Dear Google Maps team, I’m having an issue in writing reviews of places I recently visited in Paris, France.
On 24 Nov 2024, I visited a cafe in Paris called Le Studio Cafe, took pictures of the place and then wrote a review of it. But it is not posted saying there is fake engagement.
I find it strange that the automated systems is not able to differentiate between a genuine review and a fake review.
It is not allowing me to write reviews of other places too in Paris, France.
I don’t know why its happening. You can see the time stamps in the picture file name.
Hello @DanielTh ,
if photos are attached to your review and only one photo is not accepted, the entire review will be hidden. Your second photo shows recognizable faces, which could very likely a reason to refuse it. In any case, as a first step, I would remove all attached media and see, if the text is accepted.
I tag @MortenCopenhagen , I am sure, he can tell you much more.
Hi @DanielTh as I can see that in your second photo we can clearly see some faces. Please note that your photos should focus on the place rather than people. Please go through Troubleshoot Local Guides account issues and make an appeal if you want. I hope it will solve your problem.
Hi @DanielTh and thank you for asking.
When this happens normally you receive the same message also in an email, and normally there is also an indication about “what you can do”. This may also includes a link for appealing.
This kind of message is sent when a review related to a place inside the EU is not posted.
However reviews may be blocked also in the rest of the world, even if without sending any information to the author.
In fact more than 2400 of your reviews are not posted. When this happens of course the profile is flagged, and the filter seems to be a bit more restrictive on that case.
How to proceed:
read carefully the policies linked in the message shared here by you.
edit the hidden reviews in steps: first of all by removing the photos, then (if not posted) by editing the text.
if it doesn’t work, and you are sure that the reviews are not violating any policy, you may try to appeal for the team to check your profile.
IMHO some of your visible reviews are also not really adhering to the rules.
If you need help on better understand the rules, or to identify your hidden reviews, please let us know.
Honestly I don’t believe the issue is in the photos, @WilfriedB , @Shaunak , because the message is clearly mentioning “Fake engagement”.
Also the link suggested by you is not the one to ask for a check of our reviews, @Shaunak .
That link should be used if our account is suspended, and this isn’t the case
Dear @ErmesT good morning. Yesterday night I added a new place in Paris, basically its my company office which was not mentioned. Google Maps accepted the addition. and I gave a rating to the place, which the system allowed me to add. But the review is not posted.
Hi @DanielTh
Thanks for the feedback, I will start responding from the end:
There is not a quick way to find your “not posted” reviews.
You will have to compare your private profile with the public one. An easy way to do this is to open your profile (this link) in incognito mode on a web browser. Then you will have to scroll down the reviews, to compare what you posted and what is publicly visible. Considering the high number of reviews you posted, it will take time to do it.
My suggestion is to carefully check the policies, edit the reviews that are hidden, and then to submit an appeal. The form to appeal can be found here: An update on how we moderate Google Maps reviews.
The check of the profile may take several weeks (last time I submitted the form it took more than two months) but it works, and all my reviews were released.
But when I did it the first time, a few years ago, even if my reviews in Paris were released Google was blocking the new ones in the same area, so I had to submit the form again for having the block removed. I know, it is annoying, but Maps and all the other platforms that are hosting reviews have the same problem: to protect the platform from fake reviews, because this can have legal implications for them. So, in case of doubt, a review is taken down, to be eventually reinstated after the appeal. For more details you can read: Your review has not been published. Do you know why?
Regarding adding your business and then adding a review, please be aware that reviewing the place where you work, or you worked in the past, is considered a “Conflict of Interest” and must be avoided.
Also it would be better to Claim the business in Google Business profile instead of adding it as a Local Guide. The business can have a better control of the listing, and add additional information in a way that isn’t available for the Local Guides
Dear All, the observations made in this discussion are inaccurate.
I understood what’s the problem with automated system flagging outside-location-reviews. Its wrong to flag to genuine reviews as ‘fake engagement’.
Till 23 Nov, I was able to contribute reviews, photos (with peoples faces or NOT) in Indian locations.
23rd Nov to 2nd Dec - I was in Paris and NOT able to add reviews to places I visited. Though the same photos, videos I’m able to successfully upload to the Paris places under ‘Updates’ section. The automated system is NOT flagging my profile when I contribute through ‘Updates’ tab.
Now after coming back to home-location, I’m able to continue contributing to locations in India in regular reviews, photos upload.
So its nothing to do with hidden reviews, flagging of a profile etc.
Now that I understood what’s the core reason (which is different from the observations made), we can conclude this thread. Thank you.
IMHO the only difference is that you are not receiving any notification about “reviews not posted”. Unfortunately this is not because the review is published, but simply because that kind of notification is available only for listings located inside the EU.
