Trustpilot's review rules: questions and answers

No. Trustpilot's obscenity sub-reason is for severe profanity, disturbing material and explicit content. It says it will not remove a review just because it includes swear words. Source: flagging reasons.

Only when it states something false as fact and has caused significant financial loss. Trustpilot says opinions are not defamation. Be ready to show that the statement is false. If Trustpilot keeps the review and the harm is serious, that is a question for a lawyer. See can you sue for a bad review.

Trustpilot's reviewer guidelines list the name of a business's employee as an example. A first name alone is a weaker case than a full name with a phone number, and it fails if the name is already on your website or profile. Source: Guidelines for Reviewers.

The review stays online without it. The process is built to fix the privacy problem, not to delete the complaint.

Trustpilot says to flag consistently: if you flag negative reviews for personal information, flag positive ones too. Your flagging record shows the star ratings of the reviews you flagged. Source: flagging reasons.

No. Trustpilot says it will not remove a review just because it mentions another business or compares you with one. The line is promotion: a code, a link, a call to action, a scam or spam. Source: flagging reasons.

Yes, and it should be when it breaks the rule. A happy customer's review with their own referral code is promotional. Trustpilot expects the same treatment whatever the star rating.

Trustpilot lists medicinal product claims under misinformation in this reason but does not define the term further. A review that says a supplement cured a disease is the kind of text we would flag. Trustpilot decides.

No. Trustpilot says it will not remove a review just because the reviewer did not buy something from you. Someone who called, chatted or browsed has had an experience. You need a fact that shows the writer was not eligible. Source: flagging reasons.

It sends the reviewer a message asking for details that help you identify them and their experience. They have 3 days to respond, and what they share is passed to you. Trustpilot requires this step before the flag. Source: how to flag.

Because you sent the invitation, so you have already treated them as a customer. Trustpilot removes the option for reviews that came from your invitations. One of the other four reasons may still apply.

No. They bought from you, and your suppliers are part of your service. The reason is for reviews that clearly belong to another company. Our guide to pharmacy delay reviews covers this mistake.

Yes. One of the sub-reasons is that the review is about one of your other domains, and Trustpilot can move it to the right profile. Source: flagging reasons.

Trustpilot says it does not remove a review just because it is non-specific. If you do not recognize the reviewer, use Request information.

Yes. Trustpilot says an experience is broader than a purchase and includes a call, an email, a chat or a visit to your online store. Source: Guidelines for Reviewers.

No. Trustpilot's flagging reasons name a current employee as an example of a reviewer who was not eligible. The FTC's review rule also covers reviews by insiders. See who can write a review.

Yes, after a new experience. Their reviews are grouped with the newest on top, and only the most recent one counts toward the TrustScore.

Trustpilot publishes no number. Its policy describes flagging in bulk over a short period and says that pattern suggests reviews are targeted for their sentiment. A few well-founded flags a week avoids it.

The business. Flags come from the business's account, and warnings, restrictions and a Consumer Warning all apply to that profile. So ask any vendor how it paces flags. Our page on how we flag and pace Trustpilot removals sets out our schedule.

Flagging the same review over and over is one of Trustpilot's examples of misuse. You can appeal a decision once. Source: appealing a decision.

Yes. Any business with a claimed profile can reply, on the free plan too. A reply is public and sits under the review.

Avoid it. Trustpilot will not remove a review for what your own reply says. So if you name someone in a reply, you can close the personal information route for that name.

Do not. Trustpilot says a business should never press a reviewer to update a review. Its enforcement policy treats a request for an edit after a fix as incentive misuse.