You can delete your own Yelp review from your account page, but Yelp may keep a record of it
If you posted a review on Yelp and want to remove it, you can delete it yourself through your account settings. The process takes about two minutes. However, understand that Yelp's systems may retain information about the review even after you delete it — the review disappears from public view, but Yelp keeps records for internal use and to prevent fraud.
Deletion is different from editing. If you want to change what you wrote rather than remove it entirely, you can edit the review text, rating, or photos without deleting the whole thing. Edited reviews stay public with a note that they were changed.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete your review by going to your Yelp profile, finding the review, and clicking the delete option — no permission from the business is needed.
- Deleted reviews disappear from the public page and from the business's review count, but Yelp retains records internally.
- If you want to change your words or rating instead of removing the review entirely, use the edit function rather than deleting.
- Yelp will not restore a deleted review, so make sure you want it gone before you confirm the deletion.
Steps to delete a review you wrote
Start by signing into your Yelp account on a web browser or the Yelp app. On the web, click your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Your Profile" from the menu. On the app, tap the profile icon at the bottom right.
Once you are on your profile page, look for the "Reviews" section. This shows all the reviews you have written. Find the review you want to delete and click or tap on it to open it. You should see a three-dot menu icon (sometimes called a "more" button) near the top or bottom of the review. Click that menu and select "Delete Review" from the options that appear. Yelp will ask you to confirm — click "Delete" again to finish.
The review will disappear from the business's page immediately. The business owner will not receive a notification that you deleted it, though they may notice the change in their review count or average rating.
What happens to your review after you delete it
Once deleted, your review no longer appears on the business's Yelp page, in search results, or in your public profile. The business's overall rating recalculates without your review included. If you had posted photos with the review, those photos are removed from the business's photo gallery as well.
Yelp itself keeps internal records of deleted reviews as part of its fraud-prevention system. This means Yelp can see that you posted and then deleted a review, but this information is not visible to the public or to the business owner. Yelp uses these records to identify patterns — for example, if someone repeatedly posts and deletes negative reviews, Yelp's system may flag that behavior.
Editing a review instead of deleting it
If you want to change your review rather than remove it completely, use the edit function. Open your review the same way you would to delete it, but select "Edit Review" from the menu instead. You can change your star rating, rewrite the text, add or remove photos, or update the date you visited.
When you save an edited review, Yelp adds a small note that says "Edited" with the date. This transparency helps readers understand that the review has changed. The edited version replaces the original — readers see only the current version, not the history of changes.
If you cannot find the delete option
The delete option may not appear if you are not signed into the account that posted the review. Make sure you are logged into the correct Yelp account. If you have multiple accounts, check each one.
Some reviews cannot be deleted if they are part of an active dispute with the business or if Yelp has flagged them as part of an investigation. In rare cases, Yelp may lock a review if it believes the review or the account is involved in fraudulent activity. If you see no delete option and you believe the review is yours, contact Yelp Support through the Help Center on the Yelp website.
Reasons you might want to delete a review
People delete reviews for different reasons. You might have changed your mind about the business, realized you made a factual error, or posted something you now regret. You might also delete a review if the business has since fixed the problem you complained about, or if you had a bad experience that was not representative of the business's usual service.
Keep in mind that deleting a review does not erase it from the business owner's memory or from anyone who saw it before deletion. If the review caused a real problem between you and the business, deletion alone may not resolve that. In those cases, you might consider reaching out to the business directly to explain or apologize.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the business owner delete my review?
No. Only you can delete a review you posted. A business owner can flag a review as inappropriate or request that Yelp remove it if it violates Yelp's content policy — for example, if it contains harassment, spam, or false claims — but they cannot delete it themselves. Yelp's moderation team decides whether to remove flagged reviews.
Will the business owner know I deleted my review?
The business owner will not receive a notification. However, they may notice that their review count or average rating has changed. If they actively monitor their Yelp page, they might see that a review is missing, but Yelp does not tell them who deleted it or why.
Can I restore a review after I delete it?
No. Once you delete a review, Yelp does not restore it. If you change your mind, you would have to write a new review from scratch. For this reason, take a moment to make sure deletion is what you want before you confirm.
What if I want to delete a review someone else posted about my business?
You cannot delete reviews posted by other people. You can flag a review as inappropriate through your business account if it violates Yelp's policy, and Yelp's team will investigate. You can also respond publicly to the review to address concerns or provide your side of the story.
Does deleting my review affect my Yelp account status?
Deleting a single review does not harm your account. However, if you repeatedly post and delete reviews in a pattern that looks like manipulation, Yelp's system may reduce the visibility of your future reviews or flag your account. Yelp's goal is to keep reviews authentic, so accounts that appear to be gaming the system are treated differently.