This policy applies to all reviews collected, displayed, or syndicated through the Proviews platform on or after the effective date. Reviews collected prior to the effective date remain subject to the policy version in effect at the time of collection, except where the current policy provides greater protection for reviewers.
-
1. Our Commitment to Authentic Reviews
Proviews is committed to maintaining a trustworthy review ecosystem where consumers can make informed purchasing decisions based on authentic customer feedback. We believe that honest reviews both positive and negative serve the interests of consumers, merchants, and the broader e-commerce community.
Core Principle: We do not remove reviews simply because they are negative, critical, or unfavorable to a merchant. Legitimate customer opinions are protected, regardless of star rating or sentiment.
This policy explains how reviews are collected, moderated, and when necessary removed. It applies to all reviews displayed through the Proviews platform on merchant storefronts participating in the Google Product Ratings program.
-
2. How Reviews Are Collected
Proviews collects product reviews through the following methods:
- Post-Purchase Email Requests: Automated emails sent to customers after order fulfillment or delivery, inviting them to share their product experience.
- On-Site Submission: Review forms displayed on merchant product pages, allowing any visitor to submit feedback.
- Imported Reviews: Reviews imported from other platforms, subject to strict validation requirements (see below).
All review requests are sent to the email address provided at checkout. Customers may unsubscribe from review request emails at any time.
Imported Reviews Policy
Proviews allows merchants to import reviews from other platforms (e.g., previous review apps, marketplaces, or CSV files). To ensure authenticity and prevent manipulation, all imported reviews must meet the following validation requirements:
60-Day Import Validation Rule:
Onboarding Import Window (60 Days From Installation)
- Imports are permitted only during a merchant's onboarding period, defined as the first 60 days from the date the Proviews app is first installed on the Shopify store. This window exists to allow merchants migrating from another reviews platform to bring legitimate historical reviews into Proviews.
Within the 60-day onboarding window:
- Merchants import historical reviews subject to all validation requirements (Order ID match, content integrity).
After the 60-day onboarding window:
- The import feature is technically locked at both the user interface and the API layer. No further imports of any kind are permitted, regardless of merchant request, support intervention, or business relationship. Reviews collected after the onboarding window must be acquired through Proviews' native collection channels only.
Additional Import Validation Requirements
- Order ID (Required): Each imported review must include a valid Order ID to verify the purchase transaction
- Reviewer Information: Each imported review must include the original reviewer's name or identifier
- Product Matching: Reviews must be accurately matched to the correct product in the Shopify catalog
- Rating Consistency: Star ratings must be preserved exactly as they appeared on the original platform
- Content Integrity: Review text cannot be edited or modified during import
- No Selective Import: Merchants cannot selectively import only positive reviews while excluding negative ones
Required Fields for Import:
All imported reviews must include the following mandatory fields:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|
| Order ID | Required | The unique Shopify Order ID (e.g., #1001, #1002) associated with the purchase. Used to verify the review to a confirmed order. |
| Product ID | Required | Product identifier to match the review to the correct product in your catalog. |
| Reviewer Name | Required | The name of the customer who submitted the original review. |
| Star Rating | Required | The original rating (1-5 stars) exactly as submitted. |
| Review Title | Required | The title/headline of the review if available. |
| Review Content | Required | The text body of the review. |
| Reviewer Email | Optional | Email address of the reviewer for verification and duplicate detection. |
| Review Date | Optional | Original submission date of the review. |
| Photos/Videos | Optional | Media attachments from the original review. |
Order ID Verification: The Order ID field is mandatory to ensure every imported review is linked to a legitimate purchase. Proviews validates the Order ID against your Shopify order history. Reviews with invalid, missing, or unmatched Order IDs will be rejected during import.
Imported Reviews Labeling
To maintain transparency, imported reviews may be labeled or identified as follows:
- Source Indicator: Imported reviews display an "Imported" tag or source label in the review list.
- Original Date Display: The original review submission date is preserved and displayed, not the import date.
