We use advanced automated detection technology to maintain the trustworthiness of our online review community.
Detecting suspicious reviews or reviews that don't follow our guidelines proactively helps us create a safe and trustworthy space for our community.
How does it work?
Our automated detection technology analyzes every review submitted on our platform even before it's posted online. It scans a large range of data points, including review content, IP addresses, device characteristics, or location data.
If our technology detects unusual patterns or guideline violations, it flags the review. Flagged reviews are either kept offline or moved offline if they've already been posted.
What types of guideline violations can be detected?
We check for unusual patterns that may indicate fake reviews and content that goes against our guidelines, such as advertising or promotional, or harmful or illegal content in reviews. Our goal is to ensure that reviews on our platform contribute to a positive and useful experience for our community.
What happens if a review is flagged?
If a review is flagged, the reviewer is informed via email (except in clear cases of advertising or promotional content). The email includes an explanation and instructions for challenging the decision if the reviewer believes it was flagged incorrectly.
Do you treat paying businesses differently?
No. We treat all reviews equally, and our automated detection technology doesn't consider whether a business subscribes to Trustpilot's paid services or not.
What should reviewers do if they think their review was flagged by mistake?
While our technology is highly accurate, mistakes can happen. If the reviewer believes that their review was flagged incorrectly, they can reply to the email or reach out to us via our contact form. Our Content Integrity Team will then assess the case with them.
We move reviews offline rather than delete them. That means that we can always reinstate them at a later date if necessary.
Why use automated detection technology to analyze reviews?
It’s extremely difficult for people to distinguish what is real and what is fake just by reading the content of a review. That’s why we use automated detection technology to analyze hundreds of data points—it’s designed to flag reviews that may be fake, contain advertising or promotional, or harmful or illegal content.
The power of technology in combination with our Community and People helps us ensure Trustpilot is a safe and trustworthy platform that hosts quality content.
How can I flag a suspicious review?
If you spot a review that doesn't follow our guidelines, you can let us know by flagging it or using our whistleblower function. We'll investigate and take the appropriate action.