Respond to reviews

AI Google review replies: drafted by AI, approved by you

Revys drafts replies to your Google reviews in your tone and posts them through the Google Business Profile API after you approve, or after 24 hours.

By Oz IlyasFounder of Revys

Published October 19, 2026

Contents

Replying to every Google review is good practice, and it gets old fast once you have dozens a month or several locations. Revys takes the repetitive part (reading the review, finding the words, matching your tone) and leaves the decision with you.

How does a Google review reply work in Revys?

Revys checks your Google reviews about once an hour, drafts a reply to each new unanswered review, and posts it to Google once you approve it, or automatically after a delay if you allowed that.

Revys picks up the new review
Your profile is connected with Google's official sign-in (OAuth). Revys reads reviews through the Google Business Profile API: no scraping, no shared password. If you already replied on Google, the review is skipped. Revys never overwrites an existing reply.
The AI drafts a reply in your voice
It gets the reviewer's display name, the star rating, the review text and your settings. It is instructed to use only facts stated in the review: no made-up promises, prices, names or contact details.
You approve it, or Revys posts after 24 hours
In Preview mode, you get an email with the draft and a "review and publish" button: edit if needed, then publish or reject. In Automatic mode, the reply is scheduled 24 hours after it is drafted, then posted, and you get a confirmation email.
The reply shows under the review on Google
Revys posts through the Google Business Profile API, as your business. Google then moderates it like any owner reply. If Google rejects it, you get an email.

What can you control?

Everything is set per Google Business Profile, in the "AI replies" tab of the dashboard. The replies themselves are written in your customers' language.

Setting	Options
Positive reviews (4-5 stars)	Automatic, Preview (manual approval), Alert only, Off
Negative reviews (1-3 stars)	Same four modes. Default: alert only
Tone	Friendly, Professional, Warm, Formal, Casual
Length	10 to 500 words (default 50)
Language	Match the review (default), or force English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch
Signature	Free text on the last line ("The team at Joe's Diner")
Keywords	Phrases to include when natural, or words to never use
Emojis	On or off (never on negative reviews, whatever the setting)
AI disclosure	Appends "This reply was generated with the help of AI."

"Alert only" drafts nothing: you get an email for each new review and reply yourself, from Revys or from Google.

Are negative reviews answered automatically?

No, unless you explicitly choose that. Three guardrails apply:

By default, a 1-3 star review triggers an alert, not a reply. Switching negative reviews to Automatic requires a confirmation, and Revys recommends Preview mode for them.
If the AI fails, Revys falls back to a template reply and puts it in manual review. A fallback text is never posted unattended.
Reviews mentioning sensitive topics are held for human review, even in Automatic mode. This filter matches French and English keywords, so it can miss a sensitive review phrased differently.

On a critical review, the AI follows strict rules: acknowledge the customer's experience, apologize where it fits, offer a concrete next step, never get defensive. It does not admit fault and does not confirm serious allegations (food safety, theft, injury): it invites the customer to get in touch privately. For tough cases, see our guide on how to respond to negative reviews.

AI replies vs replying by hand vs a free generator

The right choice mostly depends on how many reviews you get. With a handful a month, replying by hand is still best, and our positive review response templates will save you time.

	By hand	Templates or ChatGPT	Revys (Pro plan)
Spotting new reviews	You check the profile	You check the profile	Automatic, with an email alert
Writing	You	Copy, edit, paste	Draft in your tone
Posting to Google	You	You	One click, or automatic after 24 h
Negative reviews	Your call	Your call	Manual approval by default
Multiple locations	One by one	One by one	Settings per profile, one dashboard
Cost	Your time	Free	$7.90/month for the first profile

Want to judge the writing first? Try our free AI review response generator on a real review, no sign-up.

Google is also building its own help. Since June 2026 it has been rolling out a Business Profile connection in the Gemini app that can draft a reply to a recent review, outside the EEA and UK (Search Engine Journal, June 10, 2026). If you run one location in the US, that may be all you need. Revys adds what Gemini doesn't: per-rating modes, a delay before posting, approval links by email and many profiles in one place.

How much do AI review replies cost?

AI replies are included in the Pro plan, billed per Google Business Profile with volume pricing:

Profiles	Monthly (per profile)	Yearly (per profile)
1st profile	$7.90	$79
2nd to 20th	$3.90	$39
21st and up	$2.20	$22

The Free plan (one profile) includes review alerts and manual replies from Revys, without AI. Full details are on the pricing page.

Which best practices does Revys follow?

Google recommends replies that are clear, polite, personal (the reviewer's name, a specific point from the review), prompt and free of promotion. Revys defaults match that: short replies, the reviewer's name, no sales pitch, and a delay that leaves time to read. For the full method, by hand or with AI, read our guide on how to respond to Google reviews.

A posted reply is never locked in: you can edit or delete it any time from your Google Business Profile. And if you also show reviews on your website, the Revys Google reviews widget can display your replies under each review.

FAQ

Can the AI post a reply without my approval?

Only if you switch a rating group to Automatic, and Revys asks you to confirm that. By default, 4-5 star reviews get a draft to approve and 1-3 star reviews only trigger an alert. A reply the AI could not write is never posted on its own.

Does Google penalize AI-written review replies?

Google does not publish a rule against drafting replies with AI. It moderates every owner reply against its content policies and recommends short, polite, personal replies. Revys is built for that: the AI uses the reviewer's name and the facts in the review, and never invents details.

How is this different from ChatGPT or a free review reply generator?

With ChatGPT or a free generator you copy each review, edit the text and paste it into Google yourself. Revys spots new reviews on its own, drafts with your saved settings and posts to Google in one click from the email or the dashboard.

How much does it cost?

AI replies are part of the Pro plan: $7.90 per month (or $79 per year) for your first Google Business Profile, then $3.90 per profile from the 2nd to the 20th. There is a 14-day Pro trial with no credit card. The Free plan lets you reply by hand, without AI.

Which languages does it reply in?

By default, the language of the review. You can also force English, French, German, Spanish or Dutch, and pick a fallback language for star-only reviews.

Can I edit a reply before or after it goes live?

Before: yes, edit the draft in the dashboard or on the approval page linked in the email. After: edit or delete it from your Google Business Profile, like any owner reply.