and prohibits incentives for reviews altogether, whether for good or neutral ones. For your Google profile, that means: no vouchers, no discounts, no prize draws in exchange for a review.
What is allowed — and works
Ask actively
The simplest way: ask your customers for a review. That is allowed, under Google’s policies too — as long as no reward is involved and you don’t try to influence the star rating or the content. Google even provides a dedicated link for this in your Business Profile.
The best moment is shortly after a visible result: the kitchen is finished, the car runs again, the evening was a success. It is important to ask everyone, not just the customers you expect praise from. Google explicitly prohibits approaching only satisfied customers, a practice known as review gating.
The request itself should be open-ended: “Wir freuen uns über deine ehrliche Bewertung bei Google.” (We’d appreciate your honest review on Google.) — or the formal version with “Sie” if that is how you address your customers. Not: “Bitte gib uns fünf Sterne.” (Please give us five stars.) In spring 2026, Google also expanded its policies: it is now also prohibited to set employees a target number of reviews or to have them collect reviews with specific content, such as an employee’s name.
Make the path short
Many people would write a review but give up along the way. You can print the direct review link from your Google Business Profile as a QR code on the invoice, a small card or a stand on the counter. The fewer the steps, the better the odds: “Such uns mal bei Google” (just look us up on Google) rarely leads to a review; a QR code right on the receipt is far more likely to.
By email or WhatsApp: only with consent
A point many people overlook: under German case law, a review request by email counts as advertising. The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled that even a satisfaction survey in the email used to send an invoice can be unlawful without consent (judgment of 10 July 2018, VI ZR 225/17). For email, text messages and messengers, you therefore usually need consent, or you have to meet the narrow conditions for existing customers under § 7(3) UWG, including a notice of the right to object. Asking in person or printing a QR code on the invoice is much less risky.
Systematic rather than sporadic
Two reviews a month are better than twenty in one week and then nothing for a year. Sudden spikes can also trigger review checks at Google. And for prospective customers, recency counts: a profile whose latest review is two years old looks abandoned.
If you already work with automation, the request can be triggered automatically once a job is completed — for emails only with consent, see above. How to do this with simple tools is covered in our article on workflows for small teams (in German).
Responding to bad reviews
A bad review is no drama; an unanswered one is more of a problem. If you reply factually, politely and without long justifications, you come across as confident. Prospective customers read the replies, because they show how you deal with criticism.
What you shouldn’t do: offer customers money, discounts or other benefits to change or delete a negative review — Google explicitly prohibits that too. Reviews that violate Google’s policies, such as insults or reviews from people who were never customers, can be reported in your profile.
By the way: a profile with nothing but five-star reviews can actually look less credible. A few critical voices with good replies often make the overall picture more convincing.
The special case: no reviews at all yet
If you are new or don’t have a Google Business Profile yet, one simple rule applies: don’t advertise with a rating figure as long as you don’t have one. Not even an estimated one or one based on gut feeling.
Instead, use what can be verified: specific projects, real references with your customers’ permission, figures from actual results. A real reference with a name and a concrete result is often more convincing than an anonymous star rating. The same rule applies here: if you publish customer testimonials, say whether and how you make sure they are genuine.
The first step is the profile itself anyway. How to set it up properly is explained in our guide to the Google Business Profile.
Quick checklist
Check your website for these points:
- Is there a star rating anywhere without a stated source?
- Is there a clearly visible notice right next to the reviews saying whether and how you verify that they are genuine?
- Do you call unverified reviews “Kundenbewertungen”?
- Does a widget selectively show only good reviews?
And when collecting reviews: do you ask all customers, without rewards, without requirements on stars or content — and by email only with consent?
If one of these points trips you up, it is usually quick to fix and far cheaper than an Abmahnung (a formal cease-and-desist letter, usually with costs). And if you are planning to rework your website anyway, we can talk in a free initial call about how to integrate reviews properly — though that doesn’t replace a legal review of your individual case.
