Written by the Removal Lab team.
Woke up to a one star review on Trustpilot from someone you have never served? Many owners want to remove a Trustpilot review like that the same day. Here is the honest answer. A business cannot delete a Trustpilot review. Only the reviewer can edit or delete it. What you can do is flag it when it breaks Trustpilot’s guidelines. Removal Lab helps businesses check whether a review qualifies and builds a clear case for the flag.
The quick version: how to remove a Trustpilot review
1. Read the review against Trustpilot’s five flagging reasons.
2. Gather proof such as order records.
3. Flag it from your business account.
4. Reply politely while Trustpilot investigates.
5. Use the formal dispute link if you disagree with the outcome.
Can a business remove a Trustpilot review?
Not directly. Trustpilot’s guidelines say reviews belong to the people who write them. Only the reviewer can change or delete their review. Businesses can flag reviews, reply to them and manage their profile.
So the real way to remove a Trustpilot review is to show Trustpilot that it breaks the rules. If it does, Trustpilot can take it down. If it does not, it stays.
The five valid reasons to flag a Trustpilot review
Trustpilot lists five reasons a business may use when it flags a review. Each one needs a real match.
| Reason | What it covers | Proof that helps |
|---|---|---|
| Harmful or illegal | Hate speech, threats, violence, obscenity or defamation. | The exact words that cross the line. |
| Personal information | Another person’s name, phone number, email or photos. | A pointer to the private detail in the review. |
| Advertising or promotion | Promotion of other businesses, scams, spam or misinformation. | Links or names of the business being promoted. |
| Not a genuine experience | The review does not reflect a real interaction with you. | Records that show no order, booking or contact. |
| About a different business | The review clearly refers to another company or sits on the wrong profile. | Details in the review that match another business. |
A few points from the guidelines are worth knowing. A reviewer does not need an invitation or a purchase for the review to count as genuine. Personal information already on your own website or profile does not qualify. A review that mentions a competitor is not removed for that reason alone.
How to remove a Trustpilot review step by step
- Match the review to one reason. Pick the single reason that fits best.
- Collect your evidence. Order numbers, booking logs, email history or anything that shows the facts.
- Flag the review. Use your Trustpilot business account or contact the Content Integrity team.
- Reply in public. Keep it calm and short. Never share the customer’s private details.
- Watch for the outcome. Trustpilot notifies you when it decides.
Good evidence is the difference between a flag that works and one that fails. If you want to remove a Trustpilot review that claims a purchase you cannot find, say so clearly and show what you searched.
What happens after you flag a review?
Trustpilot creates a request and its Content Integrity team investigates. It says it does this as soon as possible, though complex cases can take longer.
| Stage | What Trustpilot says happens |
|---|---|
| During the check | Flagged reviews stay visible, except harmful or illegal ones, which are hidden while they are checked. |
| If changes are needed | Trustpilot contacts the reviewer and asks for a response within three days. |
| Not genuine flags | The review is checked with detection software. Suspicious reviews are removed. You can reply and ask for a manual check. |
| Final decision | You are notified. If you disagree, a formal dispute link comes with the decision email. |
Trustpilot’s Content Integrity team makes every decision. It also has the final say on how its guidelines are read.
When can you not remove a Trustpilot review?
Trustpilot is clear on this. Disliking a star rating, disagreeing with a negative review or finding a review unfair is not a valid reason to flag it. A critical review from a real customer will normally stay.
When you cannot remove a Trustpilot review like this, a good reply is your best tool. Thank the person, own what went wrong and offer a way to fix it. Readers trust businesses that answer well.
What should a business never do on Trustpilot?
- Do not write, buy or ask for fake reviews, positive or negative.
- Do not offer incentives such as discounts, refunds, prize entries or freebies in exchange for reviews.
- Do not invite only happy customers or time invitations so only satisfied people get them.
- Do not pressure or threaten reviewers to edit or delete a review.
- Do not invite staff, family or shareholders to review you.
- Do not misuse the flag tool. Flag five star reviews by the same rules you use for one star reviews.
Trustpilot says misuse can lead to account restrictions, a Consumer Warning on your profile or a hidden TrustScore. Trying to remove a Trustpilot review the wrong way can cost you far more than the review itself.
Is it worth getting help?
