Reviews & Ratings
Reviews and ratings let you share your thoughts and opinions about items on your shelf. Whether you want to write a detailed review or just give a quick rating, the shelf makes it easy to express your opinion.
Ratings
Ratings are a quick way to express your opinion with a numerical or star-based score:
- Star Ratings: Rate items using a star system (typically 1-5 stars)
- Quick Feedback: Perfect for when you want to rate something without writing a full review
- Visual Display: Ratings appear visually on shelf items and in activity feeds
- Optional: Ratings are optional—you can have items without ratings
Adding Ratings
You can add a rating in several ways:
- When adding an item to your shelf, include a rating
- When editing an item, add or update the rating
- When creating a diary entry, include a rating
Ratings can be added at any time, even after you've had the item on your shelf for a while.
Reviews
Reviews are written thoughts and opinions about items. They can be:
- Short: Just a few sentences with your quick thoughts
- Detailed: Longer, in-depth analysis and commentary
- Personal: Focused on how the item affected you
- Analytical: Breaking down themes, techniques, or elements
There's no minimum or maximum length—write as much or as little as you want.
Writing Reviews
You can write reviews in several places:
- When Adding Items: Include a review when you first add something to your shelf
- When Editing: Add or update a review by editing the shelf item
- In Diary Entries: Write reviews as part of diary entries, especially for repeat viewings
- For TV Episodes: Write reviews for individual TV show episodes
Review Best Practices
- Be Honest: Share your genuine thoughts and opinions
- Be Respectful: Even if you didn't like something, express your opinion respectfully
- Explain Why: Help others understand your perspective by explaining your reasoning
- Consider Context: Mention what you were looking for or expecting
- Update Over Time: Feel free to update reviews as your thoughts evolve
- Write for Yourself: Reviews are personal—write what matters to you
Where Reviews Appear
Your reviews can appear in several places:
- On Shelf Items: Reviews appear on the item's detail page
- In Activity Feeds: Reviews with content show up in recent reviews sections
- Community Shelf: Public reviews appear on the main shelf page
- Profile: If you have shelf highlights enabled, reviews may appear there
- Diary Entries: Reviews in diary entries are part of your consumption history
Reviews vs. Ratings
You can use ratings and reviews together or separately:
- Rating Only: Quick feedback without writing
- Review Only: Written thoughts without a numerical rating
- Both: Combine a rating with a detailed review for comprehensive feedback
- Neither: Track items without rating or reviewing—totally fine!
Editing and Updating Reviews
You can edit your reviews at any time:
- Go to the item on your shelf
- Click "Edit" to open the edit form
- Update your review text
- Save your changes
This is especially useful if your opinion changes over time or if you want to add more thoughts.
Privacy and Reviews
Reviews follow the privacy setting of their shelf item:
- Public items have public reviews
- Subscriber-only items have subscriber-only reviews
- Private items have private reviews
If you want to keep a review private, set the item's privacy to "Visible to Self."
Discovering Reviews
You can discover reviews from others:
- Community Shelf: Browse recent reviews on the main shelf page
- Friends' Shelves: See reviews from people you subscribe to
- Item Pages: View reviews when looking at specific items
- Recent Reviewers: Discover users who write great reviews
Tip: Reviews don't have to be formal or lengthy. Even a few sentences sharing what you liked or didn't like can be valuable to others and help you remember your own thoughts later. Write reviews that feel authentic to you!