How to Remove a Review from a Facebook Page

A single negative Facebook review can feel like a direct hit to your brand's reputation, and your first instinct is probably to make it disappear. This guide cuts straight to the core of the issue, showing you the exact steps you can take to report and remove a damaging review, when and how to turn off reviews entirely, and a better way to handle negative feedback that actually builds trust with your audience.

Can You Actually Delete a Single Facebook Review?

Let's address the most important question first: unfortunately, you cannot unilaterally delete a negative review someone leaves on your Facebook Page just because you don't like it. Facebook removed the classic five-star rating system and replaced it with "Recommendations," where users can choose to either "Recommend" or "Not Recommend" your Page, accompanied by a comment. Think of these recommendations as user-generated content, they belong to the user who wrote them, not the page owner.

This might seem frustrating, but it's designed to maintain trust and transparency on the platform. If businesses could scrub all their bad reviews, the system would be meaningless for consumers. However, this doesn't mean you're powerless. You have three main options for dealing with a review you want gone:

• Report the Review: If a review violates Facebook's Community Standards (it's spam, fake, harassment, etc.), you can report it to Meta for removal.
• Hide All Reviews: You have the option to turn off the entire Recommendations feature on your Page, which hides all reviews - the good and the bad.
• Respond to the Review: For legitimate negative feedback, the best course of action is almost always a professional, public response.

We'll walk through how to execute each of these strategies below, starting with the most common scenario: reporting a review that crosses the line.

How to Report and Remove a Fake or Harmful Review

If a review is not just negative but fraudulent, irrelevant, or abusive, your best option is to report it. This process flags the content for Meta's review team, who will then decide if it violates their policies. This is the correct path for trying to remove reviews containing spam, harassment, hate speech, threats, or content that is clearly from a fake profile or a disingenuous source (like a competitor or disgruntled ex-employee).

Step-by-Step Guide to Reporting a Facebook Review:

The process is straightforward and takes less than a minute. Here’s how to do it from your Facebook Page:

1. Navigate to your Page's Reviews/Recommendations Tab: Go to your Facebook Business Page and find the "Reviews" or "Recommendations" tab on the left-hand menu. If you don't see it, it might be under the "More" dropdown.
2. Find the Specific Review: Scroll through the recommendations until you find the one you wish to report.
3. Click the Three Dots Menu: In the top-right corner of the review box, you will see three small dots (...). Click on them to open a drop-down menu.
4. Select 'Report Post' or 'Find support or report recommendation': The wording can vary slightly. This will trigger a pop-up window where you need to specify why you are reporting it.
5. Choose the Reason for Reporting: Facebook will provide a list of potential violations against their Community Standards. Select the one that best fits the situation. Common options include:
   • Spam: The review is from a bot, a fake account, or promotes an irrelevant service.
   • Harassment: The content targets or bullies you, an employee, or another customer.
   • Hate Speech: The review uses racist, sexist, or other discriminatory language.
   • Fraud or Scam: The review makes false claims to mislead people.
   • Nudity or Violence: The content is graphic or sexually explicit.
   • Irrelevant: The recommendation has nothing to do with your business (e.g., it's a personal review meant for another company).
6. Submit the Report: Follow any additional prompts and then click "Submit." The review is now in the hands of Meta's content moderation team.

What Happens After You Report a Review?

Once submitted, there's not much to do but wait. Meta doesn't give a specific timeline for review, but it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks. You will typically receive a notification in your "Support Inbox" updating you on their decision.

Be prepared for the possibility that Facebook will decide the review *doesn't* violate their standards. If they see freedom of expression or a simple customer opinion, even a harsh one, they are unlikely to remove it. If your request is denied, the review will remain on your page. At that point, you'll need to consider one of the other strategies below.

The Best Alternative: How to Respond to a Negative Review

Since you can't remove most negative reviews, learning how to respond to them is one of the most powerful skills a social media manager can have. A thoughtful, calm, and professional reply can turn a negative situation into a positive one. It demonstrates to everyone - including hundreds of potential customers who see it - that you listen to feedback, care about your customers, and are committed to resolving problems.

