How Amazon customer reviews and star ratings work

Key takeaways

Customers can use reviews and star ratings to help make informed purchases and quickly find common themes with review highlights.
Customers can rate and write their own reviews, with the option to add photos or videos, to help out fellow shoppers.
The most helpful reviews include specific details and provide context for readers.

Customer reviews and star ratings are synonymous with Amazon, serving as a quick guide to product quality and customer satisfaction and helping shoppers make more confident purchasing decisions. Here is a closer look at how to utilize both as you shop Amazon’s vast selection of hundreds of millions of products.

Making the most of customer reviews

If you ever have a question about a product, chances are a fellow customer has answered it for you in their review. Here are a few tips to make the most out of reviews as you shop on Amazon:

Use review highlights to quickly find common themes
Review highlights make it even easier to understand the common themes across reviews by providing a short AI summary paragraph that highlights the product features and customer sentiment frequently mentioned across written reviews. To explore specific product features, simply click on any aspect button for a detailed overview. Learn more about review highlights.
Tap “All Reviews” to filter and find what matters most to you
Filter by star rating (1 to 5 stars) to see what delighted or disappointed other customers.
- Sort by “Most recent” to see the latest feedback or “Top reviews” to see what others found most helpful.
- Filter for “Verified purchase” reviews for feedback from confirmed buyers.
- Select “More reviews” and use the search bar within reviews to find specific topics or features you care about.
Let Rufus help you out
If you don’t immediately see the information you need on the detail page or in customer reviews, use the “Looking for specific info?” search bar to ask Rufus.

Leaving helpful reviews

Helpful reviews are a cornerstone of the Amazon shopping experience. After purchasing a product you can leave a review by, following these steps:

Go to “Your Orders” in your Amazon account
Find the product you want to review
Click “Write a product review”
Rate the product from 1 to 5 stars
Add a headline that summarizes your experience
Write your review, including details like how you used the product, what you liked or disliked, and surprising details
Add photos or videos (optional) to show the product in use
Submit your review

The most helpful reviews are specific, honest, and provide context. For example, “This coffee maker brews quickly and keeps coffee hot for hours, but the carafe is difficult to clean thoroughly” is more useful than simply saying, “Great product” or “Didn’t like it.” You can find all your reviews and community engagement by tapping the “Me” tab in the Amazon Shopping App or by clicking “Your Content” under “Your Orders” on Amazon.com.

Understanding star ratings

Amazon uses advanced models to calculate star ratings, not just a simple average. The system considers important factors like how recent the review is and whether it came from someone who actually bought the product. We also have safeguards to ensure reviews are authentic. The goal is simple: to show ratings that honestly reflect what customers think about a product. These ratings aren't fixed—they update as new reviews come in and older ones become less important.

Factors that influence star ratings

Recency of reviews
Newer reviews carry more weight than older ones. This is because products may improve or decline in quality over time, and recent feedback better represents the current customer experience.
Authenticity of feedback
Star ratings take into account multiple criteria that establish the authenticity of the feedback, for example, reviews from customers who make verified purchases are weighted higher, and the system continues to learn and improve over time.

Next, learn how to create and share Amazon Wish Lists.

Plus, explore Amazon’s AI Shopping Guides and how they make it easier to research product types and buy smarter.