- Verification Status: Imported reviews are marked as "Unverified Purchase" unless purchase verification can be confirmed through order records.
Prohibited Import Practices:
- Importing fabricated or fake reviews created by the merchant.
- Importing reviews from unrelated products or stores.
- Modifying review content, ratings, or dates during import.
- Selectively importing only positive reviews (cherry-picking).
- Importing reviews that violate the content policies.
- Bypassing the 60-day validation window through date manipulation
-
3. Review Removal Criteria
Reviews are eligible for removal (unpublished) only when they violate specific, objective criteria. The following categories represent the complete list of valid removal reasons:
3.1 Prohibited Content
Reviews containing the following content will be removed (unpublished):
- Spam or promotional content unrelated to the product
- Profanity, vulgar, or obscene language
- Hate speech targeting individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
- Harassment, threats, or bullying directed at any individual
- Sexually explicit or pornographic content
- Graphic violence, gore, or disturbing imagery
- Content promoting illegal activities
3.2 Privacy Violations
Reviews that expose personal information will be removed (unpublished):
- Full names of private individuals (without consent)
- Phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses
- Financial information (credit card numbers, bank details)
- Government identification numbers
- Medical or health information
3.3 Fraudulent or Fake Reviews
Reviews that are not genuine customer feedback will be removed (unpublished):
- Reviews from individuals who did not purchase or use the product
- Bot-generated or automated review content
- Duplicate reviews submitted by the same person
- Reviews submitted by the merchant, merchant employees, or affiliates posing as customers
- Reviews confirmed to be submitted by competitors with intent to harm
- Purchased or paid reviews
3.4 Off-Topic Content
Reviews unrelated to the product experience will be removed (unpublished):
- Reviews about a completely different product
- Content entirely unrelated to the purchase or product experience
- Reviews focused solely on shipping carrier performance
-
4. What Will NOT Be Removed
The following are not valid grounds for review removal. These reviews will remain published:
Protected Content Will NOT Be Removed:
| Reason Given | Why It's Not Valid |
|---|
| Negative opinion or low star rating | Customer opinions are protected regardless of sentiment |
| Merchant disagrees with the review | Disagreement is not a policy violation |
| Review is critical of product quality | Quality criticism is legitimate feedback |
| Customer had a bad experience | Bad experiences are valid review content |
| Review damages merchant reputation | Reputation impact is not a removal criterion |
| Customer had unrealistic expectations | Expectations are subjective; opinions remain valid |
| Problem mentioned has been fixed | Historical feedback remains relevant |
| Customer misunderstood the product | Misunderstandings reflect genuine experiences |
| Review is "unfair" to the merchant | Fairness is subjective; policy focuses on violations |
| Review mentions competitor products | Comparisons are legitimate unless solely promotional |
-
5. Moderation Process
All reviews undergo a comprehensive moderation process designed to ensure authenticity while protecting legitimate customer feedback. Our process combines automated systems with human oversight to maintain quality and fairness.
- Automated Screening (Immediate): Upon submission, every review passes through our automated screening system that checks for:
- Spam Detection: Identifies promotional content, suspicious links, and repetitive patterns
- Profanity Filter: Scans for vulgar, obscene, or offensive language
- PII Detection: Flags reviews containing phone numbers, email addresses, or other personal information
- Duplicate Check: Compares against existing reviews to prevent duplicate submissions
- Bot Detection: Analyzes submission patterns to identify automated or bot-generated content
- Velocity Check: Monitors unusual review volume spikes that may indicate coordinated manipulation
Reviews that fail automated screening are held for manual review before publish/unpublish.
5.1 Reviews Under Investigation
When a review is undergoing moderation review whether triggered by automated detection, a customer flag, or a merchant flag the following process applies:
- Storefront Visibility: The review is temporarily hidden from the merchant's storefront pending the outcome of the investigation.
- Google Feed Inclusion: During this investigation period, the review continues to be included in the data we send to Google Product Ratings.