A bad review left unanswered tells visitors you either don't care or agree with the complaint. A defensive, angry response is even worse. But a great response can completely neutralize the damage.

A Simple Framework for a Perfect Response:

Stick to this four-step process to craft a professional response every time.

1. Thank Them and Acknowledge Their Feedback: Start by thanking the reviewer for bringing the issue to your attention, even if their complaint feels unfair. Example: "Hi [Name], thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us." This immediately de-escalates the situation.
2. Apologize Calmly and Show Empathy: You don't have to admit fault, but you should always apologize for their negative experience. Example: "We're very sorry to hear that your experience with [product/service] didn't meet your expectations."
3. Provide a Solution or Explanation (Briefly!): If there's a simple, factual clarification you can make, do so briefly. If there's a solution, offer it. The key is to avoid getting into a lengthy, defensive argument. Keep it concise. Example: "Our team is normally known for their attentiveness, and we apologize if we fell short in this instance."
4. Take the Conversation Offline: This is a powerful move. It shows you want to resolve the issue personally and moves a potentially heated discussion out of the public eye. Example: "We want to make this right. Could you please send us a direct message with your contact details or email us at [support email] so our customer care team can look into this for you?"

Once you've posted your public response, the work is done. Don't engage in a back-and-forth public comment battle. Your single, professional reply is all that's needed to show other visitors that you handle criticism gracefully.

The 'Nuclear Option': Turning Off Facebook Reviews Completely

In some extreme cases, such as a targeted review-bombing campaign where your page is flooded with fake, 1-star reviews, you might decide to turn off the entire Recommendations feature. This is a drastic step with significant trade-offs, so it should be used as a last resort.

Pros of Disabling Reviews:

• It immediately stops the flow of negative reviews.
• It can provide relief during a coordinated negative attack.

Cons of Disabling Reviews:

• It hides all of your existing positive reviews and eliminates valuable social proof.
• Potential customers may see the absence of a review section as a red flag, making them think you have something to hide.
• You lose a valuable channel for gathering customer feedback and testimonials.

How to Turn Off Reviews on Your Facebook Page

If you've weighed the pros and cons and decided this is the right move for your business, here's how to disable the feature:

1. Go to your Business Page and click on "Settings" in the left-hand menu.
2. In the new settings view, select "Privacy".
3. Click on the "Page" section.
4. Find the setting that says "Allow others to view and leave reviews on your Page."
5. Click the toggle switch to turn this feature off.

The "Reviews" or "Recommendations" tab will now disappear from your Page. You can always follow the same steps to turn it back on in the future if you change your mind.

Drown Out the Negative with Positives

The best long-term strategy for managing your reputation isn't just about removing negative feedback, it's about actively generating a strong base of positive feedback. One or two bad reviews won't sink a business that has dozens of glowing ones.

Proactively encourage your happiest customers to share their experiences. The key is to make it a natural part of your customer service process:

• Ask at the Right Time: The perfect moment to ask for a review is right after a positive interaction - following a successful delivery, glowing customer support chat, or a compliment they've given you directly.
• Make It Easy: Don't just say, "Leave us a review on Facebook!" Send them a direct link that takes them straight to the recommendations section of your page. Reduce the friction to as close to zero as possible.
• Use Multiple Channels: Mention your review page in your email signatures, on "thank you" pages after a purchase, or in follow-up customer satisfaction emails.

By building a steady stream of authentic, positive reviews, you create a powerful buffer of social proof that makes any single negative comment far less impactful.

Final Thoughts

While you can't just delete a bad review on Facebook, you have clear options for managing your Page's reputation: report reviews that violate community standards, skillfully respond to legitimate feedback, or disable the entire feature as a last resort. The best long-term strategy is always to build a strong foundation of positive reviews that speak for themselves.

Managing your brand's reputation means staying on top of every comment and message across your social channels. When negative feedback appears, responding quickly is critical. We built Postbase with a unified inbox to bring all your Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok communications into one place, so you never miss another important notification. It helps you handle feedback - good and bad - promptly, keeping your community engaged and your brand story in your hands.