Google Is Removing GBP Reviews Again!(November 2025 Update) What Google Business Profile Owners Need to Know

By Matt Hammerton, Founder of Brainspike Marketing – 17 Years of SEO Experience

Over the last week — especially around November 21, 2025 — my agency, Brainspike Marketing, noticed a sudden and widespread drop in Google reviews across dozens of client listings. After comparing our data to their competitors, it became clear this wasn’t random: nearly every profile we monitor lost reviews, ranging from 5 to nearly 200 reviews overnight.

And we’re not alone.

Businesses across the world have begun reporting large, unexpected drops in review counts. One business owner posted on Google’s support forum that their profile fell from 260 reviews to just 88 overnight — a 66% loss with no explanation. (Source: Google Business Profile Support thread)

So… what is going on?

This article breaks down everything we know so far about the late-November review purge, based on:

Let’s walk through what’s happening — and what you should do next.

A New Wave of Review Disappearing Events (November 2025)

From November 18–23, review counts began dropping again across multiple industries including:

Business owners began reporting these issues across the Google Business Profile Community forum, including the thread where a longtime owner wrote:

“My business review count dropped from 260 to 88. Nothing changed. All reviews were genuine.”
— Business Owner on Google Support Forum

My own clients saw losses that fit the same pattern:

When I compared these drops to their competitors, almost every competing listing also showed losses, which confirmed this wasn’t an isolated incident — it was systemic.

Is Google Deleting Reviews, or Is This Another Bug?

Based on the data, it appears both may be happening at the same time, just like earlier waves in 2024 and 2025.

Possibility #1: Google’s Automated Moderation System Is Removing Reviews

Google’s AI-driven spam filters have grown extremely strict since 2023, especially after regulatory pressure from:

Google has publicly stated it removed or blocked 170+ million policy-violating reviews in 2023 alone, and that number has continued growing every year.

Many legitimate reviews end up getting flagged because they look “suspicious” to the algorithm, such as:

A massive 5-million-review study (GMBapi, 2024) found that:

That pattern matches what we’re seeing again in November 2025.

Possibility #2: A Recurring Review Count Display Bug

In February 2025, Google acknowledged a widespread review display bug, where:

Google’s official statement (Feb 2025):

“We’re aware of an issue causing Business Profiles to show lower-than-actual review counts due to a display issue. The reviews themselves have not been deleted.”

Google fixed that particular bug, but…

A new similar bug was confirmed in late October 2025 (PiunikaWeb, Google Product Experts on GBP Forum), where:

Multiple Google Product Experts called it a large-scale issue.

The November drop appears to be the continuation or aftermath of that October glitch, though Google has not yet issued a new formal statement.

Evidence Suggesting This November Loss Is a Systemic Event

Here’s what we know for certain:

✔ Multiple industries are affected

The drops are not isolated to one category — everything from locksmiths to dentists to restaurants reported losses.

✔ Review drops vary widely

Some lost:

✔ Competitors lost reviews too

This is one of the strongest indicators that it’s a platform-wide event, not a penalty.

✔ Google’s forum is filling up with new complaints

Threads like the “260 to 88 reviews” report are popping up across the Google Business Profile forum almost daily.

✔ Timing lines up with October’s confirmed glitch

That glitch was not fully resolved, and businesses reported delayed symptoms.

✔ Review content often still exists (in some cases)

Some owners reported:

This points strongly toward a display bug — though not all cases have this symptom.

Why Google Is Increasingly Aggressive About Review Removal

Google’s review system has been under fire from:

To protect itself, Google tightened the filters dramatically.

And when Google tightens filters, two things happen:

1. Fake reviews get removed (good)

Google’s machine learning is now excellent at spotting:

2. Genuine reviews get caught in the crossfire (bad)

Google’s AI isn’t perfect — and when it removes first and reviews later, legitimate businesses suffer.

Why Your Listing May Have Lost Reviews This Week

Here are the likely causes of the November 21–24 purge:

1. Google is purging ‘suspicious’ review clusters

Even 100% legitimate reviews can get purged if:

2. The October review glitch is still rolling out

Some reviews may be hidden temporarily or miscounted.

3. Google’s moderation bot is over-compensating

After the FTC’s fake review ban took effect, Google appears to be filtering more aggressively.

4. A new unannounced update or bug is unfolding

Google rarely announces review updates — they usually get confirmed only after thousands complain.

We are likely in the early stages of another wave.

How to Check Whether Your Reviews Are Deleted or Just Hidden

Here’s what I recommend (as someone who does this daily for dozens of clients):

Step 1 — Screenshot your current review count

Always capture:

Step 2 — Compare your current review list to last month’s

If you track reviews manually, pull out your last backup.

Step 3 — Check competitors

If competitors lost reviews the same week → this is a systemic event, not a penalty.

Step 4 — Check reviewer profiles

Search for your customers’ Google profiles:

Step 5 — Submit a Google support ticket only if needed

Google will not restore reviews that violate policy.

But if:

Google may escalate it.

What You Should Not Do Right Now

❌ Don’t ask customers to repost reviews yet

Reposting reviews during a bug or purge often triggers more removals.

❌ Don’t flood Google Support with multiple tickets

Google may temporarily lock your listing for “spammy” tickets.

❌ Don’t immediately solicit a spike of new reviews

Large review spikes can activate the filter even more.

❌ Don’t assume it’s a penalty

If your competitors dropped too, it is not a penalty.

What You Should Do Next (Action Plan)

1. Document everything

Take screenshots of:

2. Create a review spreadsheet

Track:

This helps you prove losses later.

3. Diversify your review sources

Google reviews are the most important, but not the only ones:

4. Respond to every review you currently have

Data from multiple studies shows that reviews with owner responses have a significantly lower deletion rate.

5. Implement slow, steady review acquisition

Avoid sudden spikes. Aim for:

6. Stay informed

Google rarely explains these issues, so staying plugged into trusted sources is key:

My Professional Opinion as a 17-Year SEO Expert

Based on everything I’ve seen — clients, competitors, forums, and historical patterns — the November 2025 review losses appear to be:

⭐ 50% moderation-based deletions

Google’s algorithm is likely continuing to purge reviews it considers “low-trust.”

⭐ 50% display glitch

Listings are showing lower counts than the actual number of available reviews — something we saw in February and again in October.

⭐ 100% widespread

It’s not about your business; it’s a platform-wide issue.

⭐ Likely temporary for some listings

Some reviews may reappear as systems catch up — this happened during previous waves.

⭐ Likely part of Google’s long-term tightening

Expect more waves of removals throughout 2025–2026 as regulatory pressure increases.

A November 2025 Review Purge or Gltich has definitely happened, and you are not alone. We will get through this together, my fellow business owners and SEOs.

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