- No Preemptive Removal: We do not remove a review from the Google feed until our moderation team has confirmed a violation of the criteria.
- Investigation Timeline: Most investigations are completed within 3-5 business days, with high-risk cases prioritized for faster resolution.
5.2 Automated Screening Criteria
Every review submitted through Proviews is automatically evaluated for the following signals at the point of submission:
| Signal Category | What We Detect |
|---|
| Profanity and Harmful Content | Profanity, hate speech, or harassment based on a maintained and regularly updated word list |
| Personally Identifiable Information (PII) | Email addresses, phone numbers, full names of third parties, physical addresses, and other sensitive personal data |
| Spam Indicators | Excessive outbound links, promotional URLs, competitor advertising, and commercial solicitation |
| Duplicate Content | Duplicate or near-duplicate text appearing across multiple submissions from the same or different accounts |
| Suspicious Activity Patterns | Coordinated submissions, repeated IP addresses, unusual submission velocity, and bot-like behavior |
| Language and Locale Mismatches | Content that appears to originate outside the merchant's typical customer base or geographic region |
Risk-Based Routing: Based on the automated scanner outcome, reviews are routed to one of three tiers:
| Risk Tier | Action | Timeline |
|---|
| Low Risk | Published immediately to storefront and Google feed | Instant |
| Medium Risk | Held for moderation team review before publication | Within 96 hours |
| High Risk | Held for priority review and automatically escalated to senior moderators | Within 48 hours |
Risk classification is determined by the number and severity of signals detected. A single low-severity flag may result in medium risk, while multiple flags or high-severity indicators automatically escalate to high risk.
- Human Review and Evaluation (2-4 Business Days): Our moderation team evaluates flagged reviews using the following process:
- Violation Assessment: The review is evaluated against the specific removal criteria. Moderators assess whether the flagged reason constitutes a genuine policy violation.
- Evidence Review: If the merchant provided evidence (e.g., proof of competitor involvement, order records showing no purchase), this is considered in the evaluation.
- Context Analysis: Moderators consider the full context of the review, including the product, other reviews, and any merchant response.
- Precedent Check: Similar past cases are referenced to ensure consistent decision-making.
- Escalation (if needed): Complex or ambiguous cases are escalated to senior moderators for final determination.
- Action and Notification: Based on the human review, one of the following actions is taken:
- Review Edited: In rare cases (e.g., PII exposure), specific content may be redacted while preserving the legitimate portion of the review.
- Flag Dismissed: If no violation is found, the flag is dismissed and the review remains published. The merchant is notified that the review does not meet removal criteria.
- Warning Issued: If a merchant repeatedly flags legitimate negative reviews, a warning is issued. Continued misuse may result in account restrictions.
- Record Keeping and Audit Trail: We maintain comprehensive records for transparency and compliance:
- Flag History: All flag reports, including reason, date, and source, are logged
- Moderation Decisions: Every decision is recorded with the moderator's rationale
- Appeals: Appeal requests and outcomes are tracked separately
- Merchant Activity: Patterns of merchant flagging behavior are monitored to identify potential misuse
These records support our appeals process and ensure accountability in moderation decisions.
Transparency Commitment: We strive to make our moderation process as transparent as possible. Merchants can view the status of flagged reviews in their dashboard, and reviewers can inquire about removed reviews through our support channels.
-
6. Google Product Ratings Feed Policy
Proviews participates in the Google Product Ratings program, which displays customer reviews in Google Shopping and Search results. To maintain the integrity of this program and ensure consumers see authentic, unmanipulated feedback, specific rules govern how reviews flow to the Google feed.
Core Principle: Merchants cannot prevent legitimate reviews from appearing in Google by hiding them on their storefront. The Google feed operates independently to protect review authenticity and consumer trust.
