QR code for Google reviews: a guide for dental practices
Google gives every verified practice a review QR code for free. You do not need a generator, a subscription or a designer. You do need to think about where it goes and what it says.
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A QR code for Google reviews is a printed square that opens your practice's Google review form when a patient points their phone camera at it. Google creates one for every verified Business Profile, free, alongside your review link. For a dental practice it is a useful reminder in the waiting room or on a leaflet, as long as it is placed and worded so that patients choose to use it rather than feel pushed.
How do I make a QR code for my Google reviews?
You do not have to make one. Google's help page on how to create a Google link or QR code to request reviews sets out the steps:
- On a computer, go to your Business Profile at business.google.com.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Right-click the QR code.
- Select Save image as and save it somewhere the practice can find it again.
Google says review QR codes can currently only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices. If you are looking on your phone and cannot see it, that is why.
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Where is my Google review QR code?
It sits on the same screen as your review link: Business Profile, Read reviews, Get more reviews. If you cannot see Read reviews at all, you are probably signed in with an account that does not manage the profile. In many practices, access sits with a former manager or a previous owner. Google has a process to request ownership of a Business Profile if nobody can add you.
Do you need a Google review QR code generator?
No. Free and paid Google review QR code generators, and Google My Business QR code generator tools, all encode the same review form that Google already gives you. There are two reasons to be wary of them.
- Redirects. Some generators create "dynamic" codes that send people through the generator's own web address before reaching Google. If the service closes or the subscription ends, every poster and leaflet you have printed points nowhere.
- Gating. Some tools put a "how did we do?" screen in front of the review form and only send high scores to Google. Google's Maps content policy says merchants must not discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive ones.
If you want a branded design, such as a Google review QR code with logo or a coloured template, generate it from your own Google review link and test it thoroughly. A code that encodes Google's link directly does not depend on anyone else.
Where to put the QR code in a dental practice
Google suggests including the link on receipts and in thank-you emails, and printing and displaying the QR code in your premises. In a dental practice, these are the spots that tend to make sense:
| Placement | Why it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting room poster | Patients have time and their phone is already out | They have not been seen yet, so it is a reminder for later |
| Google review QR code stand by the exit | Catches people on the way out | Not on the card terminal, where it feels like part of paying |
| Printed receipt or invoice | Goes home with the patient | Keep it small and plain |
| Practice leaflet or welcome pack | Long shelf life | Check the code still works whenever you reprint |
| Review card or sticker | Easy to hand over | No "5-star" wording or star graphics |
On your website and in emails, use the link rather than the QR code. Someone reading on their phone cannot scan a code on the same screen.
How to get a Google review sticker
Google provides the code, and printing is up to you. A local printer can produce Google review QR code stickers or window vinyls from the image file you downloaded. Check the proof scans before you approve a full run.
The rules on using a review QR code
A QR code is just a way of asking for a review, so the same rules apply to it as to any other ask. Google's policy says merchants must not:
- offer incentives such as payment, discounts or free services in exchange for a review
- discourage negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews
- require or pressure people to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises
- ask for specific content, including content that identifies a staff member
- ask staff to solicit a certain number of reviews
For a dental practice, that rules out a few common ideas. A sign saying "Scan to leave us 5 stars" tries to influence the rating. "Mention your hygienist by name" asks for specific content. A receptionist waiting while a patient scans and types is pressure on the premises. A prize for every review is an incentive.
UK law backs this up. Since April 2025, Schedule 20 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has made fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews a banned practice. The CMA's fake reviews guidance says that simply emailing customers generally to ask if they wish to leave a review is not prohibited, but that encouraging only satisfied customers to review can be cherry-picking. A poster everyone can see is about as neutral as an ask gets.
Google takes breaches seriously. Its restrictions page says a profile found breaking the fake engagement policy may be blocked from new reviews, have existing reviews unpublished, or show a warning to the public.
Making the QR code scan reliably
Most QR problems are physical, not technical. A short checklist:
- Size. Print it large enough to scan from where people will actually stand. A code on a poster across the room needs to be far bigger than one on a card in the hand.
- Contrast. Dark code on a light background. Avoid printing it over a photo or in pale brand colours.
- Quiet space. Leave a clear margin around the code, with no text or graphics touching it.
- Glare. Glossy lamination under bright lights can stop phones reading it. Matt finishes are easier.
- Test. Scan the final printed version with at least one iPhone and one Android phone before it goes up. Check it opens your review form, not another practice's.
- Words. A short plain line such as "Review us on Google" tells patients what will happen when they scan.
How do I get Google reviews for my business?
The QR code is the reminder. The ask is what actually gets reviews. The most reliable pattern for a dental practice is:
- A short, neutral message after the appointment with your Google review link, sent to every patient at the same point in their care.
- A QR code in the waiting room and on paperwork as a reminder.
- A team that mentions reviews in one sentence and then leaves it to the patient.
- Replies to the reviews that arrive. Google says replying shows that you value the feedback, and how to reply to Google reviews covers the confidentiality rule that applies to dental practices.
Customers need to be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review. Google's tips to get more reviews note they can set one up with a non-Gmail email address, which is worth knowing if a patient says they cannot review you.
What are the benefits of online reviews?
For a dental practice there are two. The first is visibility. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking, alongside relevance and distance. The second is trust. Your rating and review count sit next to your name in the map results, before anyone reaches your website.
How many you need depends on your town. In our study of 1,489 UK places, the median practice holding a map place had 113 reviews, ranging from a median of 70 where five or fewer practices compete to 249 where there are twelve or more. Working out your review target shows how to find your own number from the practices already holding the map.
Know if reviews are your gap
Practice Radar reads the practices holding the map in your town every week, with their review counts and ratings, so you can see how far you are from the pack before you print anything.
Run on our own practice first: ninth of the 14 practices measured in its town in May, first of 18 in September, on UK-wide search value. Page-one keywords: 6 in May, 194 in September.
Thirty days free. No card, and nothing starts automatically when it ends.