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. Your first instinct might be to make it disappear. This guide shows you the steps to report and remove a damaging review, when and how to turn off reviews entirely, and how to handle negative feedback in a way that builds trust with your audience.

Can You Actually Delete a Single Facebook Review?

Unfortunately, you cannot unilaterally delete a negative review on your Facebook Page just because you don't like it. Facebook replaced the classic five-star rating system with "Recommendations," where users can choose to either "Recommend" or "Not Recommend" accompanied by a comment. These recommendations are user-generated content belonging to the user who wrote them, not the page owner.

This system maintains trust and transparency on the platform. If businesses could delete all their bad reviews, it would be meaningless for consumers. However, you have options:

• Report the Review: If it violates Facebook's Community Standards, you can report it to Meta for removal.
• Hide All Reviews: You can turn off the entire Recommendations feature, hiding all reviews.
• Respond to the Review: A professional, public response is often the best course of action for legitimate negative feedback.

We'll detail how to execute each of these strategies, starting with 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 also fraudulent, irrelevant, or abusive, the best option is to report it. This flags the content for Meta's review team, who will then decide if it violates their policies. This is the appropriate path for trying to remove reviews containing spam, harassment, hate speech, threats, or content from a fake profile.

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

The process is straightforward:

1. Navigate to your Page's Reviews/Recommendations Tab: Go to your Facebook Business Page and find the "Reviews" or "Recommendations" tab.
2. Find the Specific Review: Scroll through the recommendations to find the one you wish to report.
3. Click the Three Dots Menu: In the top-right corner of the review box, you'll see three dots (...). Click on them.
4. Select 'Report Post' or 'Find support or report recommendation': This will trigger a pop-up window to specify why you are reporting it.
5. Choose the Reason for Reporting: Facebook will provide a list of potential violations. Select the appropriate one.
6. Submit the Report: Follow any additional prompts and click "Submit." The review is now in Meta's hands.

What Happens After You Report a Review?

Once submitted, you must wait for a decision. Meta doesn't provide a specific timeline, but it can take a few days to several weeks. Be prepared that Facebook may decide the review doesn't violate their standards. If denied, the review remains on your page, and you should consider other strategies.

The Best Alternative: How to Respond to a Negative Review

Since most negative reviews can't be removed, learning to respond to them is vital. A thoughtful, professional reply can turn a negative situation into a positive one, showing you care about your customers and are committed to resolving problems.

A Simple Framework for a Perfect Response:

Use this four-step process for crafting a professional response:

1. Thank Them and Acknowledge Their Feedback: Start by thanking the reviewer for their feedback. Example: "Hi [Name], thank you for sharing your feedback with us."
2. Apologize Calmly and Show Empathy: Always apologize for their negative experience. Example: "We're sorry to hear that your experience didn't meet your expectations."
3. Provide a Solution or Explanation: Briefly make clarifications or offer solutions. Example: "Our team is known for their attentiveness, and we're sorry if we fell short."
4. Take the Conversation Offline: Resolve the issue personally and privately. Example: "Please send us a direct message with your contact details so we can assist."

Post your public response and avoid a back-and-forth. Your single, professional reply is enough to show you handle criticism gracefully.

The 'Nuclear Option': Turning Off Facebook Reviews Completely

In extreme cases, such as a review-bombing campaign, you might turn off the Recommendations feature. This is a drastic step with significant trade-offs, so it should be the last resort.

Pros of Disabling Reviews:

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

Cons of Disabling Reviews:

• Hides all your positive reviews and social proof.
• Potential customers may see it as a red flag.
• You lose a valuable channel for customer feedback and testimonials.

How to Turn Off Reviews on Your Facebook Page

If you've decided to disable the feature, here's how:

1. Go to your Business Page and click on "Settings".
2. 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. Toggle the switch to turn this feature off.

The "Reviews" or "Recommendations" tab will disappear. You can always turn it back on if you change your mind.

Drown Out the Negative with Positives

The best long-term strategy is not just about removing negative feedback but generating positive feedback. A few bad reviews won't impact a business with many positive ones.

Encourage happy customers to share their experiences naturally:

• Ask at the Right Time: Ask for a review after a positive interaction.
• Make It Easy: Send a direct link to the recommendations section.
• Use Multiple Channels: Mention your review page in email signatures, thank you pages, or follow-up emails.

Building a steady stream of authentic, positive reviews creates powerful social proof that makes negative comments less impactful. Learn more about getting reviews on your Facebook Business Page.

Final Thoughts

While you can't delete a bad review on Facebook, you have options to manage your Page's reputation: report reviews that violate standards, respond skillfully to feedback, or disable reviews as a last resort. The best strategy is to build a strong foundation of positive reviews.

Managing your brand's reputation means staying on top of every comment across social channels. When negative feedback appears, respond quickly. We built Postbase with a unified inbox to handle all communications in one place, so you never miss a notification. It helps you manage feedback promptly, keeping your community engaged and your brand story in your hands.