Review Request Text & Email Templates
Updated June 17, 2026
A review request that gets replies is short, personal, and frictionless: greet the customer by name, thank them, ask plainly, and drop a direct link to your Google review page. Texts work best kept under 160 characters with the link up front. The templates below are written to be sent within 24 hours of completing the job, when response rates are highest.
A review request doesn't need to be clever — it needs to be effortless to act on. The customer is happy; your only job is to remove every speck of friction between that feeling and a posted review. Long, formal, or link-buried requests reintroduce the friction you're trying to delete.
Below are templates you can use as-is: short SMS scripts that get read in minutes, and email versions for the addresses-only fallback. They share a structure that consistently earns replies — and they're built to be fired off automatically within 24 hours of the job wrapping.
What makes a request get a reply
Four things. Use the customer's name so it reads as personal, not a blast. Reference the work so it's obviously from you and not a scam. Make the ask in one plain sentence — don't bury it under pleasantries. And put a direct review link right there, so the next step is a single tap, not a search.
What kills response: length, formality, and friction. Anything that makes the customer think "I'll do it later" loses you the review, because later never comes. Short and specific beats long and polished every time.
SMS templates (use these first)
Opener: "Hi {name}, it's {tech} from {company} — thanks for having us out to fix the {job} today! If you were happy with the work, would you mind leaving a quick Google review? Takes 30 seconds: {link}"
Shorter version: "Hi {name}! Glad we got the {job} sorted. A quick Google review would mean a lot to our small crew — {link}. Thank you!"
Reminder (send ~48 hours later only if no response): "Hi {name}, just floating this back up — if you have a sec, a quick review really helps us out: {link}. No worries if not!"
| Template | Channel | When to send |
|---|---|---|
| Standard opener | SMS | Within 24 hours of completion |
| Short version | SMS | Repeat or quick-job customers |
| Reminder | SMS | ~48 hours later, no response only |
| Email version | Address-only customers, fallback |
When to use each template
Email version and the rules that protect you
Email fallback: Subject — "Quick favor, {name}?" Body — "Hi {name}, thanks again for trusting {company} with your {job}. We're a small local crew and Google reviews genuinely help us reach more neighbors. If you have 30 seconds, here's the link: {link}. Either way, thank you for your business."
Two rules keep you safe and effective. Never offer money, discounts, or anything of value for a review — that violates Google's policies and can get reviews removed. And ask everyone, not just the customers you're sure will rave; cherry-picking is against policy and, handled right with a private route for unhappy replies, unnecessary. BILT AI for home services sends these on the completion trigger and routes negative replies to you before they go public.
Frequently asked
How long should a review request text be?
Short — ideally one segment, under 160 characters. Name, a one-line thank-you, the plain ask, and the link. Anything longer reintroduces the friction you're trying to remove and reads more like marketing than a personal note.
Should I include the review link directly in the message?
Always. A direct link to your Google review form turns the request into a single tap. Making the customer find your profile and hunt for the review button is exactly the friction that loses you the review — put the link right in the message.
Can I offer a discount for leaving a review?
No. Offering money, discounts, or anything of value in exchange for reviews violates Google's policies and can get the reviews removed and your profile penalized. Ask honestly, make it easy, and let the quality of your work do the rest.
How many times should I follow up?
Once. A single polite reminder roughly 48 hours after the first request, sent only if there's no response, is the sweet spot. More than that crosses into pestering — which costs you goodwill and risks the kind of annoyance that turns a fan into a non-promoter.
The takeaway
The best review request is short, named, specific, and one tap from done. Lead with SMS within 24 hours, keep it under 160 characters with the link up front, and send one reminder at 48 hours if needed. Never offer anything in exchange, ask every customer, and route the unhappy replies to yourself privately. Plug these into an automation and they run on every job.