Facebook reviews allow users to read and write reviews for businesses and services. However, there are a few key reasons why you may not be able to see reviews on Facebook:
Your Account Settings
One of the most common reasons you can’t see Facebook reviews is due to your own account settings. Here are some settings that can prevent you from viewing reviews:
- You have reviews turned off – You can control whether you see reviews in your Facebook settings. Go to Settings > General > Reviews and make sure “See Reviews” is turned on.
- Your account is restricted – If your account has restrictions due to violations or being newly created, you may not have access to reviews.
- Age restrictions – Users under 18 have limited access to reviews. So if you’re in this age group, you’ll see fewer reviews.
- Location settings – Your location settings may prevent you from seeing reviews if you have visibility limited to a small area.
Check these account settings if you aren’t seeing any reviews at all on Facebook.
The Business Has Reviews Turned Off
Another reason you may not see reviews for a specific business is that the business has reviews turned off.
Business pages can control whether reviews are enabled for their Facebook page. Here are some reasons a business may have reviews disabled:
- They don’t want to manage reviews
- They had a negative review experience in the past
- They don’t have the staff to respond to reviews
- Legal or regulatory restrictions in their industry
If you notice a business has no review section at all, it’s likely they have reviews disabled. You would need to contact the business directly to ask if they plan to enable reviews.
The Business Has No Reviews
It’s also possible you won’t see any Facebook reviews for a business simply because no one has left a review yet.
Here are some reasons a business may not have any Facebook reviews:
- They are a new business
- They have minimal Facebook engagement
- Their customers aren’t active on Facebook
- People don’t think to leave reviews
- They have an unsatisfied customer base
For new businesses or those with small social media followings, it takes time to generate a base of reviews. You may want to check back in a few weeks or months to see if more reviews start appearing.
You’re Searching Wrong
It’s also possible you simply aren’t searching for reviews in the right place.
Here are some tips on where to find Facebook reviews:
- Go to the business’s Facebook page – Reviews can be found on a business’s page on the Reviews tab, if enabled.
- Search for the business – You can search for a business on Facebook to pull up their page and view reviews.
- Visit Facebook Business Suite – Business Suite provides insights and analytics for Facebook pages, including reviews.
- Check on mobile app – The Facebook mobile app may display reviews more prominently than desktop.
Make sure you are looking in the right place on Facebook to find reviews for a business. Sometimes they can be tricky to locate.
Reviews Were Deleted
It’s also possible reviews were left for a business but have since been deleted or hidden.
Here are some reasons reviews may be removed from Facebook:
- The review violated Facebook’s policies
- The user deleted their own review
- The business requested a review removal
- Facebook purged old reviews as part of maintenance
- The review author’s account was deleted
If you previously saw reviews that now seem to be gone, they may have been moderated or removed. You can try checking if others can see the missing reviews you noticed.
You’re Blocked From Seeing Reviews
In some cases, you may be personally blocked from seeing reviews:
- The business blocked you from viewing their page
- A review author has blocked you
- Your account is filtered from seeing certain page content
Check if you can view the business’s page or profile normally. If not, you may be blocked from seeing reviews they have posted.
Reviews are Delayed
Finally, some review delays are simply due to Facebook’s processing time.
Here are some situations where reviews can be temporarily delayed:
- Reviews with photos/videos take longer to process
- Reviews from new users may be verified first
- The page has a high volume of new reviews
- Reviews are randomly sampled before publishing
Give it some time and check back if you were expecting to see a review that has yet to appear. Moderation and sampling can sometimes delay reviews for hours or days.
What To Do If You Can’t See Reviews
Here are some steps to take if you are unable to find reviews on Facebook for a business:
- Double check your account settings – Make sure you have reviews enabled and your location/age allows you to see reviews.
- Contact the business – Ask them if they have reviews turned off or get details on when they get reviews.
- Check different access points – Try searching on mobile, desktop, directly on their page, and on Business Suite.
- See if others can view reviews – Ask friends if they can see reviews you expect to display.
- Be patient – Reviews sometimes take time to process, so check back in a day or two.
- Report issues to Facebook – If you think there is a bug or intentional blocking, report the problem through Facebook’s help pages.
In most cases, reviews are either turned off intentionally or you are looking in the wrong place. But if you are certain there is an issue, reporting problems can help get missing reviews back online.
Why Facebook Reviews Are Important
It’s important to understand why Facebook reviews can be useful:
- Reviews influence purchase decisions – 78% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
- Reviews build trust – 92% of people read reviews before interacting with a business online.
- Reviews reflect service quality – The quality and quantity of reviews allows consumers to assess a business.
- Reviews improve SEO – Reviews can improve local search rankings by creating relevant keyword-rich content.
By displaying transparent reviews, businesses can gain the trust of new customers. That’s why blocking or hiding reviews can actually harm companies relying on social proof.
Conclusion
A lack of Facebook reviews for a business can be frustrating but is usually fixable. Start by double checking your own account settings and visibility. Then inspect if reviews may be turned off or if none have been left yet for a company. Ensure you are searching on the right channels as well. In some cases, you may need to simply give it time for reviews to publish after initial moderation delays. But contacting the business directly and reporting issues to Facebook can help restore access in cases where you are intentionally blocked.