Frequently Asked Questions

RateBizz is an AI-powered Google My Business review management platform that helps businesses automate their review responses, monitor customer sentiment, and improve their online reputation. The platform connects to your GMB locations via OAuth, syncs reviews in real-time using webhooks, and uses advanced AI (Llama 2) to generate contextual responses that match your brand voice. You can manage multiple locations, track analytics, and respond to reviews at scale.

Getting started is simple: 1) Sign up for a free trial account with magic link authentication, 2) Connect your Google My Business locations using the OAuth flow (requires Owner/Manager permissions), 3) Wait for historical reviews to sync automatically, 4) Start generating AI responses or explore the analytics dashboard. Your trial includes 50 AI credits and supports up to 2 business locations.

You need: 1) Owner or Manager permissions on the GMB location (Site Manager is insufficient), 2) A verified GMB listing with review capability enabled, 3) An active Google account with access to the business locations. During connection, RateBizz requests minimal permissions - only read access to reviews and business information. We never access your Gmail, contacts, or other Google services.

RateBizz uses real-time webhooks for instant review notifications, not hourly polling. When you connect a location, we: 1) Import all historical reviews immediately, 2) Set up webhook listeners for new reviews, 3) Sync new reviews within seconds of posting on Google. You can also manually trigger syncs using the "Sync Reviews" button if needed. The system tracks sync status and handles API rate limits automatically.

RateBizz offers comprehensive filtering: 1) Rating filters (1-5 stars, multiple selections), 2) Date ranges (preset or custom), 3) Response status (responded/unresponded), 4) Location-specific filtering, 5) Text search across review content and customer names, 6) Tag-based filtering for categorized reviews. You can combine multiple filters and save filter presets for common searches.

Create custom tags to organize reviews by themes like "service quality," "staff," "pricing," etc. Tags help identify patterns and track improvements. You can: 1) Apply multiple tags per review, 2) Filter reviews by tag combinations, 3) Use bulk tagging for similar reviews, 4) Track tag frequency over time, 5) Generate tag-based reports. Tags are color-coded and searchable across all your locations.

AI credits power response generation: Single review AI generation costs 1 credit, while bulk AI generation costs 0.5 credits per review. Response regeneration (whether single or bulk) costs 1 credit per review. AI enhancement operations (shorten, lengthen, change tone) cost 1 credit each. Credits reset monthly on your billing date - unused credits don't roll over. Monitor usage in the dashboard.

Our AI uses Llama 2 with specialized training for business communication. Quality measures include: 1) Context analysis using your business information and review history, 2) Sentiment-appropriate tone matching, 3) Professional language filtering, 4) Brand voice consistency, 5) Review-response staging before publishing. You can always edit responses before posting to Google.

Bulk AI workflow: 1) Filter reviews you want to respond to, 2) Click "Generate Bulk Responses", 3) AI generates individual responses for each review (0.5 credits each), 4) Review each response in the staging area, 5) Mark responses as "Ready to Send" or regenerate if needed (1 credit per regeneration), 6) Use "Send X Response(s)" to publish all approved responses to Google at once. Each response can be edited, rejected, or regenerated individually.

Analytics data is calculated in real-time from your synced reviews - no placeholder metrics. Dashboard metrics update immediately after review syncs: average ratings, response rates, review volume trends, sentiment scores, and location comparisons. Charts show actual monthly trends, response time calculations use real timestamps, and performance tables reflect current data with proper fallbacks for new accounts.

Yes! Analytics support comprehensive filtering: 1) Date ranges (7, 30, 90 days, or custom), 2) Location-specific or combined view, 3) Rating-based analysis (focus on specific star ratings), 4) Response status filtering. All charts and metrics dynamically update based on your filters. You can compare time periods and export filtered data for reporting.

Track comprehensive performance metrics: 1) Average rating trends over time, 2) Review volume growth month-over-month, 3) Response rate percentage (critical for GMB ranking), 4) Average response time (hours), 5) Customer sentiment gauge based on rating distribution, 6) Location performance rankings, 7) Response effectiveness correlation with rating improvements.

Trial (Free): 50 AI credits, 2 locations, basic analytics. Starter ($29/mo): 500 credits, 5 locations, advanced filtering, export features. Professional ($79/mo): 1,500 credits, 15 locations, bulk AI, priority support, advanced analytics. Enterprise ($199/mo): 5,000 credits, unlimited locations, white-label options, API access, custom integrations.

Billing cycles monthly from your subscription date. Credits reset completely each cycle (no rollover). Credit usage is tracked in real-time in your dashboard. If you exceed credits, AI features pause until next renewal. You can upgrade/downgrade plans anytime - changes take effect immediately with prorated billing. Downgrades keep current month's credit allowance.

Plan changes are immediate: Upgrades give instant access to new features and credit allowances with prorated billing. Downgrades reduce features but maintain current month credits. Location limits apply immediately - excess locations become read-only until compliance. Data retention remains the same across all plans. Billing adjustments appear on your next invoice.

Enterprise-grade security: 1) End-to-end encryption in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256), 2) Supabase database with row-level security policies, 3) OAuth2 authentication with minimal Google permissions, 4) No password storage - magic link authentication only, 5) Regular security audits and compliance monitoring, 6) Data isolation between business accounts.

Yes! Export options include: 1) Review data (CSV/JSON formats), 2) Analytics reports (PDF/Excel), 3) Response history and templates, 4) Tag and categorization data. Enterprise plans include automated backup scheduling and API access for programmatic exports. Data remains accessible for 30 days after account cancellation for final exports.

RateBizz handles GMB API quotas automatically: 1) Smart rate limiting prevents quota exhaustion, 2) Priority queuing for critical operations (new reviews, responses), 3) Automatic retry with exponential backoff, 4) Graceful degradation during high usage periods, 5) Real-time sync status indicators. Users never need to worry about API limits - our infrastructure manages them transparently.

Multiple support channels: 1) In-app help documentation with step-by-step guides, 2) Email support via contact form with file attachments, 3) FAQ search with smart filtering, 4) Priority support for Professional/Enterprise plans, 5) Response times: 24 hours standard, 4 hours priority. Enterprise customers get dedicated support and optional phone consultations.

Common issues: 1) GMB connection fails - check Owner/Manager permissions, 2) Reviews not syncing - try manual sync or verify webhook settings, 3) AI responses seem generic - use Contextual mode for personalization, 4) Can't see all locations - verify GMB account access, 5) Credits depleted quickly - consider plan upgrade or use Simple responses strategically.

Cancellation process: 1) Access continues until current billing period ends, 2) Data remains accessible for 30 days post-cancellation, 3) Export all data during grace period, 4) GMB connections remain but sync stops, 5) No cancellation fees or penalties, 6) Reactivation possible within 30 days with full data restoration. Trial users can upgrade anytime without losing data.