What’s the Change?
Amazon has implemented a significant update to its seller feedback system as of August 4 2025. Customers can now provide seller feedback using star ratings only, with written comments optional instead of required.
In the past, a 1–5 star rating was typically accompanied by text — giving sellers context about why the experience was positive or negative. With this change, customers can now leave a star rating without any explanation at all.
Why This Matters to Sellers
⭐ Less context = more confusion
When a rating lacks written feedback, sellers have no insight into why the customer rated them poorly — was it shipping speed, a product issue, packaging, returns, or something outside the seller’s control? Without context, troubleshooting becomes guesswork.
🚫 Appeal limitations for star-only feedback
Under the new system, if feedback is submitted without text, the traditional appeal options in Feedback Manager are disabled — meaning you can’t challenge it in the same way as before.
📊 Seller Performance Metrics Impact
Seller feedback contributes to key performance indicators — like your overall seller rating and Order Defect Rate (ODR). More negative scores with no explanation could push these metrics into dangerous territory without you knowing what triggered them.
Concerns from the Seller Community
Many sellers have expressed unease about these changes because:
- They can’t see why a poor rating was left, making it harder to correct issues.
- It may open the door for feedback bombing from competitors or frustrated buyers.
- Star-only ratings might be mistakenly applied to seller performance when the actual issue was FBA fulfillment or product quality — areas sellers may not have control over.
Even if Amazon says the goal is to encourage more feedback and speed up submission, sellers worry that quality and clarity have been sacrificed.
How to Adapt and Protect Your Account
1. Monitor feedback trends more frequently
Watch for sudden increases in 1–2 star ratings that arrive without explanations — these may be early warning signs.
2. Correlate with other metrics
Compare feedback changes with order defect trends, A-to-Z claims, and return data to pinpoint underlying issues.
3. Encourage written reviews off-site
Use your own post-purchase email flows (where permitted) to ask for context-rich seller reviews.
4. Document patterns
If you see bursts of negative star-only feedback, document dates, ASINs, order IDs, and other signals — this helps if you need to contact Seller Support.
5. Maintain excellent operational discipline
Fast responses to buyer messages, perfect fulfillment, and proactive communication reduce the risk of negative ratings in the first place.
What This Means Long-Term
The move toward star-only ratings reflects Amazon’s desire to simplify the feedback process — but it also reduces transparency for sellers trying to understand what’s working and what’s not. While some sellers may benefit from increased rating volume, others risk being hurt by ratings with no context and limited appeal options.
Sellers who adapt their monitoring and feedback strategies early will be better positioned to weather this change.
Bottom Line: The new star-only seller feedback system makes monitoring, diagnosing, and appealing feedback less straightforward than before — and sellers need proactive strategies to protect their performance metrics.