Can you sue someone for a bad online review in Texas?

A defamation claim generally requires a false statement of fact, communicated to someone else, that damages your reputation. A customer saying "I had a terrible experience" or "I wouldn't recommend this business" is opinion, and opinion is not generally actionable, however unfair it feels.

Where it can cross the line

A review that states specific false facts, rather than a subjective impression, is a different matter: a claim that a business overcharged them when it did not, or that a specific event happened that provably did not happen. The distinction is between "this was bad" and a concrete factual claim that can be proven false.

Truth is a complete defense

Even a damaging, harshly worded review is not defamation if the underlying facts are true. This is often the hardest thing for a business owner to accept about a genuinely unfair-feeling review.

The deadline is short

Defamation claims in Texas carry a notably shorter limitations period than most civil claims. If a false statement has caused real harm, confirming the timeline is the first thing to do, not the last.

Preserve it before it disappears

Screenshot the post with a visible timestamp and URL immediately. Platforms change, posts get edited or deleted, and reviews get removed, sometimes precisely because the poster knows it was false.

Anonymous reviewers complicate the picture

Many platforms allow anonymous or pseudonymous reviews, and identifying the actual author sometimes requires a separate legal process before a defamation claim can even be filed against a named party. This step alone can shape whether pursuing a claim is practical in a given situation.

Platforms have their own separate protections

Federal law generally shields hosting platforms themselves from liability for content posted by users, which is why a defamation claim is typically directed at the person who wrote the statement, not the website that hosts it.

A cease-and-desist sometimes resolves it without a lawsuit

A clear, professional letter identifying the specific false statement and requesting removal resolves a meaningful share of these disputes without further action, particularly when the person did not fully consider the legal exposure before posting.

What businesses often get wrong

Responding publicly and angrily to a review, true or false, usually does more damage than the original post. A calm, factual public response, paired with a private legal process if the statement is genuinely false, protects the business far better than an emotional reply does.

This article is general information about Texas law, not legal advice about your situation. Deadlines and outcomes vary with the facts.