6.1 Verified vs. Unverified Reviews
Proviews distinguishes between verified and unverified reviews based on purchase confirmation:
Review Verification Status and Feed Eligibility:
| Review Type | Description | Storefront Display | Google Feed Inclusion |
|---|
| Verified Purchase Review | Submitted via post-purchase email request or linked to a confirmed order | Included | Included |
| Unverified Review (Direct Submission) | Submitted directly on a product page without a verified order | Included | Excluded |
| Imported Review (With Order ID) | Imported from another platform with valid Order ID verification | Included | Excluded |
Direct Product Page Submissions: Reviews submitted directly on a product page by visitors who have not completed a verified purchase are accepted and displayed on the merchant's storefront. However, these unverified reviews are excluded from the Google Product Ratings feed to maintain the integrity and authenticity standards required by Google's program.
Why This Matters: Google's Product Ratings program requires reviews to reflect genuine customer purchase experiences. By excluding unverified reviews from the feed, Proviews ensures that:
- Google ratings accurately represent verified customer experiences
- The feed is protected from fake or manipulated reviews
- Merchants maintain compliance with Google's program requirements
- Consumer trust in Google Shopping ratings is preserved
6.2 Hidden Reviews Continue to Flow to Google:
Storefront vs. Google Feed Visibility
| Review Status | Visible on Storefront | Included in Google Feed |
|---|
| Published | Yes | Yes |
| AI moderation passed | Yes | Yes |
| Under Moderation Investigation | No | Yes |
| Removed for Policy Violation | No | No |
6.3 Flagged Reviews Under Moderation Investigation
When a review is flagged and under active moderation investigation:
- Remains in Google Feed: The review continues to flow to the Google Product Ratings feed and appears in Google Shopping/Search results.
- Investigation Timeline: Most investigations are completed within 1-2 business days. The review is not preemptively removed based on a flag alone.
- Innocent Until Proven: A flag is an allegation, not a determination. Reviews are only unpublished from both the storefront and Google feed after a confirmed policy violation.
Rationale: Keeping flagged reviews visible during investigation prevents abuse of the flagging system. Without this policy, merchants or competitors could temporarily suppress reviews simply by submitting flags, even without valid grounds.
6.4 When Reviews Are Removed from Google Feed
Reviews are removed from the Google Product Ratings feed only when:
Confirmed Removal Triggers
- Human moderation confirms a policy violation
- Review is confirmed as fake, fraudulent, or bot-generated
- Review contains prohibited content (spam, hate speech, illegal content, etc.)
- Review exposes personal information (PII) that cannot be redacted
- Reviewer requests deletion of their own review
- Legal requirement mandates removal (court order, GDPR request, etc.)
6.5 Merchant Responsibilities Regarding Google Feed
By using Proviews and participating in the Google Product Ratings program, merchants acknowledge:
- No Feed Manipulation: Merchants cannot request removal of reviews from the Google feed based on business impact, negative sentiment, or disagreement.
- Authentic Representation: The Google feed reflects an authentic representation of customer feedback, including negative reviews.
- Compliance Required: Attempting to manipulate the Google feed through false flags, fake policy violation claims, or other means may result in removal from the Google Product Ratings program.
Prohibited Actions:
- Filing false policy violation reports to remove negative reviews from Google
- Repeatedly flagging legitimate negative reviews in hopes of suppressing them
- Using third-party services to manipulate Google review visibility
What Merchants CAN Do:
- Respond professionally to negative reviews (responses may also appear in Google)
- Request re-evaluation if they believe a moderation decision was incorrect (appeals process)
- Improve products and services based on customer feedback to earn better reviews organically
-
7. How to Flag a Review
Anyone can flag a review they believe violates our policies:
For Store Visitors
- Locate the review on the merchant's product page.
- Click the flag icon next to the review.
- Select the specific policy violation from the provided list.
- Submit the report.
For Merchants
- Log in to the Proviews dashboard.
- Navigate to Reviews and Q/A → Product Reviews.
- Locate the review and click Flag or Report.
- Select the policy violation category.
- Provide supporting evidence if available.
