Why is Shopify archiving reviews on shopify app including our EasyBoost — even after genuine client support?

Shopify Apps
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Hi everyone,

We are the developers of the EasyBoost app. Today I spent almost 1–2 hours giving support to a client, and he was really happy with the service. He left us a great rating, but unfortunately, that review was immediately archived and didn’t count toward our app rating.

This raises some big questions:

  1. Why are even genuine, positive reviews being archived?

  2. What specific criteria or algorithm is Shopify using here? Is it based only on merchant status (trial/discounted vs. paid), or are there hidden factors like review length, trust score, or account history?

  3. Can an archived review ever come back once a merchant’s store status changes?

  4. How do archived reviews affect app ranking and developer credibility overall?

I know Shopify has mentioned archiving outdated, unhelpful, or untrusted reviews, but in cases like this — where a merchant is active, satisfied, and leaving genuine feedback — it feels unfair.

Would love to hear from other developers if you’ve faced the same issue, and if Shopify staff could clarify the process so we understand how to avoid losing valid reviews.

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Hi @Mahfz_ShopiDevs :waving_hand:,

This is understandably frustrating — especially when you invest time helping a merchant and then lose the visible credit for it.
Here’s what I’ve seen and learned about archived app reviews:

:magnifying_glass_tilted_right: Why Reviews Get Archived

Shopify uses an automated trust and quality filter that looks at several factors, not just merchant intent. A few common triggers:

  1. Store Status & Billing

    • Reviews left by merchants on free trials, development stores, or recently paused/cancelled accounts often get archived because the system considers them “low-confidence.”

  2. Merchant Activity Signals

    • If the merchant hasn’t had recent sales, installed/uninstalled quickly, or has little historical activity, the review can be flagged.

  3. Duplicate or Pattern-Detected Reviews

    • If the review resembles other short or similar comments (“great app,” “nice support”) or looks copy-pasted, it can be filtered out as low-quality feedback.

  4. Length & Context

    • Extremely short one-liners with no context are more likely to be archived. Reviews with a few sentences explaining what was good about the app generally pass the filter.

:light_bulb: Can an Archived Review Re-appear?

  • Yes — sometimes.
    If a merchant moves off trial to an active paid plan and keeps the app installed, the system may restore the review automatically after a re-sync.

  • If not, the merchant can reach out to Shopify App Review Support and request reinstatement once they’re on a live store.

:chart_increasing: Effect on App Ranking

  • Archived reviews don’t count toward your public rating or ranking.

  • They also don’t show up on your public review list — essentially treated as if they don’t exist.

  • Positive reviews that stick (from active, paying stores) carry the most weight in both ranking and “credibility scoring.”

:hammer_and_wrench: Best Practices to Reduce Archiving

  1. Encourage merchants to leave a detailed review (2–3 sentences) describing how the app solved their problem.

  2. Politely remind them that leaving the review after the store is on a paid plan improves its likelihood of sticking.

  3. If you lose a genuine review, you or the merchant can email Shopify App Support (apps@shopify.com) referencing the order ID and review date for manual checking.

:handshake: Community Note

A lot of us developers have seen the same thing — you’re not alone here. Unfortunately, the filter isn’t transparent, but these steps usually help keep authentic feedback visible.

Hope this clarifies what’s happening behind the scenes and saves you (and others) future headaches.

– Asiko_Dev :rocket:
(Shopify Partner / App Integrations)

1 Like
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Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this :folded_hands:. We really appreciate you taking the time to reply and help us understand this better. It means a lot as we try to improve EasyBoost and support our clients the best we can.

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You’re most welcome, @Mahfz_ShopiDevs :raising_hands:
Happy to share any insights that can help you and your clients. I really appreciate the work you’re doing to improve EasyBoost — it’s always great to see developers focused on making life easier for merchants.

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Hello @Mahfz_ShopiDevs ,

I hope you are well!

Shopify only archives those reviews which are outdated, unhelpful, and untrusted reviews. If you want to know more, please check the article -
1.) Archiving outdated, unhelpful, and untrusted reviews on the Shopify App Store - Shopify developer changelog
2.) https://help.shopify.com/en/partners/help-support/faq/reviews

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Hi AiTrillion
Thank you for clarifying! We appreciate the references and will review the articles you shared.