Manage ratings and reviews as a seller

As a seller, you can view, reply to, and report reviews left by buyers after delivery.

This article explains when buyers rate their purchases, where ratings and reviews appear, and how to respond or report a review if needed.

On this page:

• Understand how ratings work
• Reply to a review
• Report a review

Understand how ratings work 

When buyers can leave a rating

After an item is delivered, the buyer's order status moves to Pending Review, and they have up to 30 days to leave a star rating and an optional written review. Once a rating is left—or the 30-day window passes—the order is marked Completed on their end.

Buyers can’t leave ratings or reviews for orders that were canceled or never marked as delivered.

Ratings and reviews don’t affect when you get paid.

Learn more about how buyers can rate their purchases. 

Where ratings and reviews appear

• Star-only ratings count toward the average rating shown on your profile, but aren’t shown individually.

• Ratings with written reviews are visible on your profile under the Reviews tab. 

• Your average rating is based on all the star ratings you’ve received, including ratings without written reviews.

• The total number of reviews on your profile includes both star-only ratings and written reviews. Because of this, you may see a higher review count than the number of written reviews displayed. 

Why ratings matter

Ratings give buyers a quick sense of what they can expect when shopping from you. A strong, consistent rating helps build trust and can influence whether buyers choose to bid or buy.

Reviews can also highlight opportunities to learn and improve your buyers' experience over time. 

Ratings are also one of the signals we use to understand how buyers are experiencing your shop, support a trusted marketplace, and determine eligibility for certain seller features, like Early Payout. If a seller consistently receives low ratings, the account may be reviewed in line with our What Actions We Take policy.

How to keep a positive rating

Most positive ratings come from getting the basics right:

• Ship orders quickly and on time

• Package items safely and securely

• Accurately describe your items in listings and shows

• Communicate clearly if something goes wrong

Reply to a review

You can publicly reply to any written review from the Whatnot mobile app. 

Sellers often use replies to thank a buyer or add helpful context for future customers.

Before replying, keep in mind:

• You can only reply once

• Replies can’t be edited

• Replies must follow our Community Guidelines 

To reply to a review: 

1. Open the Whatnot app
2. Tap your Account icon 
3. Go to the Reviews tab
4. Find the review you want to reply to
5. Tap the three dots (⋮) menu
6. Select Reply

Report a review 

If a review clearly violates our Community Guidelines (for example, harassment or misinformation), you can report it from the Whatnot app. 

Our team will review the report and take action if needed. Reporting a review doesn’t guarantee removal, and we only remove reviews that clearly violate policy. Reviews older than 30 days are rarely taken down.

To report a review: 

1. Open the Whatnot app
2. Tap your Account icon 
3. Go to the Reviews tab
4. Find the review you'd like to appeal
5. Tap the three dots (⋮) menu
6. Select Report
7. Complete the form and Submit