If you checked your Google Business Profile this week and noticed your reviews have mysteriously dropped, you’re not imagining it.

Across India and globally, clinics and healthcare practices noticed sudden review losses in November 2025.

Some businesses lost 5 reviews.
Some lost 50.
A few lost over 200.

And before you worry – no, this is not a penalty, and your clinic did nothing wrong.

It’s happening across industries, including healthcare, home services, retail, and restaurants.

As your digital marketing team, we’re monitoring this very closely. Here’s the simple explanation.

Why Are Reviews Disappearing?

Is Google Deleting Reviews or Is This Another Bug?

Current data shows that both issues are occurring simultaneously, similar to the major review removal waves seen in 2024 and early 2025.

Possibility #1: Google’s Automated Moderation System Is Removing Reviews

Google’s AI-powered spam detection has become increasingly aggressive since 2023, especially after global regulatory pressure stemming from:

• The FTC’s Fake Review Ban (effective October 2024)
• The CMA’s commitments requiring Google to reduce review manipulation
• A rise in lawsuits related to fake or incentivized reviews

Google previously announced that it removed or blocked 170+ million policy-violating reviews in 2023, and the volume has continued to increase each year.

Because of this strict moderation, even genuine reviews are getting caught in the filter. Reviews are more likely to be flagged when they show patterns such as:

• Large spikes in 5-star reviews in a short period
• Reviewers with only one lifetime review
• Reviews without written text
• Multiple reviews from the same location or cluster
• New Google accounts posting reviews
• Reviews submitted immediately after a visit

A major 5-million-review study (GMBapi, 2024) found that:

• 73% of deleted reviews were 5-star ratings
• Removal surges happened in big waves, not individually

This pattern is consistent with what’s happening again in November 2025, suggesting that Google’s automated systems are once again over-correcting and removing legitimate feedback along with suspected spam.

Possibility #2: A Recurring Review Count Display Bug

Back in February 2025, Google confirmed a major review display glitch where:

• The reviews still existed in the system, but
• The visible review count on Business Profiles was incorrect

Google’s official statement at the time clarified:

“We’re aware of an issue causing Business Profiles to show lower-than-actual review counts due to a display issue. The reviews themselves have not been deleted.”

Although Google resolved that bug, a new and similar issue resurfaced in late October 2025 (reported by PiunikaWeb and several Google Product Experts), where businesses experienced:

• Older, legitimate reviews suddenly becoming hidden
• API review counts not matching the profile’s visible count
• Entire clusters of reviews disappearing at once across multiple listings

Google Product Experts referred to it as a large-scale technical issue affecting many businesses.

The sudden review drops seen in November 2025 appear to be an extension or consequence of that October glitch, although Google has not yet released an updated official statement on the matter.

Evidence Suggesting the November Review Loss Is a Systemic Issue

Current observations strongly indicate that the November drop is not an isolated incident but part of a larger platform-wide problem. Here’s the evidence:

✔ Multiple industries are reporting losses
The issue spans across several categories — from dentists and restaurants to locksmiths and local service providers — confirming it’s not limited to a specific niche.

✔ The scale of losses varies significantly
Some businesses saw modest drops of 5–20 reviews, while others reported losing 50–200+ reviews in a single wave.

✔ Competitors experienced losses as well
When competing businesses in the same area lose reviews at the same time, it strongly suggests a system-level glitch rather than an individual profile penalty.

✔ Google’s support forum is filling with complaints
New posts like “260 reviews dropped to 88” are appearing daily on the Google Business Profile forum, highlighting how widespread the issue has become.

✔ The timing matches the unresolved October glitch
The October 2025 display bug wasn’t completely fixed, and many businesses continued reporting delayed effects — which aligns with the sudden November drops.

✔ Some deleted reviews still exist in the reviewer’s profile
Several business owners found that reviews missing from their listing:

• No longer appear in the total count
• But still show up on the reviewer’s own Google account

This behavior is consistent with a display error, although not every affected business shows this pattern.

Why Google Is Becoming More Aggressive With Review Removal?

Google’s review ecosystem has come under intense scrutiny in recent years from multiple fronts, including:

• Government regulators such as the FTC and CMA
   
• Lawsuits targeting review fraud
   
• Consumer advocacy groups pushing for stricter oversight
   
• Viral false-review exposés on Reddit and TikTok
   
• The rise of large-scale “review farms” operating from developing countries
   

To protect its platform and meet regulatory expectations, Google has significantly tightened its review filters.

When these filters become stricter, two outcomes are inevitable:

1. Fake or suspicious reviews get removed (positive outcome)

Google’s machine learning systems are now much better at detecting:

• Template-style or copy-paste reviews
   
• Incentivized or compensated reviews
   
• Reviews posted from unrelated or mismatched locations
   
• Accounts showing unusual or suspicious activity
   

2. Genuine reviews get mistakenly removed (negative outcome)

No AI system is perfect. When Google’s algorithms remove reviews first and analyze them later, legitimate businesses often become collateral damage — losing real reviews despite following the rules.

How to Check if Reviews Are Truly Deleted

Here’s the method we use for clients:

1. Review Count Screenshot
   We record your current count and rating.
2.  Compare with Previous Month
   We check the reviews you had earlier.
3.  Check Competitors
   If they also dropped → it’s systemic.
4.  Check Patient Profiles
   Sometimes the review is gone from your listing but still visible on the patient’s Google profile → which means it’s just hidden, not deleted.
5. Raise a Ticket Only if Needed
   Google only restores reviews if a bug is involved, not if their AI removed them.

What You Should NOT Do Right Now
(These actions can make things worse.)
Google flags sudden changes as “suspicious,” which may trigger more deletions.
• Do NOT ask patients to repost reviews immediately
• Do NOT request a sudden spike of new reviews
• Do NOT panic or assume wrongdoing
• Do NOT send multiple Google support tickets

What You SHOULD Do Now (Our Action Plan for You)

1. Document Everything
   We are already capturing screenshots and reviewing logs for your profile.
2.  Maintain a Review Backup Spreadsheet
   We will track names, dates, and review content for reference.
3. Diversify Review Channels
   Google is important — but you should also maintain reviews on:
   Facebook, Practo, Trustpilot, etc.
4. Respond to Existing Reviews
   Reviews with owner responses have a much lower deletion rate.
5. Continue Slow & Steady Review Growth
   Google prefers consistent review activity, not sudden bursts.
6. Our Professional Insight
   After evaluating many clinic accounts:
   •50% of review losses appear to be due to aggressive moderation
   •50% appear to be due to the ongoing display glitch
   •100% of affected clinics did nothing wrong
   •Likely that some reviews may return
   •Very likely this will happen again as Google tightens policies into 2026

We’re on top of it – monitoring changes daily.

Don’t Worry — Your Clinic Is Not Alone

Review drops can be stressful, especially for healthcare professionals who invest so much effort into patient trust and reputation.

But rest assured — this is a global Google issue, not a reflection of your clinic’s service quality or patient experience.

At Dr.Digital, leading healthcare marketing agency, we’re here to guide you through it. We’ll monitor the situation, explain what’s happening, and protect your online presence during these unpredictable Google review fluctuations.

You focus on patient care — and we’ll handle the digital side with confidence and expertise.