The numbers behind the choice
Online Review Statistics 2026
This page covers how people use online reviews to choose businesses and products, how demanding they have become about ratings, how much review fraud platforms remove, how AI is changing both reading and writing reviews, and how regulators respond. Most consumer figures are for US adults in 2026; platform enforcement figures are global and mostly cover 2025. Older fundamentals from Pew Research Center (2016), Northwestern's Spiegel Research Center (2017) and an EU sweep (2022) are labeled by year.
By the KeenVerdict research desk · Updated November 4, 2026 · 45 figures from 17 sources
49 of 49 source quotes re-checked against the original pages on November 4, 2026
The short answer
BrightLocal's 2026 survey finds 97% of US consumers use reviews to guide purchases and 31% will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or higher. Fake reviews are a steady share of submissions: Trustpilot removed 7.8 million in 2025, about 11% of submissions, and Google blocked or removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews on Maps.
Key figures
- 97%97% of US consumers say they use reviews to guide purchase decisions, according to BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 of 1,002 US adults.BrightLocal
- 31%31% of US consumers said in 2026 that they will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or higher, BrightLocal found.BrightLocal
- 85%85% of US consumers say positive reviews make them more likely to use a business, and 77% say negative reviews make them less likely, per BrightLocal's 2026 survey.BrightLocal
- 7.8 millionTrustpilot removed 7.8 million fake reviews in 2025, around 11% of all submissions, and 91% of them were detected automatically.Trustpilot
- 292 millionGoogle blocked or removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews on Maps in 2025, while publishing more than 1 billion helpful reviews.Google
- 45%45% of US consumers used ChatGPT or other generative AI tools for local business recommendations in 2026, up from 6% a year earlier, according to BrightLocal.BrightLocal
- 93%93% of the AI-generated reviews Pangram Labs found on Amazon best-seller pages in 2026 carried the Verified Purchase badge.Pangram Labs
- 10FTC staff sent letters to 10 companies in December 2025 warning them of possible violations of the Consumer Review Rule, which bans fake reviews.Federal Trade Commission
Our reading of the data
Reviews are close to universal as a decision input. BrightLocal finds 97% of US consumers use reviews to guide purchases and 41% always read them, up from 29% a year earlier. Pew Research Center's older national baseline showed 82% of US adults reading reviews before a first-time purchase. Trust is weaker than use: 49% of consumers told BrightLocal they trust reviews, and Pew found 48% of review readers think it is often hard to tell whether reviews are truthful.
Buyers have raised the bar. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 31% of consumers will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or more and 68% require at least four stars, up from 55% in 2025. Volume matters too: 47% skip businesses with fewer than 20 reviews. Perfect scores do not win, though. Northwestern's Spiegel Research Center found purchase likelihood usually peaks between 4.0 and 4.7 stars.
Fake reviews are a measurable share of the market. Trustpilot removed 7.8 million fake reviews in 2025, around 11% of submissions, up from 7.4% in 2024. Google blocked or removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews on Maps in 2025, and Yelp closed more than 1.3 million accounts. Regulators have moved too: the FTC sent its first Consumer Review Rule warning letters to 10 companies in December 2025, and the UK CMA, which can now fine up to 10% of global turnover, had five review investigations open in 2026.
AI now sits on both sides of the review. BrightLocal finds 45% of US consumers use ChatGPT or similar tools for local recommendations, up from 6%, and 82% read AI-generated review summaries. On the writing side, Bazaarvoice finds 23% of review writers use AI at least sometimes, and Pangram Labs found 93% of AI-generated Amazon reviews it detected carried a Verified Purchase badge. Our reading for buyers: read recent reviews across more than one site, discount perfect scores, and treat an AI summary as a starting point.
How many people read and trust reviews
- 1.
97% of US consumers say they use reviews to guide purchase decisions, according to BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 of 1,002 US adults.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
Even in a world where people are more aware and more frustrated by the scourge of fake reviews, 97% of consumers still lean on reviews to guide their purchase decisions.
- 2.
41% of US consumers always read reviews when browsing for local businesses in 2026, up from 29% in 2025, BrightLocal found.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
In 2026, 41% of consumers “always” read reviews when browsing for businesses, a huge jump from last year (29%).
- 3.
49% of US consumers said they trust online reviews in BrightLocal's 2026 survey.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
While trust in reviews has fluctuated over time, it still sits at a significant 49% today.
- 4.
Google's share as a review source for local businesses fell from 83% in 2025 to 71% in 2026, though it remains the top platform, per BrightLocal.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
Google has always been the standout source for reviews, but this year its share has dipped from 83% in 2025 to 71%.
