How To Leave A Facebook Review

Why Facebook Reviews Still Matter in 2024

Facebook remains one of the largest review platforms on the planet, sitting alongside Google as a place customers instinctively turn to when deciding whether to trust a business. Leaving a review on a Facebook business page takes less than two minutes, yet many people are unsure where to find the option or why the button seems to have moved.

This guide walks you through every step, on both desktop and mobile, explains what to do when the review feature is missing, and shows business owners how to make the most of every review they receive.

If you run a local business, reviews are only part of the picture. Want to see how your Google Maps presence actually stacks up against competitors right now? Run a free Google Maps rank scan of your business -- no credit card needed.

Understanding Facebook's Review System (Now Called "Recommendations")

Facebook renamed its star-rating review system "Recommendations" a few years ago. Instead of choosing one to five stars, visitors now see a simple prompt: "Do you recommend [Business Name]? Yes or No." You can then add text, photos, and tags to explain your experience.

The result still appears publicly on the business page and contributes to the overall recommendation score displayed near the top of the page. So when people ask "can I review businesses on Facebook?" -- yes, absolutely, just under a slightly different label.

Key things to know before you start:

You must be logged into a personal Facebook account (not a business page account) to leave a recommendation.
The business page must have the Recommendations feature turned on. Some pages disable it.
Recommendations are public by default, though you can adjust the audience before posting.
Facebook's review and contribution policies are worth reading if you manage a page and receive a review you believe violates the rules.

How to Leave a Facebook Review on Desktop (Step by Step)

Step 1: Find the Business Page

Go to facebook.com and search for the business name in the top search bar. Click on the correct page from the results.

Step 2: Locate the Reviews or Recommendations Section

On most business pages, you will see a left-hand sidebar with sections like Home, Reviews, Photos, and About. Click Reviews. If you do not see it, scroll down the page itself -- the Recommendations widget often appears in the right column.

Step 3: Answer the Recommendation Prompt

You will see the question "Do you recommend [Business Name]?" Click Yes (green thumbs up) or No (red thumbs down).

Step 4: Write Your Review

A text box appears. Write at least 25 characters -- Facebook requires a minimum. You can:

Add a written description of your experience
Upload photos
Select tags like "great service," "great value," or "clean"

Step 5: Set Your Audience and Post

Choose who can see your recommendation (Public, Friends, etc.) from the audience selector, then click Post. Your recommendation is now live on the page.

How to Leave a Facebook Review on Mobile

The steps are nearly identical on the Facebook app for iOS and Android.

Open the Facebook app and tap the search icon.
Type the business name and tap the correct result.
On the business page, scroll down until you see the Reviews or Recommendations section and tap it.
Tap Yes or No when asked whether you recommend the business.
Write your feedback, optionally add a photo, choose your audience, and tap Post.

What If There Is No Reviews Tab on Mobile?

This is a common frustration. The most likely reasons are:

The page owner has turned off Recommendations in their page settings.
The page is categorised as a type that does not support Recommendations (some service or personal brand pages).
You are viewing the page while logged into a business account rather than a personal profile.

If you are a business owner and your Recommendations tab is missing, go to Page Settings > Templates and Tabs and ensure the Reviews tab is enabled.

How to Leave a Negative Facebook Review (and Why It Matters)

Leaving a "No" recommendation is legitimate and valuable. Honest negative feedback helps other consumers make informed decisions and pushes businesses to improve. When leaving a critical review:

Be specific about what went wrong (date, service, product).
Avoid personal attacks or unverified claims.
Keep it factual. Facebook may remove recommendations that violate its content policies.

For business owners, a negative recommendation is not the end of the world. Responding professionally and promptly is proven to rebuild trust. According to BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey, consumers read business responses to reviews, and a thoughtful reply can actually strengthen a brand's reputation.

Facebook Reviews vs. Google Reviews: Which Matters More for Local SEO?

Both platforms matter, but they serve slightly different purposes.

Google reviews directly influence your placement in Google Maps and the local pack. Google's own local ranking guidance confirms that review quantity and quality are ranking factors. If ranking on Google Maps is a priority (and for most local businesses it should be), then your Google Business Profile deserves as much attention as your Facebook page.

