Star Ratings Return to Naver Map in July... Business Owners Can Choose Disclosure Settings

Star Ratings Return After Five Years Since 2021
Average Store Ratings to Be Disclosed; Previously, Only Individual Review Ratings Were Public
Business Owners Can Choose Whether to Display Star Rating Information

Starting in July, the average star ratings of restaurants and other businesses registered on Naver Place will be disclosed to users.

NAVER announced on the 1st through a notice to Smart Place business owners and users that from July, cumulative numerical information in Place reviews will be made fully public.

NAVER announced on the 1st that it will switch the cumulative numerical information in Place reviews to full public disclosure starting from July through notices targeting Smart Place business owners and users. NAVER

In April, NAVER revealed its plan to add numerical supplementary indicators to existing qualitative reviews as part of a Place review update aimed at enhancing user exploration experiences. As a result, when users write a Place review, they can now record their satisfaction with the location on a five-point star rating scale, in addition to the traditional qualitative reviews using text and keywords.

The business categories for which star ratings will be disclosed include: restaurants; shopping and retail; service and industry; everyday life and convenience; facilities and buildings; sports and entertainment; lodging; travel and attractions; culture and arts; geographic names; travel (hotels and overseas destinations); pop-up stores; and Naver Reservation (performances, exhibitions, festivals, and events).

When NAVER started collecting star rating data in April, it decided not to disclose these ratings for the first three months after reintroducing the star rating system to ensure stability. After the review period ends, starting July 9, the average star ratings collected so far, as well as individual star ratings by users, will be released through the main sections where Place reviews are displayed.

The average star ratings to be disclosed this time will be calculated by combining all data accumulated prior to October 25, 2021 (when new information collection was suspended), with data newly collected from this year.

Naver announced on the 1st through a notice targeting Smart Place business owners and users that from July, cumulative numerical information in Place reviews will be made fully public. Naver

A separate ON/OFF option will be introduced to allow business owners to choose whether to display average star ratings. For business owners who opened after October 2021 and do not have any previously accumulated star rating data, the default setting will be to not display the average star rating. If disclosure is desired, the setting can be changed on the Smart Place business management page.

NAVER plans to provide the ON/OFF feature about a month before the star ratings go public so that business owners can decide in advance whether to disclose their ratings according to their business circumstances.

Policies to prevent review abuse and improve reliability will also be strengthened. Previously, NAVER revised its Place review usage policy so that users can only modify the content and star rating within three months of writing a review.

According to the revised policy, users are prohibited from giving star ratings below 3 without additional or reasonable explanations, or from otherwise undermining the fairness and reliability of Place reviews. In addition, users will be able to view the average star rating information of other reviewers.

A redesign of the review tab to improve the delivery of Place review information will also take place within this year.

Kim Ahyoung, who leads Naver review planning, stated, "We will continue to improve our service to provide users with more reliable information for exploring locations and to create an environment where business owners can effectively communicate the strengths and appeal of their stores."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.