Removing a Facebook review (now called a "recommendation") means either reporting it to Meta for a Community Standards violation or turning off the recommendations feature on your Facebook Page entirely. Facebook replaced star ratings with a binary "recommend / don't recommend" system in 2018, but the removal process and business impact remain the same.
Facebook reviews work differently from Google and Yelp. The recommendation system is simpler (yes/no instead of 1-5 stars), the moderation is handled by Meta's automated systems, and you have a nuclear option that Google and Yelp don't offer: turning off reviews entirely. This guide covers all three paths.
Facebook recommendations vs old star reviews
Before diving into removal, understand what you're dealing with:
| Feature | Old system (pre-2018) | Current system |
|---|---|---|
| Rating type | 1-5 stars | "Do you recommend?" (Yes/No) |
| Display | Star average | Rating out of 5 (calculated from yes/no ratio) |
| Text | Optional review text | Optional recommendation text |
| Old reviews | N/A | Still visible, count toward rating |
| Tags | None | Users can tag attributes (great service, cozy atmosphere) |
Your Page's rating is calculated from both old star reviews and new recommendations combined.
Option 1: Report a specific recommendation
From your Facebook Page
- Go to your Facebook Business Page.
- Click the Reviews or Recommendations tab.
- Find the recommendation you want to report.
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top right of the recommendation.
- Select "Find support or report recommendation."
- Choose the violation category: spam, fake account, harassment, hate speech, or other.
- Submit the report.
What Meta will and won't remove
| Meta WILL remove | Meta WON'T remove |
|---|---|
| Spam and fake engagement | Negative recommendations from real customers |
| Harassment and bullying | Recommendations you disagree with |
| Hate speech and discrimination | Vague negative feedback ("don't recommend") |
| Violence or threats | Factual disputes |
| Content from fake or compromised accounts | Old reviews (pre-2018 star ratings) |
Option 2: Turn off recommendations entirely
Unlike Google and Yelp, Facebook lets you disable the reviews tab completely. This is the nuclear option: it hides all recommendations (positive and negative) and removes the star rating from your Page.
How to turn off Facebook reviews
- Go to your Facebook Page and click Settings (gear icon or "Manage Page").
- Navigate to "Templates and Tabs" (or "Page Settings" → "Tabs" on newer Page layouts).
- Find the "Reviews" tab in the list.
- Toggle it off.
When turning off reviews makes sense
| Turn off if | Keep on if |
|---|---|
| You're under coordinated review attack | You have a strong positive rating (4.0+) |
| Your Facebook reviews are mostly negative and Google is your primary platform | Customers frequently check your Facebook Page before visiting |
| You don't actively manage your Facebook presence | You respond to reviews and use them as social proof |
| You have very few reviews and one bad one skews your rating | Your industry relies on Facebook trust signals (events, services) |
Important: Turning off reviews hides existing recommendations but doesn't delete them. If you turn the tab back on later, they reappear with the same rating.
Delete your own Facebook recommendation
If you wrote a recommendation for a business and want to remove it:
- Go to the business's Facebook Page.
- Find your recommendation in the Reviews section.
- Click the three-dot menu on your recommendation.
- Select "Edit recommendation" to change it, or "Delete" to remove it.
Facebook vs Google vs Yelp: removal comparison
| Feature | Yelp | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Can turn off reviews entirely? | Yes | No | No |
| Reporting process | Flag via Page | Flag via Maps or GBP | Flag via Yelp for Business |
| Typical response time | 24-48 hours | 3-14 days | 7-14 days |
| Proactive filtering | No | No | Yes (recommendation filter) |
| Appeal process | One appeal | Multiple resubmissions | Reply to decision + support |
| Rating system | Yes/No → score out of 5 | 1-5 stars | 1-5 stars |