Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business or GMB) have long helped schools showcase their reputation through public reviews and star ratings. But recently, thousands of schools around the world noticed something strange their Google reviews vanished, and the option to post new ones disappeared too.

If you’ve been wondering why Google removed school reviews or how this affects your institution’s online reputation, this AI-assisted guide explains everything in clear, data-driven detail.

 

The Sudden Disappearance of School Reviews on Google

Over the past few months, educators, parents, and digital marketers have all noticed the same issue:

The “Write a review” button has vanished from many school Google Business Profiles.

This isn’t a bug or a technical glitch. It’s part of a deliberate global policy change that Google rolled out quietly in 2025 to address growing concerns about fake, irrelevant, or abusive reviews on education-related listings.

 

Why Google Disabled Reviews for Schools

According to updates spotted in Google’s support documentation and confirmed by multiple SEO analysts, Google has disabled new reviews and hidden old ones for business categories such as:

• Elementary Schools
• Primary Schools
• Middle Schools
• High Schools
• General Education Institutions

This change primarily targets K–12 schools, not colleges or universities.
Let’s break down the real reasons behind this decision.

 

1. Protecting Schools from Fake and Harmful Reviews

Schools aren’t just businesses they’re community institutions involving children and families. Unfortunately, some profiles had become a hotspot for trolling, bullying, and spam reviews.

Google’s AI moderation systems were struggling to filter “review bombs,” where a wave of negative reviews would appear after minor incidents or social media posts.
By disabling reviews, Google aims to protect schools from reputational damage caused by fake or emotionally charged feedback.

 

2. Ensuring Compliance with Privacy and Child Safety Laws

Another possible reason involves child privacy regulations like COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) in the U.S. and similar global policies.

Since reviews on school listings often included student names or teacher references, this could unintentionally expose minors’ personal data.

Removing the review option reduces that risk and keeps Google compliant with evolving digital safety standards for minors.

 

3. Maintaining Quality and Relevance in Local Search Results

Google’s goal is to make its maps and local search results genuinely helpful. Many school reviews were vague (“Nice place!”) or irrelevant (“I graduated here 10 years ago”), which didn’t reflect the current quality of education.

By removing low-value content, Google hopes to maintain the integrity of its local ranking system focusing instead on verifiable data like address accuracy, website info, and photos.

 

What This Means for Schools and Parents

The impact of this change goes beyond just star ratings. It affects how schools manage reputation, attract new students, and communicate credibility online.

 

For Schools

• You’ll no longer receive new Google reviews under “general education” categories.
• Old reviews (positive or negative) may no longer appear publicly.
• Search visibility won’t directly drop, but your trust signals (reviews, star ratings) will vanish.

This means schools must shift their digital strategy toward owned platforms like testimonials on your website, verified Facebook reviews, or education-specific portals such as GreatSchools, SchoolMyKids, or Edustoke.

For Parents and Guardians

Parents searching for schools will now find fewer public ratings on Google Maps. Instead, they’ll rely more on:

• School websites
• Education directories
• Word-of-mouth and social recommendations

While this reduces transparency on Google, it might improve accuracy and authenticity, since verified platforms tend to review schools more responsibly.

 

How to Check If Your School Profile Is Affected

To see if your school is part of this update, follow these quick steps:

1. Search your school name on Google Maps. 
2. Look for the “Write a review” button if it’s missing, reviews are disabled.
3. Go to your Google Business Profile dashboard → “Edit profile” → “Business category.”
4. If your primary category is “Elementary School,” “Middle School,” or “High School,” the restriction applies.

👉 If your school is categorized as “Preschool,” “Childcare Center,” or “Vocational School,” you may still have reviews enabled.

 

Can You Bring Reviews Back? (The Honest Answer)

Unfortunately, no not if your listing legitimately falls under the restricted education categories. Google has not offered an appeal process or timeline for reversal.

However, if your profile is mis-categorized (for example, listed as “School” instead of “Early Learning Center”), you can update it in your dashboard.
Be careful not to misrepresent your institution this could lead to a visibility drop or even suspension.

 

AI-Generated Insight: What ChatGPT and Other Tools Predict Next

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude suggest that this move is part of a larger trend: Google is shifting from user-generated reviews toward verified content and structured data.

AI prediction models indicate that by 2026–2027, Google may:

• Allow verified feedback forms for schools (through parent/teacher authentication)
• Highlight official academic ratings from government or education boards
• Integrate AI-curated reputation summaries in search results instead of raw reviews

So rather than eliminating transparency, Google is rebuilding it through safer, more trustworthy systems.

 

What Schools Should Do Now

To maintain online credibility without Google reviews:

1. Collect Testimonials Directly Add student and parent testimonials on your website with consent.
2. Leverage Other Platforms Register on trusted school listing sites that still support reviews.
3. Use Google Posts and Photos Keep your Business Profile active with regular updates, events, and images.
4. Optimize for SEO Ensure your website ranks for “best schools in [city]” keywords through blogs and FAQs.
5. Highlight Achievements Awards, certifications, and recognitions now matter more than review stars.

 

Final Thoughts

The disappearance of school reviews on Google isn’t a glitch it’s a policy shift toward responsible reputation management.

By removing reviews, Google hopes to reduce misinformation, protect students’ privacy, and create a safer digital environment for educational institutions.

While this may frustrate schools that worked hard for 5-star ratings, it also opens a new era where authentic storytelling, verified testimonials, and AI-driven content define your digital presence not random online comments.

About The Author