GBP Reviews Automation

Written By Afonso Carvalho

Last updated 1 day ago

Watch our step by step video on how to set up Review Automation:

Overview

The Review Automation feature connects Arvow to your Google Business Profile (GBP) so you can read, reply to, and automatically respond to customer reviews from inside Arvow. You can reply manually, generate AI drafts, or set rules that handle replies for you based on the star rating.

Connecting Arvow to Your Google Business Profile

  1. Go to the sidebar and click Review Automation.

  2. Click Connect with Google.

  3. Log in with the Google account that manages your Google Business Profiles.

  4. Click Continue and allow all requested permissions.

  5. Back in Arvow, use the Location field to select which Google Business Profile you want to manage.

👍 Once a location is selected, you'll see all the reviews left on that Google Business Profile.

📘 If you manage several profiles, switch between them at any time using the Location field.

Replying to Reviews Manually

For any review that needs a response, you have two options:

  • Write it yourself: Type your reply and click publish.

  • Generate with AI: Click Generate draft with AI and Arvow writes a reply based on the review. Edit it if needed, then publish.

Published replies appear on your Google Business Profile automatically.

Setting Up Automation Rules

  1. Open the Automation Rules section.

  2. Turn on Enable Review Automation.

  3. Configure rules separately for each rating: 1 star, 2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars, and 5 stars.

Reply Style

For each rating, choose how the reply is written:

  • Personalized replies: The AI writes a unique response based on the review content and your preferences below.

  • Saved templates: Uses the template you've saved for that rating.

Action by Rating

For each rating, choose what happens once the reply is written:

  • Publish automatically: The reply goes live without review.

  • Create a draft: The reply waits for your approval before publishing.

  • Do not reply: Arvow skips the review entirely and you handle it manually.

📘 A common setup: publish 5-star replies automatically, and require approval for 1- and 2-star reviews so you can check the tone before anything goes public.

Customizing Templates

If you selected Saved templates for a rating, click Customize next to that rating to edit the message. Each rating has its own template (for example, the 5-star review reply template).

Extra Settings

Fine-tune how replies sound and when they're sent:

Setting

What it does

Tone

Sets the overall voice of the reply

Reply length

Controls how long replies are

Language

Sets the language replies are written in

Reply delay

Adds a wait before the reply is sent, so responses don't look instant

You can also add guidance for the AI:

  • Brand voice: Describe how your business should sound.

  • Topics to mention: Points you want included in replies.

  • Phrases to avoid: Wording the AI should never use.

Signature

Turn on the Signature toggle and enter your name or business name to add it to the end of every reply.

Example:

— Maria, Sunrise Dental Clinic

Safeguards

These settings give you extra control over what gets published automatically:

  • Require approval for sensitive reviews: Holds replies to sensitive reviews as drafts for you to check. Leave on or off.

  • Skip reviews without comments: Ignores star-only ratings with no written text.

  • Keywords that require approval: Add words that should always trigger manual approval. Separate them with commas.

Example:

refund, lawyer, refund request, complaint, health inspector

⚠️ If you allow automatic publishing for low ratings, use the safeguards above. Once a reply is published to your Google Business Profile, it's visible to everyone.

Saving Your Setup

Click Save Changes. Your automation is now live and will start handling new reviews according to your rules.

FAQs

Q: Do I have to automate everything? No. You can leave Review Automation off and just use the AI draft button on individual reviews whenever you want help writing a reply.

Q: Can I set different rules for each star rating? Yes. Reply style and action are configured separately for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 stars.

Q: What happens to replies set to "create a draft"? They're saved for you to review. Nothing is published until you approve it.

Q: Can I manage more than one Google Business Profile? Yes. Use the Location field to switch between the profiles connected to your Google account.

Q: Will replies look automated? Use the reply delay setting to space out responses, and personalized replies plus brand voice guidance to keep the wording natural.