- 5.
In Pew Research Center's 2016 survey, the latest national US benchmark of its kind, 82% of US adults said they at least sometimes read online ratings or reviews before buying an item for the first time, including 40% who always or almost always do.
Pew Research Center, Online reviews (Dec 2016)
Source quote
This survey finds that a substantial majority of the public now incorporates these customer ratings and reviews into their decision-making processes when buying something new: Fully 82% of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes read online customer ratings or reviews before purchasing items for the first time, including 40% who say they always or almost always do so.
- 6.
In the same 2016 Pew survey, 48% of US adults who read online reviews said it is often hard to tell whether they are truthful and unbiased, while 51% said reviews generally give an accurate picture.
Pew Research Center, Online reviews (Dec 2016)
Source quote
Roughly half (51%) of those who read online reviews say they generally give an accurate picture of the true quality of the product, but a similar share (48%) believes it is often hard to tell if online reviews are truthful and unbiased.
What ratings and reviews buyers demand
- 7.
31% of US consumers said in 2026 that they will only use a business rated 4.5 stars or higher, BrightLocal found.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
In 2026, 31% of consumers will only use a business with 4.5 stars or more.
- 8.
68% of US consumers will only use a business with four or more stars in 2026, up from 55% in 2025, BrightLocal found.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
Seven in ten (68%) will only use a business with four or more stars, up from 55% in 2025.
- 9.
47% of US consumers will not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and only 9% will use one with five or fewer, per BrightLocal's 2026 survey.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
47% of consumers won’t use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and only 9% are willing to use one with five or fewer.
- 10.
Purchase likelihood typically peaks for products rated between 4.0 and 4.7 stars and falls as ratings approach 5.0, according to Northwestern University's Spiegel Research Center analysis of retailer data, first published in 2017.
Spiegel Research Center, Northwestern University, How Online Reviews Influence Sales (2017)
Source quote
Across product categories, we found that purchase likelihood typically peaks at ratings in the 4.0 – 4.7 range, and then begins to decrease as ratings approach 5.0.
- 11.
74% of AI-written reviews on Amazon best-sellers gave five stars, against 59% of human reviews, in Pangram Labs' 2026 analysis.
Pangram Labs, Three percent of front-page Amazon reviews are now AI-generated (May 2026)
Source quote
Of the 500 Amazon best-sellers we analyzed, 74% of AI-written reviews gave products a 5-star rating.
Chart
US consumers who will only use a business rated four stars or higher
BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey, US adults, 2025 and 2026 editions.
- 202555%
- 202668%
Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
How reviews change purchases
- 12.
85% of US consumers say positive reviews make them more likely to use a business, and 77% say negative reviews make them less likely, per BrightLocal's 2026 survey.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
A huge 85% of consumers say positive reviews make them more likely to use a business, while 77% say negative reviews make them less likely to choose one.
- 13.
A product with five reviews had a 270% greater purchase likelihood than a product with none in Spiegel Research Center's retailer data, first published in 2017.
Spiegel Research Center, Northwestern University, How Online Reviews Influence Sales (2017)
Source quote
The purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than the purchase likelihood of a product with no reviews.
- 14.
51% of successful software buyers in Australia relied on user reviews and software comparison sites during research, according to a Capterra report released in October 2025.
Capterra, Australian Businesses Risk Overspending and Disruption Without Smart Software Buying, Capterra Report Reveals (Oct 2025)
Source quote
Seek expert and peer input over GenAI User reviews and software comparison sites are top resources for successful buyers, with 51% relying on them during their research to help them filter options and make informed decisions.
Fake reviews and enforcement
- 15.
Trustpilot removed 7.8 million fake reviews in 2025, around 11% of all submissions, and 91% of them were detected automatically.
Trustpilot, Trustpilot Annual Report 2025 (2026)
Source quote
We removed 7.8 million fake reviews in 2025 - around 11% of all submissions - and 91% of those were detected automatically by our technology.
- 16.
In 2024, Trustpilot removed 4.5 million fake reviews, equal to 7.4% of all reviews submitted that year.
Trustpilot, Growing use of AI helps remove 90% of detected fake reviews (2025)
Source quote
Trustpilot removed 4.5 million fake reviews - amounting to 7.4% of the total number of reviews submitted in 2024.
- 17.
Google blocked or removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews on Maps in 2025, while publishing more than 1 billion helpful reviews.
Google, New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps (2026)
Source quote
Our advanced systems and expert analysts blocked or removed over 292 million policy-violating reviews, while publishing more than 1 billion helpful reviews.