For one clear case, such as spam promoting another company, you can flag it yourself. Help is worth it when several reviews arrive at once, when a review claims facts you cannot easily disprove or when the first flag was refused and you are about to dispute the decision.
Removal Lab starts with a free eligibility check. We read each review against Trustpilot’s guidelines, tell you honestly which ones qualify and prepare the evidence. There is no upfront payment on qualifying cases. Learn more about our Trustpilot review removal service or read our guide on how to remove a Google review.
Want to remove a Trustpilot review that breaks the rules?
Send it to us for a confidential review. We will tell you where it stands within one business day.
What Trustpilot actually checks when you flag a review
Trustpilot’s position is simple and it repeats it often: it does not remove reviews because a business dislikes them. When you flag a review, Trustpilot’s content integrity team checks it against the guidelines for reviewers and asks whether the specific reason you chose is supported. If you chose the wrong reason, the review stays, even when another reason would have worked. That is why choosing the right reason matters so much.
| Flag reason | What Trustpilot looks for | What strengthens the flag |
|---|---|---|
| Not a genuine experience | Signs the reviewer never bought from or dealt with the business | Order records showing no match, a description of a product or service you do not sell |
| Not a genuine experience (conflict of interest) | Reviewer is a competitor, an employee, a former employee or was paid | Pattern evidence, matching names, wording that shows inside knowledge |
| Harmful or illegal content | Threats, hate, harassment, defamatory accusations of crime | The exact passage, quoted |
| Personal information | Full names of staff, addresses, phone numbers, account details | The exact passage, quoted |
| Advertising or promotional | Links, discount codes, other businesses promoted | The link or code itself |
| Wrong company | Review clearly about another business | The detail that proves it |
The verification request: the quiet way to remove a Trustpilot review
When a business flags a review as not genuine, Trustpilot may ask the reviewer to provide proof of their experience, such as an order number or a receipt. Reviewers who cannot or do not respond within the time allowed have their review taken down. This is the quiet workhorse of Trustpilot review removal. It costs the business nothing, it is fair to genuine customers and it removes a large share of reviews written by people who never bought anything. The flag has to be honest, though. Trustpilot tracks businesses that flag genuine reviews and it can restrict their flagging rights.
What to prepare before you try to remove a Trustpilot review
- The review link and a screenshot with the date. Reviews can be edited after they are flagged.
- Your records check. Search orders, bookings and support tickets for the reviewer’s name, the username and any detail they mention. Write down the result.
- The guideline you believe is broken. One, not three. Trustpilot checks the reason you chose.
- Any pattern. Dates of other negative reviews in the same week, similar wording, the same complaint repeated.
- Any messages from the reviewer, especially demands for refunds or goods in exchange for changing the review. Trustpilot treats that as blackmail and acts on it.
The reply that helps while you wait to remove a Trustpilot review
Trustpilot shows your reply directly under the review and your reply rate on your profile. Reply once, within a day or two, in a calm voice. Thank the person, state the one fact you can state, invite them to contact support with their order number so it can be resolved. Never say the review is fake in public. Never mention that it has been flagged. If the reviewer has no order number to give, the reply itself makes that visible to everyone who reads it.
A reply that works
"Thank you for writing. We have not been able to find an order under your name and would like to put this right if we can. Please send your order number to our support address and a person will reply the same day."
What does not work when you try to remove a Trustpilot review
- Flagging every negative review. Trustpilot notices and restricts businesses that do it.
- Offering a refund in exchange for deletion. Against the guidelines for businesses and visible to the reviewer, who may post about it.
- Inviting only happy customers to review. Trustpilot calls this cherry picking and its automated systems look for it.
- Buying reviews or asking staff to post. Trustpilot removes them, adds a warning to the profile and in some cases suspends it.
- Threatening the reviewer. In the United States this can breach the FTC rule on consumer reviews.
Timelines and what to expect when you remove a Trustpilot review
Trustpilot does not publish a fixed timeline for flagged reviews. Flags for personal information and harmful content tend to move faster. The verification request gives the reviewer a set window to respond, so those cases take at least that long. If Trustpilot decides the review stays, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again, but a second request with the same evidence rarely changes anything. The time to get it right is the first flag.
