Overview
The review system consists of:Reviews
Tourist reviews with ratings and comments
Review Replies
Guide responses to reviews
Social Features
Likes and engagement metrics
Reviews
Reviews are feedback from tourists after completing a tour.Data Model
Key Features
Trip Association
Reviews are linked to specific completed trips
Rating Scale
Numeric rating system (typically 1-5 stars)
Text Feedback
Detailed written comments from tourists
Soft Deletes
Reviews can be removed but data is preserved
Rating System
While the database stores ratings as integers, the typical implementation uses a 5-star scale:- 5 stars - Excellent
- 4 stars - Good
- 3 stars - Average
- 2 stars - Below Average
- 1 star - Poor
The
rating field is flexible and can support different scales (e.g., 1-10) if needed.Social Engagement
Likes: Other users can like reviews they find helpful- Stored in
likesCountfield - Helps surface useful reviews
repliesCount field
- Shows how engaged the guide is with feedback
- Includes guide replies and potentially tourist responses
Soft Deletion
Reviews use soft deletion for moderation:- Preserve rating calculations
- Maintain referential integrity
- Allow restoration if deleted in error
- Support moderation workflows
Review Replies
Guides can respond to reviews to address feedback or thank tourists.Data Model
Key Features
- One-to-Many: Multiple replies can exist per review
- Guide Ownership: Typically only guides reply to their reviews
- Timestamps: Track when replies are created and edited
- Updates: Guides can edit their replies
Showing that a guide responds to reviews builds trust and demonstrates active engagement with customers.
Best Practices for Replies
Timely Response
Reply to reviews within 24-48 hours
Professional Tone
Maintain professional, courteous language
Address Concerns
Acknowledge negative feedback constructively
Thank Positive Reviews
Show appreciation for good reviews
Integration with Other Features
Impact on Guide Profiles
Reviews automatically update guide statistics:Impact on Tour Listings
Tours also display aggregated ratings:Review Eligibility
Tourists can only review trips that:- Have
status = COMPLETED - They participated in (
touristIdmatches) - Haven’t already been reviewed by them
API Endpoints
Reviews
?guideId={id}- Get reviews for a guide?tourId={id}- Get reviews for a tour?touristId={id}- Get reviews by a tourist?tripId={id}- Get review for a specific trip?minRating={n}- Filter by minimum rating
Review Replies
?reviewId={id}- Get replies for a review?guideId={id}- Get all replies by a guide
Usage Examples
Creating a Review
Guide Replying to Review
Updating Guide Rating Average
Soft Deleting a Review
Review Display & Sorting
Common Sorting Options
Most Recent
Sort by
createdAt DESCHighest Rated
Sort by
rating DESCMost Helpful
Sort by
likesCount DESCWith Replies
Sort by
repliesCount DESCReview Filtering
Common filters for review lists:Moderation & Quality
Review Guidelines
Reviews should:- Be based on actual experience
- Be respectful and constructive
- Avoid profanity or hate speech
- Not include personal contact information
- Not be spam or promotional content
Moderation Actions
Flagging Reviews
Flagging Reviews
Users can flag inappropriate reviews for moderator review. Flagged reviews are reviewed by platform administrators.
Soft Deletion
Soft Deletion
Moderators can soft delete reviews that violate guidelines by setting
deletedAt timestamp.Editing Reviews
Editing Reviews
Tourists can edit their reviews within a time window (e.g., 7 days). The
updatedAt timestamp tracks edits.Review Verification
Verified reviews come from actual completed bookings:Verified reviews are more trustworthy and can be highlighted in the UI with a verification badge.
Analytics & Insights
For Guides
Guides can track:- Average Rating: Overall rating average
- Rating Distribution: Count of 1-5 star reviews
- Response Rate: Percentage of reviews with guide replies
- Review Trends: Rating changes over time
- Common Themes: Frequently mentioned topics
For Platform
Platform administrators can monitor:- Overall Rating Distribution: Platform-wide quality metrics
- Top Rated Guides: Identify and promote excellent guides
- Problem Detection: Identify guides with declining ratings
- Review Volume: Track engagement and platform health
Best Practices
Display reviews prominently on guide and tour pages to help tourists make informed decisions. Include average rating, total reviews, and recent reviews.
Review Incentives
- Badge or points for tourists who leave reviews
- Highlight helpful reviews with likes
- Feature detailed, photo-rich reviews
- Thank tourists for feedback
Common Questions
Can tourists edit their reviews?
Can tourists edit their reviews?
Yes, tourists can update their reviews using the
PUT /api/v1/reviews/{id} endpoint. The updatedAt timestamp records when the review was last modified.Can guides delete negative reviews?
Can guides delete negative reviews?
No, guides cannot delete reviews. Only platform administrators can remove reviews that violate community guidelines. This maintains review authenticity.
How is the guide rating calculated?
How is the guide rating calculated?
The guide’s
rating_avg is calculated as the average of all non-deleted review ratings. It’s automatically updated when reviews are created, edited, or deleted.Can tourists review a guide without booking a tour?
Can tourists review a guide without booking a tour?
No, reviews require a
tripId linking to a completed trip. This ensures all reviews are from verified experiences.What happens to reviews if a guide deletes their account?
What happens to reviews if a guide deletes their account?
Reviews are typically preserved for historical accuracy and transparency, but marked appropriately if the guide is no longer active.
Related Features
Trip Bookings
Learn how completed trips enable reviews
Guide Profiles
See how ratings appear on guide profiles