Choosing which reviews get an automatic reply

In this article, you'll learn how to choose which Google reviews get answered for you automatically during onboarding. Happy customers get a quick thank-you without you lifting a finger. The tougher reviews wait for you, so you can answer them yourself.

This step is part of onboarding on the web. You'll see it if your plan includes reviews. It's under Reviews and comes right after Facebook & Instagram.

To open the step:

  1. Work through onboarding until you reach the screen titled Which reviews get an automatic reply?

How the rows work

You'll see five rows, from 5-star at the top down to 1-star at the bottom. Each row has a tag on the right:

  • Automated means a review with that rating gets a reply written and posted for you.
  • Manual means a review with that rating waits for you to answer it yourself.

Automated always starts from the top. If 3-star reviews are automated, so are 4-star and 5-star ones. You can't automate a 2-star review and leave a 4-star one manual.

By default, 5-star, 4-star and 3-star are set to Automated, and 2-star and 1-star are set to Manual.

Choose your cutoff by tapping a row

  1. Tap the lowest rating you want answered automatically. For example, tap 4-star.
  2. That row and every row above it switch to Automated. Every row below it switches to Manual.

Tap 1-star if you want every review answered for you.

Choose your cutoff with the slider

The slider sits to the right of the rows.

  1. Drag the handle down to automate more star levels, or up to automate fewer.
  2. Each notch down adds the next rating to Automated.
  3. To answer every review yourself, drag the handle all the way to the top. Every row shows Manual.
Tip: Dragging to the top is the only way to set every row to Manual. Tapping a row always automates at least that row.

Save your choice

  1. Click Continue to save your choice and go to the next step.
  2. Click Back if you want to go to the previous step instead.
Note: Your choice is saved with the rest of your onboarding answers. It becomes your reply setting when you finish onboarding and reach the last screen.
Note: Automatic replies only go out once your Google Business Profile is connected. Until then, nothing gets posted.

You can change this later from the Review Replies panel in your dashboard's Settings. It has the same 5-star to 1-star rows, and you move the cutoff with the slider there.

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