A Google review QR code is a square barcode that opens the review box for your business when a customer scans it with their phone camera. You can make one free from your Business Profile or with the getmitch review link and QR code generator, print it at a size that scans (2 cm wide is a common rule of thumb), and put it on things customers already hold: the invoice, the quote, the business card. It is a handy backup to the text you send after the job. It is a poor replacement for it.
This is part of How to get more Google reviews. If you do not have a review link yet, start with how to find your Google review link.
How to make the code
Get your review link
Copy it from your Business Profile, or build it with the generator. Test it on your phone first, so you are not printing a code that opens the wrong business.
Generate the QR code
Paste the link into the generator and download the code as an image. Choose a high resolution file or an SVG if you have the option, because a blurry code won't scan.
Scan it before you print it
Scan the screen version with your phone and a second phone if you can. Check it opens the review box for your business.
The generator runs in your browser. There is no sign-up, no watermark, and the code points directly at Google, not through us. If getmitch disappeared tomorrow, your code would still work.
A warning about "free" QR sites
Some free QR sites make a code that points at their server, which then forwards to your link. It looks identical. A few months later the free trial ends, the redirect stops working, and every card and sticker you printed is dead. Check where a code goes before you print 500 of them: most phones show the web address when you scan, and it should be Google's, not a third party's.
How big to print it
Size is what makes the difference between a code that scans and a code that does not.
- Cards, invoices, quotes: at least 2 cm wide is a common rule of thumb.
- Signs and vehicles: the further away the scanner stands, the bigger the code needs to be. As a rule of thumb, allow about 1 cm of code for every 10 cm of distance, then print a test and scan it from where people will stand.
- Contrast: dark code on a light background. Avoid printing on a patterned background, glossy surfaces that reflect, or reversed (white on black) codes, which some phones struggle with.
- Space: leave a blank margin around the code. Don't crowd it with text.
Add one line next to it so people know what it is: "How did we do? Scan to leave us a Google review."
Where to put it
Think about where a customer is standing still, with a phone in hand, and a reason to feel good about you.
On the invoice and quote
The best spot. The customer is already looking at your paperwork on their phone, and a tap is easier than scanning, so include the plain link as well as the code. This is the one place we would always set up first.
Business cards
Put the code on the back. A card handed over at the end of a job, with "Scan to review us on Google" on it, gets used by people who would not have followed up on a text.
Fridge magnets and switchboard stickers
A magnet on the fridge stays there for years and gets seen daily. A small sticker next to the switchboard or the hot water unit (after a sparky or plumber visit) is the same idea, though check you are not covering a compliance label.
Site signage and the job board
A sign on a job site is seen by the neighbours, who are your next customers. Neighbours are exactly who you want reviewing you. Check your council or strata rules on signs before you put one up.
On the ute
Everyone thinks about the ute and it is the weakest spot. A code on the back of a moving vehicle is not scanned by drivers in traffic, and it is not safe to try. It works only when the ute is parked in the customer's driveway, and then the customer you have just done the job for is the one scanning it. A decal that says "How did we do? Review us on Google" with the code gets some use, but it will not be your main source of reviews.
Trade counters and showrooms
If you run a shopfront, a showroom or a trade counter, put the code at the till. This is the one place a code does the heavy lifting.
When a QR code is the wrong tool
- For a customer in a hurry. Texting them the link while you are packing up works better than asking them to scan.
- For older customers who don't use QR codes. Use a text, or ask them to search your name and do it with you.
- When you want it automated. A printed code relies on the customer remembering. Mitch sends the link by text 24 to 72 hours after the job on Local and Complete, to customers who have agreed to hear from you.
Rules to keep in mind
- Do not offer a discount or a prize for scanning. Google's policy bans incentives for reviews. Words like "Scan to enter our draw" can get reviews removed.
- Do not make it look like only happy customers should scan. Asking everyone the same way keeps you on the right side of Google's selective solicitation rule.
- Do not put the code where it forces staff or family to scan it. Conflict of interest reviews get removed.
What to do after someone scans
The review appears on your profile once Google has checked it, which Google says can take a few days. If it does not show, see why isn't my Google review showing up. Reply to each one. Positive review responses has examples.
Plan: Make the QR code the backup
With Local, Mitch texts your review link after each finished job, so the printed code is a second chance rather than the whole plan. Start with the 14-day free trial, no card. See [how it works](/au/platform/reviews).
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Get more reviews
- Google Business Profile Help: Create a link or QR code to request reviews
- Google Business Profile Help: Missing or delayed reviews
- Google Maps policy: Prohibited and restricted content
Make your review QR code in 30 seconds
Free, no sign-up, no watermark, and it points straight at Google.