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Google Review Calculator

Find out how many 5-star reviews it takes to move your Google rating to the score you want. Type your current average, how many reviews you have and your target. You also see how far one more 1-star review pulls the average down, and how many 5-star reviews it takes to undo it.

  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Runs in your browser

Your numbers stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or saved.

Result

5-star reviews needed–

Type your current rating, the number of reviews and a target to see the result.

Counts every new review as 5 stars and takes the typed average as exact. Real customers leave every kind of rating, and Google says the score can take up to 2 weeks to update.

The link carries the numbers typed on this page and nothing else.

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How the answer is worked out

The score is a plain average

Google states that the review score is the average of all ratings published on Google for that place or business, on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. So the sum of all stars is the average times the number of ratings, and every new rating moves that sum.

How many 5-star reviews

Reviews needed = (target - current average) × number of reviews ÷ (5 - target), rounded up to a whole review. The closer the target is to 5, the smaller the divisor and the more reviews it takes.

Why the answer comes with a range

The profile shows the average with one decimal, so a displayed 4.3 can be anything from 4.25 to just under 4.35. The calculator gives the answer for the number you typed and for both ends of that band.

What one 1-star review does

Average after one 1-star = (sum of stars + 1) ÷ (reviews + 1). The 5-star reviews needed to get back to the same average are (average - 1) ÷ (5 - average), rounded up. That number does not depend on how many reviews you have: at an average of 4.5 it is 7.

Ask every customer, the same way

Google does not allow offering incentives, such as payment, discounts or free goods and services, in exchange for reviews. It also does not allow discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking only for positive ones. The way to more reviews that stays inside the rules is to make it easy for every customer to leave one.

What this cannot know

Which ratings your next customers will give, reviews that Google removes, and the time the score takes to change, which Google says can be up to 2 weeks after a new review.

Formulas

Sum of stars
average × number of reviews
5-star reviews needed
(target - average) × reviews ÷ (5 - target), rounded up
Average after one 1-star
(sum of stars + 1) ÷ (reviews + 1)
5-star reviews to undo one 1-star
(average - 1) ÷ (5 - average), rounded up

Sources

Google Help pages, read on October 11, 2026. Policies can change: the linked pages are the reference. VISU is not affiliated with Google.

Make it easy for every customer to leave a review

Create a QR code that opens your Google review form and put it on the counter, the receipt or the table. Every customer gets the same invitation, with nothing offered in return. VISU Local adds a free page for your business with map, hours and phone.

Create a Google review QR codeSee VISU Local

How to use it

  1. Open your Google Business Profile and note the average rating and the number of reviews next to it.
  2. Type both numbers and the rating you want to reach.
  3. Read how many 5-star reviews it takes, and the range that the rounding of the displayed score allows.
  4. Check what one more 1-star review would do. Copy the link to the result or download the card.

Examples

  • From 4.3 to 4.5 with 120 reviews

    Made-up numbers to show the maths: (4.5 - 4.3) × 120 ÷ (5 - 4.5) = 48 five-star reviews, for a total of 168. Because Google shows one decimal, the real average may be anywhere from 4.25 to 4.35, and the answer anywhere from 36 to 60.

  • From 3.8 to 4.5 with 45 reviews

    (4.5 - 3.8) × 45 ÷ 0.5 = 63 five-star reviews: more than the 45 the business has today. A target far from the current average takes more new reviews than the profile already has.

  • One 1-star review at 4.3

    With 120 reviews at 4.3, one more 1-star review takes the average to 4.27. Getting back to 4.3 takes 5 five-star reviews, whatever the number of reviews.

Questions

How many 5-star reviews do I need to raise my Google rating?

Multiply the gap between your target and your current average by the number of reviews you have, then divide by 5 minus the target. With 120 reviews at 4.3, reaching 4.5 takes 48 five-star reviews.

How does Google calculate the rating?

According to Google Business Profile Help, the review score is the average of all ratings published on Google for the place or business, from 1 to 5 stars. After a new review, the score can take up to 2 weeks to update.

How much does one 1-star review hurt?

The drop depends on how many reviews you have: the fewer, the bigger. The number of 5-star reviews needed to get back to the same average depends only on the average itself: 5 at an average of 4.3, and 7 at an average of 4.5.

Can I reach a 5.0 rating?

Not as an exact average once any review is below 5 stars: every new 5-star review brings the average closer to 5 without reaching it. Use 4.9 as the highest target.

Can I offer a discount or a gift for a review?

No. Google prohibits offering incentives, such as payment, discounts or free goods and services, in exchange for posting, changing or removing a review. It also does not allow discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking only for positive ones.

What is the right way to get more reviews?

Ask every customer in the same way and make it easy: a link or a QR code that opens the review form directly. This calculator tells you the distance to your target. It does not shorten it.

Why is my result a range?

Google shows the average with one decimal. A displayed 4.3 may be a 4.25 or a 4.34, and that small difference changes how many reviews are needed. The range covers both ends.

What does the link to the result contain?

The three numbers you typed: current rating, number of reviews and target. They are figures anyone can read on the profile. Nothing else is added, and nothing is sent anywhere until you share the link yourself.

Use this tool on your site

Paste this code into any page. The tool stays free for your visitors, with a small "Powered by VISU" credit.

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