Rating Scales

The fastest question to answer

Emoji, stars or a 0-10 scale — the ones people tap without thinking, which is exactly why they get answered.

Response rate is a design decision

Open text boxes produce the richest feedback and the fewest responses. Most people will not compose a paragraph about a coffee. They will, however, tap a face — and that single tap is worth more than the eloquent review you did not receive.

The practical approach is to lead with something instant and ask for words only where the tap suggests they are worth asking for.

How it works

  1. 1

    Pick a scale

    Emoji for speed, stars for a familiar rating, NPS where you need a comparable number.

  2. 2

    Put it first

    Lead with the scale so the form is answerable in one tap and everything after it is optional depth.

  3. 3

    Ask for words conditionally

    Use a visibility rule to open a comment box only for lower ratings.

  4. 4

    Read the distribution

    Analytics show how ratings are spread and how the average moves over time.

Scales available

Emoji rating

A four-point scale — terrible, bad, good, excellent — labelled in the respondent's own language.

Star rating

Five stars by default, with the number configurable.

NPS 0-10

The standard scale, with promoters, passives and detractors calculated for you.

Yes/no and choice fields

Toggles, checkboxes, radio groups and dropdowns for anything that is not a scale.

Distribution and averages

Ratings are charted by distribution and tracked as an average across the period.

Works well when

  • You need volume rather than depth
  • Respondents have seconds, not minutes
  • You want a trend line rather than a pile of prose
  • Guests do not share a common language — a face needs no translation

Common questions

Which scale should I use?+

Emoji for the highest response rate on a quick touchpoint, stars where people expect a familiar rating, NPS when the number has to be comparable to a benchmark or across locations.

Can I change the number of stars?+

Yes, the maximum is configurable and defaults to five.

Are emoji labels translated?+

Yes. The labels render in the language the respondent selected.