- 18.
Google placed posting restrictions on more than 782,000 policy-violating accounts on Maps in 2025.
Google, New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps (2026)
Source quote
We placed posting restrictions on more than 782,000 policy-violating accounts and removed over 13 million fake Business Profiles, further defending genuine businesses on Maps.
- 19.
Google removed more than 13 million fake Business Profiles from Maps in 2025.
Google, New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps (2026)
Source quote
We placed posting restrictions on more than 782,000 policy-violating accounts and removed over 13 million fake Business Profiles, further defending genuine businesses on Maps.
- 20.
Yelp closed more than 1.3 million user accounts in 2025 for violating its terms, including suspected deceptive behavior, a 138% increase on 2024.
Yelp, 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026)
Source quote
1.3M+ user accounts closed for violating Yelp's Terms of Service including suspected deceptive or abusive behaviors—a 138% increase from 2024
- 21.
Yelp's account closures tied to review rings and suspicious activity rose 49% in 2025 compared with 2024.
Yelp, 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026)
Source quote
This resulted in a 49% increase in user account closures related to review rings and suspicious activity compared to 2024, demonstrating Yelp’s commitment to proactive, hands-on investigations—even as other platforms scale back these efforts.
- 22.
Yelp removed more than 63,100 US reviews in 2025 after social media posts made a business go viral; such posts drove 75% of its Media Attention Alerts.
Yelp, 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026)
Source quote
75% of Media Attention Alerts stemmed from social media posts associated with a business that went viral in 2025, resulting in the removal of 63,100+ reviews
- 23.
Of the reviews contributed to Yelp in 2025, its software recommended 70% and did not recommend 17% because they may be unreliable, solicited or unfairly biased.
Yelp, Yelp's 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026)
Source quote
70% were recommended by the software as helpful and reliable based on quality, reliability, and user activity signals 17% were not recommended by the software because it may have identified the reviews as unreliable, solicited, or unfairly biased
- 24.
Yelp placed 58% more Unusual Activity and Public Attention Alerts on business pages in 2025 than in 2024 and removed more than 80,000 reviews that did not reflect firsthand experiences.
Yelp, Yelp's 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026)
Source quote
In 2025, we saw a 58% increase in Unusual Activity Alerts and Public Attention Alerts placed on business pages compared to 2024, and removed more than 80,000 reviews that didn’t reflect firsthand experiences.
- 25.
3% of nearly 30,000 front-page reviews on 500 Amazon best-sellers were AI-generated with high confidence, according to a 2026 analysis by AI-detection vendor Pangram Labs.
Pangram Labs, Three percent of front-page Amazon reviews are now AI-generated (May 2026)
Source quote
We found that 3% of the total reviews studied - 909 total reviews - were AI-generated with high confidence.
- 26.
93% of the AI-generated reviews Pangram Labs found on Amazon best-seller pages in 2026 carried the Verified Purchase badge.
Pangram Labs, Three percent of front-page Amazon reviews are now AI-generated (May 2026)
Source quote
Our study found that 93% of the first-page AI-generated reviews (93%) had the 'Verified Purchase' badge, showing that this badge alone is
Chart
What happened to reviews contributed to Yelp in 2025
Share of the roughly 22 million reviews contributed to Yelp worldwide in 2025.
- Recommended by software70%
- Not recommended by software17%
- Removed by Yelp staff11%
- Removed by reviewer2%
Source: Yelp, Yelp's 2025 Trust & Safety Report
AI and online reviews
- 27.
45% of US consumers used ChatGPT or other generative AI tools for local business recommendations in 2026, up from 6% a year earlier, according to BrightLocal.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
Use of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools for local recommendations has grown rapidly, rising from 6% last year to 45% and becoming the third most popular source of business recommendations.
- 28.
82% of US consumers read AI-generated review summaries to inform decisions, BrightLocal found in 2026.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
The majority of consumers (82%) read these review summaries to inform decisions.
- 29.
23% of review writers in Bazaarvoice's 2026 research say they use AI at least sometimes to help write reviews.
Bazaarvoice, Bazaarvoice research finds consumers are using AI to help edit reviews, not ghostwrite (Mar 2026)
Source quote
According to the research, nearly 1 in 4 review writers (23%) say they use AI at least sometimes to help write reviews, signaling that AI is quickly becoming part of the review creation process.
- 30.
64% of consumers in Bazaarvoice's 2026 research say reviews written with AI are not authentic.
