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Template · 5 stars

How to respond to a 5-star review

A 5-star reply is short and specific. Its real audience is the next person reading your reviews, who wants to see you're a real place run by real people.

The reviews below are made up. Change names and details to match what really happened before you post anything. Draft one for your real review with the free generator.

Template.

Thanks so much, [name]. [Detail they mentioned] is [why it matters to you / who to credit]. [One-line invitation back].

  • Thank them: "Thanks so much" or "Thank you for coming in".
  • Detail: the dish, the stylist, the room, the dog-friendly table.
  • Credit: pass praise to the person they named. "I'll tell Yuki tonight."
  • Invite: "See you next time" beats "We look forward to serving you again".

What to leave out.

  • Discount codes or offers. They can look like paying for reviews.
  • Your full business name stuffed with keywords. Google's guidance is to keep replies useful and natural.
  • Long paragraphs. If they wrote one line, reply with two.

Examples

Reviews and replies.

  1. 5-starPraise for a staff member

    Review (example)

    Aiko did my colour and it's exactly what I showed her. She even fixed the bit my last salon messed up.

    Example reply

    Thank you! I'll show this to Aiko, she'll be so pleased. Fixing someone else's colour is a job she quietly loves. See you for your next touch-up.

    Why it works: Credits the person named, adds one human detail, invites back.

  2. 5-starOne-line review

    Review (example)

    Great coffee, friendly staff.

    Example reply

    Thanks for stopping by! Glad the coffee hit the spot. See you next time.

    Why it works: Matches the length of the review. Nothing to over-think.

  3. 5-starSpecial occasion

    Review (example)

    Celebrated our anniversary here, the team made it so special.

    Example reply

    Happy anniversary to you both! Thank you for spending it with us. The team will be glad to hear it. Come back for the next one.

    Why it works: Leads with their occasion, not with the business.

Questions

Common questions.

Do I need to reply to 5-star reviews with no text?
It's optional. A short "Thanks for the stars, see you soon" is fine, but if you're short on time, prioritise reviews with words and any under 4 stars.
Should I thank them by name?
Use the name Google shows if it looks like a real first name. If it's a nickname or initials, just skip it.

Draft replies right on the review page.

The ReplyPlate Chrome extension writes a first draft; you read it and post it.

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