Trustpilot in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America
Trustpilot is a Danish company and its rules are the same everywhere, but its weight in search is not. In the United Kingdom and much of Europe a Trustpilot score appears near the top of search results for most consumer brands and even in Google’s own listings. In Canada and the United States, Google reviews carry more weight and Trustpilot matters most for online retailers and services sold nationally. That changes how urgent a single review is. In the UK one review can move the visible score; in North America it often sits further down the page.
The exact flag reasons Trustpilot shows and the fine print
When you flag a review, Trustpilot asks you to choose a reason. The tables higher up explain what each reason covers. This one adds what they leave out: the labels word for word and the fine print where most flags fail.
| Reason label | Fine print from the guidelines |
|---|---|
| "It’s harmful or illegal" | Covers hate speech or discrimination, terrorism, threats or violence, obscenity and defamation. Trustpilot defines defamation as a false statement about a person or business which harms their reputation and leads to significant financial loss. Opinions are not defamation. |
| "It contains personal information" | Not removed when the details are already on your Trustpilot profile or website, or when reviewers shared their own details. |
| "It’s advertising or promotional" | Also covers promo codes, calls to action, spam and scams, which include incentives for reviews. Misinformation and impersonation, including content made with AI, sit here too. |
| "It’s not based on a genuine experience" | A review can still be genuine without a purchase, without an invitation and under a username that is not a real name. |
| "It’s about a different business" | Also covers a review left on the wrong profile for one of your other domains. |
Sell products as well as services? Trustpilot has a separate set of reasons for product reviews: "It’s a copy or imitation product", "It’s a hazardous or dangerous product", "It’s a banned or illegal product" and "The product’s image is offensive".
How to flag a Trustpilot review: the steps Trustpilot publishes
Trustpilot describes the flag route in its guidelines rather than as a click by click guide. The screens inside the business account change from time to time. So follow the flag option you see on the review itself and use these steps as your order of work.
- Claim your free business profile if you can. Trustpilot says logging in to your business account is the easiest way to flag reviews. Its page on the action it takes says claimed profiles can flag for free. You can also flag without claiming your profile by contacting Trustpilot.
- Decide whether to ask for details first. If you cannot match the reviewer to a customer, you can ask them for their name, a reference number, an email address or a phone number. They have three days to respond and they can choose not to.
- Flag with one reason label. Pick the label above that fits best. If the reviewer did not answer your request for details and you believe there was no genuine experience, Trustpilot says you can flag the review as "It’s not based on a genuine experience".
- Explain and attach proof. Say which line breaks which rule. Add what supports it, such as the result of your records search.
- Let the Content Integrity team check it. Trustpilot says it looks into flags as soon as possible and that complex cases can take longer. Flagged reviews stay visible while they are checked, except reviews flagged as harmful or illegal.
- Read the decision email. Every decision on a flagged review comes by email with links for the next step.
- Appeal if you have grounds. Use the Appeal our Decision link in that email. The next section explains how.
How to appeal when you cannot remove a Trustpilot review on the first try
Trustpilot has changed how it shares decisions. Its business release notes say you still get an email for every decision on a flagged review, but you can no longer reply to those emails. Each one carries direct links for the next step instead.
- Open the decision email.
- Click Appeal our Decision.
- Explain why the decision is wrong and attach any supporting documents.
Trustpilot says its specialist team reviews the appeal and keeps you informed. It does not publish a time limit for appeals. An appeal is strongest when it brings something new, such as a document you did not send the first time or a clearer link to one rule. Flagging the same review again for the same reason is a different matter. Trustpilot treats flagging too quickly or for the wrong reasons as misuse.
Your flags are public on Trustpilot
Trustpilot business profiles include a Company activity page. It covers the past 12 months and includes a section on flagging activity. That section shows how flagged reviews were spread across star ratings and what happened to them, with outcomes such as reviews removed from trustpilot.com and reviews that were not in breach for the reasons flagged. The same page shows how often and how quickly the business replies to negative reviews.
So anyone can see if a business flags only one star reviews or loses most of its flags. Trustpilot asks businesses to apply flags in a fair and consistent way. In practice that means judging a five star review by the same rules as a one star review.
