Review Platform Rules
Read this reference for incentives, invitation cohorts, moderation, or reuse of platform assets. Policies can change; confirm the selected platform's current official rules before execution. A platform's permission is not a guarantee that local law, reviewer-employer rules, or the user's contract permits the same action.
Collection and Incentives
| Platform | Operational rule | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps / Business Profile | No incentives for reviews or changes/removal. Do not selectively solicit positive reviews or discourage negative ones. Invite genuine customers neutrally. | Content policy |
| Trustpilot | Fair, neutral invitations through supported methods, without incentives. A neutral selection system cannot filter by expected sentiment. | Business guidelines |
| G2 | No biased collection or positive-only eligibility; permitted nominal incentives must be disclosed to G2 and labeled. Follow the current campaign rules and cap. | Community guidelines |
| Capterra | Actual users write original reviews; no AI/third-party-authored reviews. Permitted incentive programs require disclosed terms and exclude specified relationships/roles. | Community guidelines |
Do not offer a universal $25–$50 gift card. For a permitted G2/Capterra campaign, verify the platform process, available budget, reviewer eligibility, disclosure language, incentive cap/terms, and fulfillment rules before drafting an offer. Platform moderation may determine whether a submission qualifies; the business must not judge eligibility by positivity. If the rules or authorization are missing, provide a non-incentivized request instead.
NPS gating is different from experience-based timing. "After the first completed project" is a defined experience milestone; "only users who rated us 9–10" selects expected positive feedback. Keep support follow-up independent of public invitation eligibility. An opt-out or genuinely ineligible reviewer can be excluded with a recorded neutral reason.
Moderation
Report a specific documented rule breach through the platform's supported process. Bad ratings and disputed opinions are not automatically violations. G2, for example, treats positive and negative tones equally; its reporting guidance explains the moderation channel. Track pending appeals without claiming deletion is guaranteed.
For impersonation or sensitive-data exposure, preserve evidence in authorized private records and use the relevant platform category. Do not publish additional private information in a rebuttal. Refuse requests to fabricate reviews, recruit fake identities, or coordinate false reports; offer genuine invitations and evidence-based moderation instead.
Testimonial Reuse
Check both permission from the customer and the platform's content/brand rights. G2 logos and trademarks require the appropriate permission; Capterra has specific attribution, disclaimer, and asset-use rules. Use approved platform assets or permissioned business-owned quotes when allowed:
- G2 community guidelines and trademark boundaries
- Capterra content compliance policy
- Trustpilot business guidelines
Keep incentive/material-connection disclosures with the reused asset. Do not imply a platform endorsement or current badge without evidence and rights. Missing permission means a proposed placement stays a draft, not that the reviewer should be contacted repeatedly.
United States Review Rule
For U.S. campaigns, the FTC's review-rule Q&A explains restrictions on fake reviews and incentives conditioned expressly or implicitly on a review's sentiment. An incentive disclosure does not cure a positivity condition. Selected reviews used in business advertising become testimonials, with separate endorsement considerations. Apply the selected platform's stricter rules as well; this reference is not a legal approval for a campaign.