Most satisfied customers never leave a review. They have nothing against it. Finding the review box on Google takes several taps, and nobody asks them while the visit is still fresh. A QR code on the table, the receipt or the counter solves the timing: the customer scans, the star rating window opens, and they write while they still remember the coffee.
Google gives every business a review link and a QR code. Both open the right window. Neither carries your logo, and neither tells you whether anyone scans it. This guide shows where to find the link, what Google's QR code does and does not do, and how to make a branded Google review QR code that counts scans separately for each place you put it.
How to find your Google review link
You need a computer for this. Google's help page says review QR codes "can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices", and the link sits in the same panel.
- Sign in at business.google.com and open your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Select the Share icon and copy the link.
The link usually looks like https://g.page/r/.../review. Anyone who opens it lands on the rating window for your business, already scrolled to the stars. They need to be signed in to a Google account to post. If you manage several locations, each one has its own link, so check which profile is open before you copy.
Google's QR code, and where it stops
The same Share panel shows a QR code. Google's instructions do not mention a download button. You right-click the code and choose Save image as. What you get is a plain black-and-white square that opens the review form.
For one sticker on the front door, that is enough. The limits show up once the code goes on more than one thing.
Google does not count scans. You can print the code on 200 table cards and 2,000 receipts and still not know if anyone has scanned either of them. The code also cannot be changed. It holds the review link itself, so if the profile is ever recreated or you want the code to open something else, every printed copy has to be replaced. And it looks like every other QR code on every other counter, with nothing on it that says it belongs to you.
| Google's review QR code | Linxly review QR code | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens your Google review form | Yes | Yes |
| Your logo and brand color | No | Yes |
| Scan count with date, country and device | No | Yes |
| Scans and link clicks counted separately | No | Yes |
| A separate code for each placement | No | Yes |
| Change where it opens after printing | No | Yes |
| Link people can read | g.page/r/... | linx.ly/rosa-cafe-review |
| Download formats | Right-click, save image | PNG and SVG |
Make a branded Google review QR code in Linxly
The QR code comes from a short link, so you make the link first and the code appears with it.
- Copy your review link from Google Business Profile, as shown above.
- Paste it into Linxly as a new short link. Its QR code is generated automatically.
- Replace the random ending with something readable, for example
linx.ly/rosa-cafe-review. That address also works when someone types it from a printed card. - Open the QR settings, set your brand color and upload your logo. The logo sits in the middle of the code.
- Download a PNG for quick printing or an SVG for your designer, who can scale it to any size without blur.
The codes use the highest error-correction level in the QR standard, which is what allows a logo in the center without breaking the scan. Still, check before you print. Scan the code with two different phones, one iPhone and one Android if you can, and make sure both open your review window.
Pick a color with strong contrast against white. Dark blue or dark green work as well as black. Light gray and pastel shades are harder for phone cameras to read, and dim restaurant lighting makes it worse.
One code per placement
This is where a tracked code pays for itself. Instead of one code everywhere, make one short link for each place a customer might see it, all pointing to the same review link:
linx.ly/rosa-review-tableon the table cardslinx.ly/rosa-review-receipton the receiptlinx.ly/rosa-review-windowon the window stickerlinx.ly/rosa-review-emailin the thank-you email, where people tap instead of scan
Each link has its own QR code and its own numbers. Scans and link clicks show as separate totals, with a daily chart and a breakdown by country and device. Suppose that after a month the table cards show 140 scans, the receipts 35 and the window 9. You now know where to put the effort, and that the window sticker can go. The details of what a scan records are in how to track QR code scans.
One honest limit: no tool can see whether a scan ended in a review. Google does not report that to anyone. What you can do is compare scans with the new reviews in your Business Profile for the same week. If 140 scans brought 4 reviews, the code is doing its job and the problem is the moment or the wording of the ask. That is a much more useful thing to know than "we have a QR code somewhere".
Change it later without reprinting
Because the printed code holds linx.ly/rosa-cafe-review and not the Google link, you can change where it opens at any time. If your Business Profile is recreated and gets a new review link, you update the short link once and every card, receipt roll and sticker already printed keeps working. The same goes for a move to a new address. Why this works, and why a static code cannot do it, is explained in dynamic vs static QR codes.
Some businesses collect reviews on more than one site, say Google and TripAdvisor or Booking. In that case point the code at a bio link page with one button per review site and let the customer choose.
Where review codes get scanned
A review code works where the customer has a free minute and a phone in hand. At the table after the meal, on the receipt, at the counter while the card payment goes through. A code on the entrance door gets far fewer scans, because people walking in have not had the experience yet.
For a table card or receipt, about 2 × 2 cm (0.8 in) scans fine from close range. A window sticker read from a few steps away needs to be several times larger.
Put one line of text next to the code. "Scan to review us on Google" is enough. A bare code gives nobody a reason to pull out their phone.
The rules Google enforces
Google's help page is explicit: "Offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, to customers in exchange for reviews is considered fake engagement and is strictly prohibited." A free dessert for a review is exactly that. Google's review policies also ban asking only the customers you expect to be happy. Hand the card to everyone, not only the table that complimented the chef. Reviews written by your own staff break Google's conflict-of-interest rules too.
Breaking these rules can get the reviews removed and the profile restricted, which costs more than whatever the code brought in.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a QR code for Google reviews?
Google Business Profile gives you one on a computer: Read reviews, Get more reviews, then the Share icon. For a code with your logo that counts scans, paste the same review link into Linxly as a short link, and its QR code is generated automatically.
Can I see how many reviews came from my QR code?
Not directly. Google does not report which reviews came from a scan. Linxly shows how many people scanned each code, and you can compare that with the new reviews in your Business Profile over the same period.
Do customers need a Google account to leave a review?
Yes. Anyone can open the review window, but posting the review requires being signed in to Google.
Can I use one QR code for several locations?
Each location has its own review link, so each needs its own code. With short links you can name them by location, for example linx.ly/rosa-review-downtown and linx.ly/rosa-review-airport, and compare their scans side by side.
How much does this cost?
Linxly starts at $0.99 a month and includes short links with custom endings, dynamic QR codes and scan analytics. Logo and brand color are included on the plans with QR customization, listed on the pricing page. There is a 7-day free trial, cancel anytime.