Business response options on Trustpilot
Flagging is only one of the tools a business has. If a review does not break the guidelines, Trustpilot says the recommended route is a reply, not removal.
| Option | When it fits | What Trustpilot says |
|---|---|---|
| Reply in public | Any review, above all genuine criticism | Replies must be polite and professional. Replies with personal information, threats or aggressive language are removed. You can use a reply to give your side of the story. |
| Ask for details | You cannot match the reviewer to a customer | You can ask for a name, reference number, email or phone number. The reviewer has three days and may choose not to reply. |
| Suggest an update | The problem has since been fixed | Businesses may suggest an update. The reviewer does not have to make one and must never be pressured. |
| Flag | The review breaks one of the five reasons | Free for claimed profiles. The Content Integrity team checks it. |
| Appeal | You disagree with a decision and have more to show | Use the Appeal our Decision link in the decision email. |
What Trustpilot will not remove
Trustpilot keeps a review online in each of these cases, according to its guidelines:
- You dislike the star rating or disagree with a negative review.
- You think the review is unfair or too critical.
- The review mentions a competitor. That alone is not a reason.
- The review is vague or not specific.
- The reviewer did not buy, was not invited or uses a nickname. Trustpilot says the review can still be genuine.
- The personal details are already on your profile or website, or the reviewer shared their own details.
- The review is an honest opinion. Trustpilot says opinions are not defamation.
Trustpilot also says it generally does not get involved in disputes between reviewers and businesses unless the law requires it. If you cannot remove a Trustpilot review on these grounds, a calm reply is the right tool.
Consumer side versus business side
Trustpilot gives reviewers and businesses different tools and different rules. This table puts them side by side.
| Consumers and reviewers | Businesses | |
|---|---|---|
| How to flag | Reviewers use the flag icon on a review. Anyone can use the Trustpilot contact form. | Claimed profiles flag for free from the business account. Businesses without a claimed profile can contact Trustpilot. |
| Edit or delete a review | Reviewers can edit, update or delete their own review at any time. | Cannot edit or delete any review. |
| Main rules | Write about a genuine experience from the past 12 months. No review after being offered an incentive. No review of a company you work for, compete with or are closely linked to. | No incentives, no selective invitations, no pressure on reviewers, no fake reviews and no misuse of flags. |
| If they break the rules | Warnings, removed reviews and blocked accounts. | Warnings, temporary blocks on flagging or profile editing, a Consumer Warning, ended contracts and legal action. |
| Appeals | Through the steps in the email Trustpilot sends them. | Through the Appeal our Decision link in the decision email. |
A Consumer Warning is serious. Trustpilot says it hides the TrustScore, ends any paid subscription and limits the account to replying to and flagging reviews. While it is in place the business cannot send review invitations or show Trustpilot branding. Trustpilot says it usually lasts about six months and comes off only after the misuse stops.
UK notes: the DMCC Act and CMA guidance
Fake reviews in the UK are covered by Schedule 20 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. The schedule lists commercial practices that are always unfair. Paragraph 13 deals with consumer reviews.
| Part of paragraph 13 | What it says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 13(1) | Bans submitting or commissioning a fake consumer review, or a review that hides the fact it was incentivised. | Never buy, write or reward reviews, positive or negative. |
| 13(2) and 13(5) | Bans publishing reviews in a misleading way. One example is removing negative reviews while publishing positive ones. | Aim only at reviews that break the rules, never at criticism. |
| 13(3) | Publishers must take reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove fake reviews. | Platforms such as Trustpilot have their own legal duty to act on fake reviews. |
| 13(4) | Bans offering services to traders to do, or to help with, the practices above. | A removal service must never help a business hide genuine reviews. |
| 13(5)(b) | A fake consumer review is one that purports to be, but is not, based on a genuine experience. | This lines up with the "It’s not based on a genuine experience" reason. |
The Competition and Markets Authority explains the rules in its fake reviews guidance, known as CMA208. It says a trader may break the law by suppressing genuine negative or positive reviews (paragraph 4.3). It warns against deterring negative reviews through threats of harm or legal action and against editing, withholding or removing genuine negative reviews (paragraph 4.4). It says publishers should give consumers, traders and others a public way to report suspected banned reviews (paragraph 8.19). It also says genuine reviews, especially negative ones, should not be removed merely because a trader objects (paragraph 8.22).
