Google Business Profile owners are receiving a new automated notice when the platform’s spam systems flag unusual review activity on their listing. The email states, “Google has detected a spike in spam reviews on your Business Profile and removed them so they do not affect your Google rating.”
The message also says new ratings, reviews, and other user contributions are “temporarily paused” while Google addresses the risk, with the pause typically lifting within a few days. Owners who believe legitimate reviews were removed in error can request a manual review, and no action is required otherwise.
Not every flagged case looks like abuse. Amy Toman said a former client’s new location, which had built a steady stream of reviews, triggered the notice anyway: “I think Google questioned their methods and slapped this on. I think this filter, along with many of the new ones, needs to be refined a bit.”
Owners of newer or fast-growing locations should watch for this notice and request a review quickly, since a paused profile misses new reviews during the period that typically builds momentum fastest.
Per Search Engine Roundtable, September 22, 2026.
