How to moderate reviews fairly

The principle

Moderate content, not opinions

A rating is only useful if it includes the bad experiences as well as the good ones. Hide reviews that break clear rules, such as spam, abuse, personal data or content about something other than the product, and publish genuine criticism.

Consumer protection rules in many markets treat suppressing negative reviews as misleading. In the United States, the FTC's rule on consumer reviews covers review suppression. Check the rules in the markets you sell to.

Steps

A moderation policy in the app

1. 01

   Write your rules down

   List what you hide and why. Use the same hide reasons in the app each time.

2. 02

   Keep the filters on

   Spam, personal-information and profanity filters are on by default. Add blocked terms for problems specific to your store.

3. 03

   Choose auto-publish

   Auto-publish saves time. A minimum rating sends lower-rated reviews to you first so you can reply. Publish them unless they break a rule.

4. 04

   Turn on alerts

   Use the negative review alert so you can reply quickly.

5. 05

   Review the pending tab daily

   A short daily check keeps pending reviews from piling up.