Bazaarvoice, Bazaarvoice research finds consumers are using AI to help edit reviews, not ghostwrite (Mar 2026)
Source quote
Yet despite rising adoption, 64% say reviews written with AI are not authentic, highlighting a growing tension between technological convenience and consumer trust.
- 31.
Only 16% of consumers in Bazaarvoice's 2026 research are very confident they could tell an AI-written review from a human-written one.
Bazaarvoice, Bazaarvoice research finds consumers are using AI to help edit reviews, not ghostwrite (Mar 2026)
Source quote
What makes this distrust interesting, however, is that only 16% are very confident they could distinguish between an AI-written and human-written review.
- 32.
83% of review writers who use third-party AI tools such as ChatGPT said they write the full review themselves first and use AI only to refine grammar and tone, Bazaarvoice found in 2026.
Bazaarvoice, Bazaarvoice research finds consumers are using AI to help edit reviews, not ghostwrite (Mar 2026)
Source quote
Those using third party generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity, overwhelmingly (83%) reported they write the full review themselves first, using AI tools only to refine grammar and tone.
- 33.
85% of B2B software buyers think more highly of a vendor when an AI chatbot includes it in an answer, G2 found in its 2026 survey.
G2, In the Answer Economy, Don't Win the Click — Win the Answer (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Simply being mentioned by an AI chatbot carries real weight; 85% of buyers think more highly of a vendor when AI includes them in an answer.
- 34.
51% of B2B software buyers now start their research with an AI chatbot more often than with Google, up from 29% in G2's 2025 report, according to G2's 2026 research.
G2, In the Answer Economy, Don't Win the Click — Win the Answer (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Half of B2B software buyers (51%) now start their research with an AI chatbot more often than with Google.
Review volumes and responses
- 35.
People shared more than 1 billion reviews on Google Maps in 2025 and suggested 80 million updates to business details, according to Google.
Google, New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps (2026)
Source quote
To help keep this information fresh and accurate, we make contributing helpful content easy for our community — who shared over 1 billion reviews and suggested 80 million updates to business hours, contact information and more in 2025 alone — while continuously developing new technology to proactively stop fake reviews and scams.
- 36.
About 22 million reviews were contributed to Yelp in 2025.
Yelp, Yelp's 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026)
Source quote
In 2025, approximately 22 million reviews were contributed to our platform.
- 37.
Trustpilot received 70,065 thousand review submissions in 2025, about 70 million, according to its annual report.
Trustpilot, Trustpilot Annual Report 2025 (2026)
Source quote
70,065k reviews submitted in 2025
- 38.
More than 61 million reviews were written on Trustpilot in 2024, a 15% increase on 2023.
Trustpilot, Trust Report 2025 (2025)
Source quote
In 2024, more than 61 million reviews were written on Trustpilot for a 15% year-on-year increase.
- 39.
Trustpilot said in its 2025 annual report that it hosts more than 361 million reviews.
Trustpilot, Trustpilot Annual Report 2025 (2026)
Source quote
With over 361 million reviews, we hold a uniquely rich data set that powers actionable insights.
- 40.
89% of US consumers expect businesses to respond to their reviews, according to BrightLocal's 2026 survey.
BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
There’s No Time to Wait When Responding to Reviews With 89% of consumers expecting a response to their reviews, businesses can’t afford to ignore them.
Chart
Where US consumers wrote reviews in the past year
BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, 1,002 US adults.
- Google45%
- Facebook34%
- Yelp24%
- Apple Maps17%
- Tripadvisor16%
- Better Business Bureau16%
Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
Rules and regulators
- 41.
The US Federal Trade Commission approved its final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials by a 5-0 vote in August 2024.
Federal Trade Commission, Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials (Aug 2024)
Source quote
The Commission vote to approve the final rule and accompanying statement of basis and purpose was 5-0.
- 42.
FTC staff sent letters to 10 companies in December 2025 warning them of possible violations of the Consumer Review Rule, which bans fake reviews.
Federal Trade Commission, FTC Warns 10 Companies About Possible Violations of the Agency's New Consumer Review Rule (Dec 2025)
Source quote
Federal Trade Commission staff sent letters to 10 companies, warning them of potential violations of the agency’s Consumer Review Rule, which prohibits certain deceptive or unfair conduct related to the use of product reviews in advertising and marketing.
- 43.
An EU-wide sweep of 223 major websites, published in January 2022 and the latest of its kind, found at least 55% potentially breached EU consumer law on reviews.
European Commission, Protecting consumers from misleading reviews: 55% of screened websites violate EU law (Jan 2022)
Source quote
Consumer protection authorities concluded that at least 55% of the checked websites potentially violate the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive which requires that truthful information is presented to consumers to allow an informed choice.
