How to Leave Reviews on Amazon the Right Way: Rules, Requirements, and Best Practices
How to Leave Reviews on Amazon the Right Way: What You Need to Know
If you shop on Amazon—whether buying books, electronics, household goods or more—you’ve likely noticed how much power the star ratings and written reviews hold. A helpful review can make or break a buyer’s decision. But the process of leaving a review isn’t as simple as “buy → write comment”; Amazon has in place a number of rules and expectations designed to ensure reviews are honest, authentic, and helpful to other shoppers.
In this article we’ll explain what Amazon requires from reviewers, why they do it, how the “verified purchase” badge works, what the $50 purchase-minimum rule means, and why ethical conduct matters if you want your review to count and to avoid having your account flagged or restricted.
Why Amazon Has Review Rules
When you visit an Amazon product page, the average buyer doesn’t start by reading the full description. Their attention often goes straight to the stars and the number of reviews. A high rating plus many reviews acts as social proof—they signal that “others trusted this item and got a good result.” Amazon wants that trust to be deserved.
If too many reviews are fake, biased, or manipulated, shoppers will lose faith. That harms Amazon’s business and the marketplace as a whole. For that reason, Amazon maintains strict policy pages such as the “Customer Reviews” community guidelines and the “Anti-Manipulation Policy for Customer Reviews.” :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
The review system is not just “nice to have”; it’s central to the value proposition of Amazon’s marketplace: helping buyers make informed decisions. Authentic reviews help authors and sellers improve their products, and help other customers choose wisely. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Key Requirements Before You Leave a Review
Spending threshold and purchase eligibility
One of the less-obvious eligibility rules is that Amazon says: “Only customers who have spent at least $50 on Amazon.com, using a credit or debit card, in the past 12 months, can submit ratings and reviews.” :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} What this means in practice: even if you bought the item you want to review, you may be blocked from leaving a review if your account hasn’t met this purchase minimum.
This rule is designed to reduce the risk of spam or “sock-puppet” accounts set up solely to post reviews. Some review-eligible users have confirmed that this threshold exists. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Verified Purchase badge
When you buy a product through Amazon (or a channel Amazon recognises) and you meet the other eligibility criteria, your review may show the “Verified Purchase” badge. This badge indicates to shoppers that you actually purchased that item through Amazon, which boosts your review’s credibility. Amazon emphasises that reviews “should reflect your honest opinion” and not be biased or compensated. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
No compensation or incentives for reviews
Amazon clearly prohibits offering or receiving compensation—monetary or otherwise—in exchange for reviews. That includes offering free or discounted products in return for a positive review, arranging “review clubs”, or selective review requests (only asking satisfied customers to leave reviews). Violations of this may lead to removal of reviews, suspension of accounts or even delisting of products. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Honest, unbiased feedback
Reviews must be genuine, unbiased, and reflect your real experience. You shouldn’t write a review for your own product, or your competitor’s product, nor ask a friend or family member to write one for you. You also should not ask someone to change or remove a review after writing it. These are considered manipulative practices. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
How to Leave a Review That Meets Amazon’s Standards
When you sit down to write a review on Amazon, here are guidelines to follow so that your review is useful, compliant, and will stand the test of Amazon’s algorithms and policies.
Start with your honest experience. Think about why you chose the product, how you used it, what outcome you got. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
Mention context: what were your expectations, how did the product compare. Avoid hyperbole or vague statements like “awesome” without explanation. Explain why something was great or disappointing.
Be balanced and constructive. If you had issues, state them fairly and describe how they affected your use. Sellers and other buyers value constructive feedback. If you only focus on praise—or only on disdain—you’re less helpful.
Use the “verified purchase” badge as a signal of credibility to other readers, but don’t focus on it explicitly in your text (Amazon handles the badge).
Avoid mentioning compensation, freebies, samples, or discounted items received in exchange for a review. If your review was influenced by such an arrangement, you risk having it removed.
Don’t ask the seller or anyone else to offer you freebies in return for a review. Don’t ask to have your review changed after posting. Don’t leave reviews for items you didn’t purchase or use. Those behaviours violate Amazon’s policies and can lead to consequences.
What Happens if Reviewers or Sellers Break the Rules
Amazon states they operate with zero tolerance for review manipulation: the consequences can include removal of reviews, suspension of selling privileges, withholding funds, product delisting or even legal action. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
For buyers/reviewers, your account may lose the ability to post reviews, your past reviews may be suppressed, or your profile may be disabled. Considering Amazon uses machine-learning plus human review to detect patterns of misuse, the safest path is to follow the rules. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
Ethical Considerations: Why It Matters Beyond Just Rules
Following the rules is important for compliance, but there’s a deeper ethical layer. A review is not only your opinion—it influences other people’s decisions. If it’s misleading, biased or rewarded by hidden compensation, you may be distorting that decision-making process.
As an author or seller (for example on Amazon KDP or FBA), it’s tempting to aim for lots of 5-star reviews quickly. But if some of those reviews are not honest, the marketplace suffers. Your product reputation may suffer long-term if buyers feel misled. For reviewers, maintaining trust means your voice stays credible.
When reviews represent genuine user experiences, everyone wins: the buyer finds accurate info, the seller gets real feedback to improve, Amazon preserves marketplace integrity.
Summary
If you want to leave reviews on Amazon that count and are sustainable over time: ensure you’ve met the purchase eligibility rules (including the $50 spend in 12 months threshold), write based on real use, be honest and balanced, don’t accept or offer compensation, don’t ask for edits after posting. Treat your review as both a personal statement and a contribution to the wider community of shoppers.
When you follow these guidelines, you build credibility, help other buyers, and stay within Amazon’s policies—so your reviews aren’t removed and your participation is respected.
Last updated: November 2025