Google Data & Permissions

This page explains the Google connection in X18Reviews the way we would explain it to a friend: what we ask for, what we do with it, what we can never do, and how to turn it all off. If anything here does not match what you see in the product, tell us — this page is meant to be accurate, not reassuring.

Why X18Reviews connects to Google

Your reviews and your business listing live in your Google Business Profile. To show them to you, and to let you reply to reviews without juggling another dashboard, X18Reviews needs your permission to work with your Business Profile on your behalf. That permission comes from you, through Google, and you can take it back at any time.

How authorization works

1. Sign in with Google. From X18Reviews you start the connection, and Google — not X18Reviews — asks you to sign in to your own Google account.
2. Review the request. Google shows you exactly what X18Reviews is asking for: permission to manage your business listings. Nothing else.
3. Grant access. Only if you approve does X18Reviews receive access — and only to the business profiles your Google account is already authorized to manage. Connecting X18Reviews never unlocks any business you could not already manage yourself.

The exact permission we request

X18Reviews requests one Google permission, and only this one:

In plain words: this is Google’s permission for managing Google Business Profile listings. It lets an app see and manage the business listings your account can manage — the listing details, the reviews, and the replies. It does not touch anything else in your Google account.

What data we may access, and why

• Basic Google account information — to identify which Google account is connected to your X18Reviews account.
• The list of locations your account manages — so you can see and choose your business profiles inside X18Reviews.
• Business information (such as the business name and address) — to label your profiles clearly in the product.
• Google reviews, including star ratings and review text — so you can read your reviews in one place.
• Review replies — so you can see what has already been answered, and publish new replies you write.
• Supported performance information — so you can see how your profile is doing, where Google makes that data available.

That is the whole list. Each item is used only for the feature next to it — we do not collect Google data “just in case”.

What X18Reviews can do after you authorize it

• Show the business profiles your Google account manages.
• Display your Google reviews and existing replies.
• Publish a review reply when you deliberately click Publish.
• Show supported profile and performance information.
• Generate a neutral review link and QR code for each profile you manage.

What X18Reviews cannot do

• It cannot access any other Google data — no Gmail, no Drive, no Calendar, no Contacts, no photos, no search history. The permission above does not include them.
• It cannot reach businesses you do not manage. If your Google account cannot manage a profile, neither can X18Reviews.
• It cannot delete customer reviews. No third-party tool can — reviews belong to Google and the customers who wrote them.
• It cannot post, reply, or change anything without your action. Every action on your Business Profile starts with you.

How review replies work

Replying is deliberately a three-step, human-controlled process: you write or request a draft, you edit it until it says what you want, and it only reaches Google when you click Publish. There is no auto-posting, no scheduled posting, and no “publish on my behalf” automation.

AI-assisted drafts

When you ask for help with a reply, X18Reviews can generate a suggested draft based on the review’s text. It is a draft, nothing more: you review it, edit it, or discard it, and nothing is published unless you deliberately click Publish. The review text may be processed by an AI service provider solely to create the draft you requested — see the Privacy Policy for details.

Disconnecting Google

You can revoke access at any time, in either of two places:

• Inside X18Reviews: from the settings area, disconnect your Google connection.
• Inside Google: from your Google Account’s third-party access page (Google Account → Security → third-party access), revoke X18Reviews directly with Google.

Disconnecting stops X18Reviews’ access. It never deletes your Google Business Profile, your reviews, or anything else in your Google account — those stay with Google, untouched.

Deleting your data

You can also delete your X18Reviews account and its data entirely. The Data Deletion page walks through both disconnecting and full deletion, step by step.

How long Google data is stored

Content received from the Google Business Profile API is treated as temporarily cached data — held to make the product fast, not to build an archive. Where applicable, cached content is kept for up to 30 calendar days before being refreshed or removed, and it is removed when you disconnect Google or delete your account. The authoritative copy of your Business Profile data always lives with Google.

Our commitments

X18Reviews’ use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including applicable Limited Use requirements. See the Privacy Policy for the full statement.

Independence from Google

X18Reviews is an independent product operated by X18. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Google. Google, Google Business Profile, and related marks are trademarks of Google LLC.

Questions

If anything on this page is unclear, contact us at support@x18reviews.com and we will give you a straight answer.