How ReviewLens Scores Reviews: The Full Method
Exactly how ReviewLens turns reviews and Reddit discussions into an A to F grade: every check, threshold, penalty and limitation, in plain English.
The four review checks
| Check | What triggers it | Points lost |
|---|---|---|
| Review burst | At least 10 dated reviews, and one week has more than 5 times the weekly average and more than 20 reviews | 25 |
| Unverified buyers | More than 40% of reviews are not from verified purchases | 15, or 25 above 60% |
| Five-star clustering | More than 80% five-star ratings and under 5% two- and three-star ratings | 15 |
| Very short reviews | More than half of the reviews read are under 10 words | 8 |
The clustering check uses the store's full star chart when the page shows one, so it reflects every rating, not just the reviews in the sample. On Etsy, where every reviewer is a buyer, the unverified-buyer check is skipped.
The sample-size check
A grade built on two or three reviews would be noise. If ReviewLens can read fewer than 5 reviews, it sets the review half of the score to a neutral 50 and shows a warning that the sample is too small. If it can read no reviews and Reddit has no discussion of the product either, you get no grade at all.
The Reddit check
ReviewLens searches Reddit for the product and scores every post it finds for relevance:
- A match on the product's ID adds 12 points; a brand mention adds 5.
- Product words in a post title count twice as much as the same words in the body.
- Product-review and shopping communities, like r/BuyItForLife, add 3.
- More than 60 off-topic communities are filtered out, and posts scoring under 3 are dropped.
The Reddit score is the share of positive versus negative language across the remaining posts, with more relevant posts counting more. You see the top threads, sorted by upvotes, so you can read them yourself.
How the final grade is calculated
When both halves have data, the overall score is 70% review checks and 30% Reddit. When only one half has data, that half is used alone, so a missing Reddit discussion never drags a product toward a fake neutral score.
| Grade | Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| A | 80 to 100 | Trustworthy: no meaningful warning signs |
| B | 65 to 79 | Mostly solid: a minor concern |
| C | 50 to 64 | Cautious: read the reviews carefully |
| D | 35 to 49 | Suspect: several red flags |
| F | 0 to 34 | Avoid: strong manipulation signals |
A worked example
What ReviewLens doesn't do
- It doesn't label individual reviews as fake. It scores patterns across the listing.
- It doesn't use a machine-learning model or try to detect AI-written text. Every rule is listed on this page.
- It reads a sample of reviews plus the star chart, not every review a product has ever had.
- It doesn't judge product quality. A great product can have padded reviews, and a mediocre one can have honest ones.
- Price history is shown alongside the grade but never changes it.
Privacy
Analysis runs in your browser. ReviewLens sends anonymous usage counts, like which store a check ran on and the grade it got, but never product IDs, page addresses or prices, and you can switch them off in the extension. Details in the privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
Does a high grade mean the product is good?
No. The grade is about whether the reviews look trustworthy, not about product quality. Read the reviews themselves for that.
Why do some products get no grade?
When ReviewLens can't read any reviews and finds no Reddit discussion, it shows no grade instead of guessing. With fewer than 5 readable reviews, it warns you that the sample is too small.
Does ReviewLens use AI?
No machine-learning model decides the grade. ReviewLens uses the transparent rules on this page plus a Reddit search, so you can check every result yourself.
Check the next product before you buy
ReviewLens grades reviews on Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Etsy from A to F and shows what Reddit says. Free, no account.