• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
TechAmazon

Amazon is testing product search results that don’t show customer review ‘star’ ratings

By
Jason Del Rey
Jason Del Rey
Former Tech Correspondent
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jason Del Rey
Jason Del Rey
Former Tech Correspondent
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 15, 2024, 8:28 PM ET
Nathan Stirk—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Amazon is experimenting with removing customer ratings from its product search results page, a test that the retailer says could make it easier for shoppers to scan its vast selection of products.

Recommended Video

The “limited test” affects only a small set of products, the company told Fortune on Thursday, and only affects the search results page, with star ratings and review count totals still available on individual product pages.

Some Amazon customers and sellers recently noticed changes to the Amazon website and mobile app that strip away the star rating and review count of the products that appear in search results. In one example on LinkedIn, an Amazon seller posted the product listing results for a search for “water flosser.” Previously, the resulting feed of products in the search results would each include a line of information, from left to right, that included a numerical rating from zero to five, the same rating displayed in the form of five shaded-in stars, and the total number of ratings for a given product.

In the new experience, all of that rating and review information has been removed from the overall results page, and shoppers need to click through to each listing’s product page to view this information.

Amazon is known among its rivals as an online retailer that is constantly testing new features and tweaking formats inside its shopping experience. But the recent change to the search results page has drawn attention because of the impact it could have to shoppers, independent sellers, and big brands alike.

Amazon spokesperson Maria Boschetti confirmed to Fortune that the change is indeed a test, rather than the result of a software bug. She did not offer any information about the results of the testing so far, or about how long the company plans to conduct the tests.

“We’re conducting a limited test on a small set of products to refine which product information, including reviews and other attributes, show in search results to make the results more compact so customers can quickly and easily browse a range of product options.”

Boschetti also stressed that all of the product details, including ratings and reviews, will continue to show up on individual product pages.

On the surface, it’s fair to wonder how much screen space and customer browsing time Amazon is actually saving by eliminating this one line of information. With customers increasingly using smartphones to browse and buy on the web, companies have optimized the mobile versions of their sites and apps for smaller screens.

Ratings and reviews have long served as one of Amazon’s biggest differentiators and advantages, but also a source of exasperation. As Amazon has courted millions of merchants across to the globe to begin selling through its marketplace, some have tried to game the reviews system through tactics ranging from paying shoppers for five-star reviews to merging a new product onto an existing product’s listing so the new merchandise looks like it’s carrying a high rating.

Amazon’s policies prohibit users from abusing products reviews, and the company uses technology and legal resources to fight inauthentic reviews. A few years back, Amazon introduced one-tap ratings that made it easier for “verified buyers” to provide feedback on a product without crafting a written review. At least part of the idea behind the initiative was that it might make it harder, or more expensive, for fake reviews to significantly impact a product’s overall rating.

More recently, Amazon has added AI-powered review summaries to product pages to give shoppers a snapshot of customer feedback without having to wade through individual reviews.

About the Author
By Jason Del ReyFormer Tech Correspondent
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

wb
CommentaryLeadership
I grew BDO from $600 million to $3.4 billion. Here’s the 3-part formula that made it possible
By Wayne BersonJune 30, 2026
1 hour ago
vinod
CommentaryData centers
Vinod Khosla: AI’s energy crisis has a fix — and it doesn’t need the grid
By Vinod KhoslaJune 30, 2026
1 hour ago
Jamie Dimon isn’t giving up the top job. That’s turned JPMorgan into a poaching ground for CEO talent
C-SuiteNext to Lead
Jamie Dimon isn’t giving up the top job. That’s turned JPMorgan into a poaching ground for CEO talent
By Ruth UmohJune 30, 2026
1 hour ago
Comcast’s split brings former CFO Michael Angelakis back as CEO
AICFO Daily
Comcast’s split brings former CFO Michael Angelakis back as CEO
By Sheryl EstradaJune 30, 2026
2 hours ago
marc
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here’s why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
2 hours ago
The VCs betting founders need a village, not a blank check
NewslettersTerm Sheet
The VCs betting founders need a village, not a blank check
By Allie GarfinkleJune 30, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
22 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
5 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
3 days ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 29, 2026
1 day ago
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
AI
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
By Catherina GioinoJune 29, 2026
16 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.