A register, kept plainly

What seals mean

A seal is a short, checkable statement about a listing's record. It is worked out from the data each time a page is built, so it appears and disappears with the record itself.

• On file

  Phone, opening hours and website are all in the record.

• Well rated

  Rated 4.5 or higher by at least 100 reviewers.

A seal does not mean we have visited, inspected or vouched for a business. It means the record holds those details. If a detail is wrong, tell us and we'll correct it.

How order is set

A plain star average favours places with very few reviews: two 5-star ratings would beat hundreds of 4.7s. So each place begins as if it had 10 ratings of 3.5 stars, and its real reviews move it from there. The more people rate a place, the more their verdict counts.

A place with no reviews stays at the 3.5-star starting point, and ties go to the place with more reviews. Payment plays no part. A city list is published once it has at least 5 places, and a neighbourhood list once it has 3.

Review rules

Every review is read against these rules before it is published.

1. 1First-hand onlyWrite about a visit or a job you had done yourself.
2. 2On the subjectThe work, the price, the people. Leave unrelated disputes out.
3. 3Civil, even when it went badlyNo threats, insults, harassment or hate.
4. 4Private details stay privateNo phone numbers, home addresses or full names of staff or other customers.
5. 5No reviewing yourselfOwners and staff may not review their own business, or a competitor.
6. 6Nothing in exchangeNo reviews for discounts, gifts or money, and businesses must not offer them.

We remove reviews that break these rules. We don't remove reviews for being unfavourable, and no one can pay us to.