Facebook Recommendations: How Reviews Work Today

Facebook Recommendations replaced classic star reviews when Facebook rebuilt its review system in 2018, down to the simple question "Do you recommend this business?" with yes or no. This guide explains how today's system works, how to write a recommendation, and gives an honest assessment of where Facebook Recommendations stand next to Google and Trustpilot.

What are Facebook reviews today?

On business Pages with the reviews tab enabled, users can recommend a business or advise against it, and add text, photos and tags. From the ratio of yes to no votes plus the legacy star ratings, Facebook calculates an overall score between 1 and 5. It is mainly visible to people who already visit your Page, and to their friends, to whom Facebook shows Recommendations from their own network. That is the system's real strength: a recommendation from someone you know carries more weight than any anonymous star rating.

How do I write a Facebook recommendation?

Open the business Page in the Facebook app or in your browser and select the Reviews or Recommendations tab. Answer the question "Do you recommend [business]?" with yes or no. Then write a short explanation: concrete details (occasion, experience, service) make the recommendation readable and credible for others; photos are optional. Finally, choose the visibility (public or friends only) and publish. Public Recommendations count toward the Page's overall score.

If you can't find the tab, the Page has turned reviews off. Page owners can toggle this in their Page settings at any time.

What can you do about unfair or false recommendations?

Unlike individual comments, Recommendations cannot simply be deleted. Three routes remain: you can report a recommendation if it violates the Community Standards or doesn't reflect a genuine customer experience; you can respond publicly and factually, which often counts more with onlookers than the criticism itself; and, as a last resort, you can disable the reviews tab entirely, which also hides all your positive Recommendations. A balanced, active profile is the more robust answer.

How important are Facebook Recommendations compared to Google?

An honest assessment: Facebook Recommendations work within your own network, but they don't decide whether strangers find you. Local search runs through Google. There, reviews feed into the official "prominence" component of local ranking and help determine who appears in the Local Pack next to the map. For online shops, Trustpilot takes over that trust role directly in the search results. If your time is limited, build there first: with real guests and verified proof on your Google profile, or with reviews from real orders on Trustpilot. Facebook remains the well-kept shop window for your own community.