- 44.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority had 5 businesses under investigation over fake or misleading reviews and star ratings in March 2026, including Autotrader and Feefo.
UK Competition and Markets Authority, Fake and misleading reviews: 5 businesses under CMA investigation (Mar 2026)
Source quote
The CMA is investigating 5 businesses to determine whether they have infringed consumer law: Autotrader and Feefo
- 45.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority can require changes and impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover if it finds a business broke consumer law on reviews.
UK Competition and Markets Authority, Fake and misleading reviews: 5 businesses under CMA investigation (Mar 2026)
Source quote
If the CMA finds an infringement of the law, it can require businesses to change their practices and impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover.
Questions readers ask
- What percentage of consumers read online reviews?
- BrightLocal's 2026 survey finds 97% of US consumers use reviews to guide purchases and 41% always read reviews when browsing for businesses. Pew Research Center's 2016 national survey found 82% of US adults read reviews before a first-time purchase.
- How many online reviews are fake?
- There is no single rate, but platform data gives a range. Trustpilot removed 7.8 million fake reviews in 2025, around 11% of submissions, Google blocked or removed more than 292 million policy-violating reviews on Maps in 2025, and Yelp's software did not recommend 17% of reviews contributed that year.
- What star rating do customers expect?
- In BrightLocal's 2026 survey, 68% of US consumers will only use a business with four or more stars and 31% require 4.5 or more. Spiegel Research Center found purchase likelihood usually peaks between 4.0 and 4.7 stars rather than at a perfect 5.0.
- Are fake reviews illegal in the US and UK?
- In the US, the FTC's Consumer Review Rule, approved 5-0 in August 2024, bans fake reviews and lets the agency seek civil penalties; FTC staff sent warning letters to 10 companies in December 2025. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority can fine businesses up to 10% of global turnover.
- Do people trust AI-written reviews and summaries?
- BrightLocal finds 82% of US consumers read AI-generated review summaries. Bazaarvoice finds 64% of consumers think reviews written with AI are not authentic, yet only 16% are very confident they could spot one.
How these figures were chosen
We selected figures that help a buyer judge how much weight to give reviews and how reliable they are, and that help a business choose review or reputation tools. Consumer behavior figures come mainly from BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US adults, with Pew Research Center's 2016 national survey and Northwestern's Spiegel Research Center study kept as older baselines because no newer edition exists. Enforcement figures come from Google, Yelp and Trustpilot's own reports, which count removals differently and reflect detection effort as much as fraud. Regulator figures come from the FTC, the UK Competition and Markets Authority and the European Commission. Bazaarvoice, G2, Capterra and Pangram Labs figures come from their own surveys or analyses and are labeled as such. Every quote was rechecked against the source on 2026-11-04. Every quote was copied from the publisher's page and re-checked by our source checker. Read the methodology.
Sources
- Bazaarvoice. Bazaarvoice research finds consumers are using AI to help edit reviews, not ghostwrite (Mar 2026).
- BrightLocal. Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (Feb 2026).
- Capterra. Australian Businesses Risk Overspending and Disruption Without Smart Software Buying, Capterra Report Reveals (Oct 2025).
- European Commission. Protecting consumers from misleading reviews: 55% of screened websites violate EU law (Jan 2022).
- Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials (Aug 2024).
- Federal Trade Commission. FTC Warns 10 Companies About Possible Violations of the Agency's New Consumer Review Rule (Dec 2025).
- G2. In the Answer Economy, Don't Win the Click — Win the Answer (Apr 2026).
- Google. New ways we're protecting businesses on Maps (2026).
- Pangram Labs. Three percent of front-page Amazon reviews are now AI-generated (May 2026).
- Pew Research Center. Online reviews (Dec 2016).
- Spiegel Research Center, Northwestern University. How Online Reviews Influence Sales (2017).
- Trustpilot. Trustpilot Annual Report 2025 (2026).
- Trustpilot. Growing use of AI helps remove 90% of detected fake reviews (2025).
- Trustpilot. Trust Report 2025 (2025).
- UK Competition and Markets Authority. Fake and misleading reviews: 5 businesses under CMA investigation (Mar 2026).
- Yelp. 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026).
- Yelp. Yelp's 2025 Trust & Safety Report (2026).
How to cite
Link to this page or to a single figure. Name the original publisher where you can.
KeenVerdict. (2026, November 4). Online Review Statistics 2026. https://keenverdict.com/online-review-statistics
Questions or corrections: editorial@keenverdict.com. Next scheduled review: January 3, 2027.