> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.meetmadison.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.meetmadison.ai/reputation/responding-to-reviews.md).
# Responding to reviews
Replying to reviews shows customers you're listening, and it helps your business stand out. Madison does the hard part for you: it **drafts an on-brand reply to every review automatically**, so you're never staring at a blank box. You review it, tweak it if you like, and approve.
## How responses work
The moment a review arrives, Madison writes a reply for you in the background. When it's ready, you can edit it or approve it as-is, and Madison posts it to the original platform for you.
{% hint style="info" %}
Madison learns your voice over time. As you edit and approve replies for a location, new drafts are quietly adjusted to match your style, automatically, with nothing to set up.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
**Expedia replies leave out personal details.** Expedia's terms don't allow a traveller's personal information in responses: when you post a reply, you confirm you haven't included any. To help you comply, Madison drafts Expedia replies without personal details and attempts to remove any that are included. So an Expedia reply might open with a general greeting rather than "Thanks, {name}", even when using the customer's name is your usual style. This is a best effort, not a guarantee: before you approve an Expedia reply, check it yourself for anything that could identify the traveller.
{% endhint %}
## Review and approve a reply
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
#### Open a review
Go to **Reputation → Reviews** and select a review. Its on-brand draft reply is already waiting.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Edit or refine it
Adjust the wording so it's just right (see [Refining a reply](#refining-a-reply) below), or use it as-is.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
#### Approve
When you're happy, approve the reply. Madison **posts it to the original platform for you** (Google, Facebook, and so on), so there's no copying and pasting.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
You can also approve a draft straight from the notification Madison sends you, without opening the app first.
If you change your mind before a reply has published, you can **withdraw your approval** and edit or regenerate it.
## Refining a reply
Beyond editing the text yourself, select **Refine** and type an instruction under *What would you like to change?*, e.g. "make it warmer", "mention our weekend hours", or "keep it to two sentences".
Refining builds on the existing draft, so you keep what's working and only change what you asked for.
The number of refinements you can use **per reply** depends on your plan:
| Plan | Refinements per reply |
| --------- | --------------------- |
| Essential | 1 |
| Premium | 2 |
| Ultimate | 5 |
Madison shows how many you have left on each reply. Once they're used up, you can still edit the text by hand any time.
## Publishing automatically
To save time, Madison can **approve and publish drafts for you** after a short delay you control, so replies keep flowing even when you're busy, while still leaving you a window to step in.
* Set the delay **per location**, and a **different delay for each star rating**, so glowing 5-star reviews can publish quickly while critical 1-star reviews wait longer for your personal touch.
* Delays can be set between **1 and 5 days**.
* While a draft waits, Madison shows the exact **date and time it will publish**.
* You can switch auto-publish **off for any single reply**: handy for a sensitive complaint you'd rather handle yourself.
When auto-publish is off, replies simply wait for you to approve them.
## Editing a reply after it's published
Need to change a reply that's already live? Open the review again and update it. What you can do depends on the platform:
| Platform | Edit a published reply? | Delete it? |
| --------------- | ----------------------- | ---------- |
| Google | Yes | Yes |
| Facebook | Yes | No |
| Other platforms | No | No |
## Tips for great responses
Reply quickly
Customers, and people reading your reviews later, notice when a business responds promptly. Turn on notifications so you know as soon as a new review arrives.
Keep it personal
Use the customer's name and refer to what they mentioned. A genuine reply means more than a copy-and-paste message.
Stay positive with negative reviews
Thank the customer for their feedback, apologise where appropriate, and offer to make things right. Avoid getting into an argument in public.
{% hint style="info" %}
Older reviews don't get a draft reply automatically, but you can request one any time. And you can always write your own.
{% endhint %}
---
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