Facebook recommendations build social trust and are visible to users already on the platform. They can appear in search results for brand-name queries and reinforce credibility when someone looks your business up directly.

The practical takeaway: collect reviews on both platforms. Do not let either one stagnate.

This is exactly where Local SEO Bot earns its keep. Rather than manually juggling review requests, profile updates, and rank checks across platforms, Local SEO Bot acts as a done-for-you AI Local SEO agent. It automatically handles your Google Business Profile, publishes weekly GBP posts, sends AI-generated review replies, builds hand-placed citations across 40+ platforms, and tracks your Google Maps rankings daily with alerts when a competitor climbs. You get the whole stack without hiring an agency.

If you want to see exactly where your business ranks today before doing anything else, get your free Google Maps rank scan here.

Tips for Business Owners: Encouraging More Facebook Reviews

Getting customers to leave reviews requires a small but consistent effort.

Ask at the right moment. Request a recommendation right after a successful service, purchase, or interaction while the experience is fresh.
Make it easy. Share a direct link to your Facebook Reviews tab via email, SMS, or a printed card at the counter.
Respond to every review. Responding shows you are listening. For Google reviews, Local SEO Bot's AI review replies feature handles this automatically, ensuring no review goes unanswered.
Do not offer incentives. Paying for or rewarding reviews violates platform policies and can get recommendations removed.
Cross-promote review platforms. A customer happy enough to leave a Facebook recommendation may also leave a Google review if you send them both links.

For deeper reading on why reviews are foundational to local visibility, Moz's Local SEO guide is a thorough and reliable resource.

Plans start at $0 today, $99/mo after your 3-day free trial, cancel anytime. You can compare all plans on the pricing page to find the right fit for your business size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave an anonymous Facebook review? No. Facebook requires you to be logged into a personal account to post a recommendation. Your name and profile photo will be visible to anyone who views the review, though you can limit the audience to Friends rather than Public.

Why can't I find the Reviews section on a Facebook business page? The page owner may have disabled the Recommendations tab, or the page category may not support it. Additionally, if you are signed in as a business page rather than a personal profile, the option will not appear. Switch to your personal account and try again.

Do Facebook reviews help with Google rankings? Not directly. Google does not index Facebook recommendations as a ranking signal for Maps. However, strong social proof on Facebook can drive more website traffic and brand searches, which indirectly supports your overall online presence. For direct Google ranking impact, focus on your Google Business Profile and Google reviews, areas where tools like Local SEO Bot -- with its live Google Maps rank grid across your service area and free Google Business Profile audit -- can make a measurable difference.

Take the Next Step for Your Local Rankings

Leaving and collecting Facebook reviews is a smart, free way to build trust. But if ranking in Google Maps is your real goal, reviews are just one piece of the puzzle. Citations, profile completeness, posting consistency, and daily rank tracking all play a role, as confirmed by Google Search Essentials and third-party research.

Local SEO Bot handles the entire stack for you: profile optimisation, hand-placed citations on 40+ directories, weekly posts, AI review replies, and daily rank tracking with competitor alerts. If you are not ranking higher within 30 days, you get every dollar back -- no questions asked.

Run your free Google Maps rank scan now and find out exactly where your business stands today. You can also explore free local SEO tools to get more visibility into your local presence.

Key Takeaways

Facebook renamed its review system to "Recommendations" -- the Yes/No prompt replaces the old star rating.
You must be logged into a personal Facebook account to leave a recommendation; business accounts cannot post reviews.
On both desktop and mobile, find the Reviews or Recommendations tab on the business page and follow the prompt.
If the Reviews tab is missing, the page owner has likely disabled it or the page category does not support it.
Negative reviews are legitimate; keep them factual and specific.
Facebook reviews build social trust; Google reviews more directly affect local search rankings.
Responding to every review -- positive or negative -- is one of the highest-ROI reputation habits a business can adopt.
For comprehensive, done-for-you local SEO (profile, citations, posts, reviews, and rank tracking), Local SEO Bot removes the guesswork and the manual grind.