Flag Categories: Spam, Profanity, Hate speech, Harassment, Fake/Fraudulent, Sexual orientation, Disability, Harassment, Threats, Sexually explicit, Graphic violence, Gore, Content promoting illegal activities.
-
8. Appeals Process and Merchant Limitations
Both reviewers and merchants may appeal moderation decisions through the official process outlined below. However, merchants must understand the clear limitations on their ability to remove or delete reviews.
Critical Merchant Limitations:
- Remove Reviews from the Google Feed: Merchants cannot remove, suppress, or exclude any review from the Google Product Ratings feed. Feed inclusion is controlled entirely by Proviews based on policy compliance, not merchant preference.
- Bypass the Moderation Team: There is no back-channel, escalation path, paid service, or alternative method to circumvent the standard moderation process. All review removal requests must go through the official flagging and appeals process and are evaluated solely on policy criteria.
What Merchants CAN and CANNOT Do:
| Action | Permitted? | Details |
|---|
| Remove review from Google feed | No | Feed inclusion controlled by AI moderation process. |
| Flag review for policy violation | Yes | Subject to standard moderation review |
| Appeal a moderation decision | Yes (only Once per review) | Must provide evidence of policy violation |
| Request expedited review removal | No | All requests follow standard timeline |
| Pay for review removal | No | No paid removal service exists |
| Contact support to bypass moderation | No | Support cannot override moderation decisions |
| Respond to negative reviews | Yes | Encouraged as best practice |
No Back-Channels or Exceptions: Proviews support staff, account managers, and sales representatives do not have the authority to remove reviews outside of the standard moderation process. Any request to bypass moderation regardless of business relationship, account tier, or payment offer will be declined. This policy applies equally to all merchants without exception.
Prohibited Appeal Behaviors:
- Submitting false or fabricated evidence to support a removal request
- Repeatedly appealing the same review without new information
- Contacting multiple support channels simultaneously to pressure for removal
- Threatening legal action to intimidate the moderation team into removing legitimate reviews
- Offering payment, incentives, or business considerations in exchange for review removal
- Attempting to contact Proviews employees directly outside official support channels
Constructive Alternatives to Removal: Instead of seeking removal of negative reviews, merchants are encouraged to:
- Respond Professionally: Post a thoughtful, constructive response addressing the customer's concerns
- Resolve the Issue: Reach out to the customer directly to resolve their complaint satisfied customers often update their reviews
- Improve Operations: Use negative feedback to identify and fix genuine product or service issues
- Collect More Reviews: Focus on earning new positive reviews through excellent customer experiences
-
9. Merchant Obligations
Merchants using Proviews agree to the following obligations:
- No Selective Suppression: Merchants may not selectively suppress or hide negative reviews while displaying positive ones.
- No Retaliation: Merchants may not retaliate against customers who leave negative reviews.
- No Fake Reviews: Merchants may not create, purchase, or solicit fake reviews.
- No Incentive Manipulation: Merchants may not offer incentives conditional on positive ratings.
- Respond Professionally: Merchants are encouraged to respond to negative reviews constructively rather than seeking removal.
Violations of these obligations may result in: Warning, temporary suspension of review collection, removal from the Google Product Ratings program, or permanent account termination.
-
10. Incentivized Reviews Policy
Proviews permits merchants to offer incentives (discounts, coupons, loyalty points) for submitting reviews, subject to the following requirements:
Permitted:
- Incentives offered for submitting a review regardless of star rating
- Equal rewards for all reviews (1-star through 5-star)
- Clear disclosure that the review was incentivized
Prohibited:
- Incentives conditional on positive ratings (e.g., "Get 20% off for a 5-star review")
- Higher rewards for higher star ratings
- Minimum rating thresholds to unlock rewards
- Any mechanism that discourages honest negative feedback
Proviews enforces this policy through system controls that prevent merchants from configuring rating-based incentive conditions.
-
For questions about this policy, moderation decisions, or to report a policy violation:
Proviews Support
Email: support@simprosys.com
Website: www.proviews.com
Response Time: Within 2-4 business days.