The practical rule for UK businesses is simple. Report fake reviews, reviews that hide an incentive and reviews that break Trustpilot rules through the flag. Leave genuine criticism alone and answer it well. Removal Lab only takes on the first kind. See our page on review removal in the UK for more.
In the United States the FTC rule on consumer reviews treats it as unfair or deceptive to use an unfounded or groundless legal threat, a physical threat, intimidation or a public false accusation to stop a review or get one removed (16 CFR 465.7). The same care applies on Trustpilot. If a review looks invented, our fake review removal page explains how we approach it.
If you decide to get help to remove a Trustpilot review
A single review from a person with no order is a case you can handle yourself with the steps above. Help makes sense when reviews arrive in a cluster, when Trustpilot has already refused once, when a reviewer is demanding money or when the review contains private details about a member of staff. Removal Lab checks the review for free, tells you honestly whether it qualifies and files the flag in Trustpilot’s own terms with the evidence attached. No upfront payment on qualifying cases. You can read more on our Trustpilot review removal service page.
Frequently asked questions
Can a business delete a Trustpilot review?
No. Only the person who wrote a review can edit or delete it. A business can flag a review that breaks Trustpilot’s guidelines and Trustpilot decides what happens.
What are valid reasons to flag a Trustpilot review?
Trustpilot accepts flags for harmful or illegal content, personal information, advertising or promotional content, reviews not based on a genuine experience and reviews about a different business.
Does a flagged Trustpilot review disappear straight away?
Usually not. Trustpilot says flagged reviews stay visible during the investigation. Reviews flagged as harmful or illegal are the exception and are hidden while they are checked.
Can I flag a review just because it is negative?
No. Trustpilot says disliking a star rating or finding a review unfair is not a valid reason. Flagging for the wrong reason counts as misuse of the tool.
What happens if I misuse Trustpilot’s flagging tool?
Trustpilot can take action against businesses that misuse flagging. Its guidelines mention account restrictions, a Consumer Warning on your profile or a hidden TrustScore.
How do I appeal a Trustpilot decision on a flagged review?
Open the decision email and click Appeal our Decision. Explain why the decision is wrong and attach any supporting documents. Trustpilot says businesses can no longer reply to these emails directly.
Can I ask a Trustpilot reviewer to prove they are a customer?
Yes. Trustpilot lets a business ask a reviewer for a name, reference number, email or phone number. The reviewer has three days and may choose not to answer. If there is no answer and you believe there was no genuine experience, you can flag the review.
Is flagging a Trustpilot review free?
Yes for claimed profiles. Trustpilot says claimed business profiles can flag reviews for free through the business account. You can also contact Trustpilot to flag without claiming your profile.
Can other people see that I flagged a review?
Yes. Each profile’s Company activity page shows flagging activity for the past 12 months, including outcomes and the star ratings of flagged reviews. That is why flags should be fair and consistent.
Is a negative Trustpilot review defamation?
Not usually. Trustpilot defines defamation as a false statement about a person or business which harms their reputation and leads to significant financial loss. Opinions are not defamation.
What is a Trustpilot Consumer Warning?
It is a warning Trustpilot places on a profile after misuse. It hides the TrustScore, ends any paid subscription and limits the account to replying to and flagging reviews. Trustpilot says it usually lasts about six months.
Can a consumer flag a Trustpilot review?
Yes. Trustpilot says everyone can flag reviews. Reviewers use the flag icon on the review and anyone can use the Trustpilot contact form.
Is it legal to remove negative Trustpilot reviews in the UK?
Reporting fake or rule breaking reviews to the platform is allowed. UK law bans suppressing genuine negative reviews and bans services that help traders do it. CMA guidance says genuine reviews should not be removed merely because a trader objects.
Do Trustpilot reviews have to be about a recent experience?
Trustpilot’s guidelines for reviewers ask people to write about a genuine experience from the past 12 months. Trustpilot decides how that rule applies to any review you flag.
Sources: Trustpilot guidelines for businesses, Trustpilot guidelines for reviewers, Trustpilot: Action we take, Trustpilot Business release notes on flagged review emails, DMCC Act Schedule 20, CMA fake reviews guidance (CMA208) and 16 CFR 465.7 on review suppression. Removal Lab does not work for Trustpilot and cannot remove reviews directly. Every decision is made by the platform.