Key Takeaways:
- Businesses Cannot Directly Delete Reviews: For transparency and trust, Trustpilot does not allow companies to unilaterally delete negative reviews. This is a core feature of the platform.
- The "Flagging" System is the Only Way: The official method for businesses to request a review's removal is by "flagging" it for violating Trustpilot's specific guidelines.
- Reviewers Have Full Control: If you wrote a review, you can easily edit or permanently delete it at any time through your user account.
- Reputation Management is Better Than Deletion: The most powerful strategy for handling negative feedback is often a professional, public reply, not removal.
- "Deletion Services" are Dangerous: Services promising to delete negative reviews are often scams, violate Trustpilot's terms, and can put your business account at risk.
As a business owner, there are few things more stressful than seeing a one-star review pop up on your Trustpilot page. It can feel like a direct attack on your brand, your team, and the hard work you've put in. Your first instinct might be to ask, "How can I get this deleted?"On the other side, as a customer, you might have left a review in the heat of the moment and later regretted it, or perhaps the company resolved your issue and you want to remove your original feedback.This guide provides an expert, experience-based breakdown of how review deletion actually works on Trustpilot. We'll cover the official processes for both businesses and reviewers, grounded in the principles of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and—most importantly—Trustworthiness.
Part 1: For Businesses - How to Handle Unwanted Reviews
Let's start with the most important, foundational truth: You cannot log in to your Trustpilot Business account and simply click a "delete" button on a review you don't like.This is by design. Trustpilot's entire value proposition is built on being a trusted, third-party intermediary. If companies could scrub their profiles of all criticism, that trust would evaporate overnight. However, you are not powerless. You have one official, legitimate tool at your disposal: The Flagging System. You can report a review if you believe it violates Trustpilot's guidelines for businesses.
When to Flag a Review: The Legitimate Reasons
Your request for removal must be based on a specific violation. Flagging a review simply because it's negative will be rejected by Trustpilot's Content Integrity team. Here are the most common valid reasons:
- It's harmful or illegal: Contains hate speech, threats, or defamatory statements.
- It includes personal information: The reviewer posted your personal phone number, home address, etc.
- It's advertising or promotional: The review is clearly spam or promoting another business.
- It's not based on a genuine experience: This is the most common reason. If you have no record of the reviewer as a customer (no matching name, email, or order ID), you can flag it as fake.
- It's primarily about a different company's experience: The review is about the shipping carrier (e.g., FedEx, UPS) and not your product or service.
- The review is on the wrong company profile.
How to Flag a Trustpilot Review (Step-by-Step)
- Log in to your Trustpilot Business account.
- Navigate to "Manage reviews" and find the review in question.
- Click the flag icon (⚐) below the review.
- Select the reason for flagging the review. Be honest and specific.
- Provide the required information. If you're flagging it as not genuine, you will need to explain why you have no record of the customer.
- Submit your report.
What Happens Next? The Best Alternative
Trustpilot's team will investigate. If they find a clear violation, they will remove the review. If they cannot, the review will remain.This is where true reputation management begins. Your most powerful tool is not the flag button; it's the reply button. A thoughtful, professional public response can completely neutralize a negative review and, in many cases, turn it into a net positive for your brand. It shows other potential customers that you are responsive, responsible, and dedicated to solving problems.
Part 2: For Reviewers - How to Edit or Delete Your Own Review
If you are the person who wrote the review, the process is incredibly simple. You have complete control.
- Log in to your personal Trustpilot account.
- Click on your user icon in the top-right corner and select "My Reviews."
- Find the review you want to change.
- You will see options to "Edit" or "Delete" it.
- Editing is a great option if the company has resolved your issue and you want to update your feedback to reflect the positive outcome.
- Deleting will permanently remove the review from the platform.
A Critical Warning: Avoid "Review Deletion Services"
When searching for how to delete reviews, you may come across services that promise to remove negative Trustpilot reviews for a fee. Avoid these at all costs.
- They Violate Terms: Using such a service is a direct violation of Trustpilot's Action We Take policy.
- They Are Often Scams: Many take your money and do nothing, or they use illegitimate methods that can backfire.
- They Destroy Trust: If your customers find out you are paying to have negative feedback scrubbed, you will lose all credibility.
How to Delete a Trustpilot Account
Your search might also be about removing your presence entirely. The process differs for personal and business accounts.
- To Delete a Personal Trustpilot Account: Log in, go to "My Settings," and at the bottom of the page, you will find a "Delete my profile" button.
- To Delete a Trustpilot Business Page: You cannot do this yourself. A business profile is considered a permanent record of customer experiences. You can, however, "unclaim" your profile by contacting Trustpilot support, which removes your administrative access. The page with its reviews will remain.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Can companies delete Trustpilot reviews?
No. Companies cannot directly delete reviews. They can only "flag" a review for investigation by Trustpilot's Content Integrity team if it violates specific guidelines.
2. How long does it take for a flagged review to be removed?
The investigation time can vary depending on the complexity and Trustpilot's workload, but it typically takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.
3. What if Trustpilot decides a negative review doesn't violate their guidelines?
If the review stands, your best and only course of action is to post a professional, public reply. Acknowledge the customer's feedback, explain your side calmly, and demonstrate that you are a responsive business.
4. What is the difference between deleting and unclaiming a business account?
You cannot permanently delete a business page with reviews on it. "Unclaiming" the page simply removes your company's administrative access and ability to reply. The page and its reviews will still be visible to the public.
