Recipe Reviews and Ratings

Reviews and ratings are essential to the FourFork community, helping others discover great recipes and providing valuable feedback to recipe creators. This guide explains everything you need to know about leaving reviews, understanding ratings, and participating in recipe discussions.

1. Understanding Reviews vs. Comments

FourFork distinguishes between reviews and comments to provide structured feedback:

1.1 Reviews

• Requirement: You must mark a recipe as "cooked" before leaving a review
• Rating: Reviews always include a 1-5 star rating
• Text: Written feedback is optional but encouraged
• Photos: You can upload photos of your results
• Purpose: Provide authentic feedback based on actually making the recipe
• Visibility: Appear in the Reviews tab on the recipe page

1.2 Comments

• Requirement: No cooking required - anyone can comment
• Rating: Comments don't include ratings
• Purpose: Ask questions, share tips, or discuss the recipe
• Visibility: Appear in the Comments tab on the recipe page
• Interaction: Recipe creators can respond to comments

Important Note: Recipe creators cannot review or comment on their own recipes to maintain authenticity and prevent bias.

2. Cooking a Recipe

Before you can leave a review, you need to mark a recipe as cooked:

2.1 Marking a Recipe as Cooked

1. Navigate to the recipe page
2. Look for the "Mark as Cooked" button
3. Click the button after you've made the recipe
4. A dialog will appear asking if you'd like to leave a review

2.2 From the Calendar

If you added the recipe to your meal calendar:

• Open your Calendar page
• Find the scheduled meal
• Click "Mark as Cooked" on the calendar entry
• This also prompts you to leave a review

2.3 Why Mark Recipes as Cooked?

• Track your cooking history
• Unlock the ability to review the recipe
• Help the recipe creator see engagement
• Build your personal cooking stats
• Get notified about recipe updates

3. Leaving a Review

3.1 How to Write a Review

1. After marking a recipe as cooked, the review dialog opens
2. Select your star rating (1-5 stars)
3. Optionally write your review text
4. Optionally upload a photo of your results
5. Click "Submit Review" to publish

3.2 Star Rating Guide

• 5 Stars - Excellent: Outstanding recipe, would definitely make again. No significant issues.
• 4 Stars - Very Good: Great recipe with minor room for improvement. Would make again with small adjustments.
• 3 Stars - Good: Decent recipe but has noticeable issues. Might make again with modifications.
• 2 Stars - Fair: Significant problems with taste, technique, or instructions. Unlikely to make again.
• 1 Star - Poor: Recipe did not work as described or had major flaws. Would not recommend.

3.3 Writing Helpful Review Text

Great reviews provide specific, constructive feedback. Include:

What to Include:

• What worked well: Specific aspects you enjoyed
• What could improve: Constructive suggestions
• Modifications you made: Any changes or substitutions
• Serving suggestions: How you served the dish
• Tips for others: Helpful advice based on your experience
• Context: Who you made it for and the occasion
• Accuracy: Whether times and yields were accurate

What to Avoid:

• One-word reviews (e.g., "Great!" or "Terrible!")
• Rating based on personal taste preferences rather than recipe quality
• Criticizing the recipe if you made major changes
• Personal attacks or disrespectful language
• Unrelated content or spam
• Leaving a review if you didn't actually cook it

3.4 Review Examples

3.5 Adding Photos to Your Review

Photos help others see real results:

• Click "Add Photo" in the review dialog
• Select a photo from your device
• Photos are displayed with your review
• Show the finished dish, not individual ingredients
• Good lighting and focus help others see the results

3.6 Text-Less Reviews

You can submit a review with just a star rating if you prefer:

• Your rating still contributes to the recipe's overall score
• Written reviews are more helpful to the community
• If you rate 3 stars or below, adding context helps the creator improve

4. Editing and Deleting Reviews

4.1 Editing Your Review

1. Navigate to the recipe page
2. Find your review in the Reviews tab
3. Click the "Edit" button (pencil icon)
4. Make your changes
5. Save your updated review

4.2 Deleting Your Review

• Find your review on the recipe page
• Click the "Delete" button (trash icon)
• Confirm deletion
• Your review is permanently removed
• You can leave a new review later if you cook the recipe again

4.3 When to Edit vs. Delete

• Edit: To add more detail, fix typos, or update your opinion after cooking again
• Delete: If your review was based on an error or you no longer stand by it

5. Understanding Recipe Ratings

5.1 How Ratings are Calculated

• The overall rating is the average of all user reviews
• Each star rating (1-5) is weighted equally
• Ratings update in real-time as new reviews are added
• The number of reviews is displayed alongside the rating

5.2 Rating Distribution

On recipe pages, you can see:

• Average star rating (e.g., 4.5 stars)
• Total number of reviews
• Breakdown showing how many 5-star, 4-star, 3-star, etc. reviews exist

5.3 What Makes a Highly-Rated Recipe

• Clear, accurate instructions
• Realistic prep and cook times
• Delicious, well-balanced flavor
• Accurate ingredient measurements
• Good photos showing the finished dish
• Helpful recipe notes and tips
• Responsive creator who answers questions

5.4 Interpreting Ratings

• 5 stars (many reviews): Exceptional recipe, highly recommended
• 4-4.5 stars: Great recipe, minor variations in results
• 3-3.5 stars: Mixed results, read reviews for context
• Below 3 stars: Significant issues, proceed with caution
• No rating: New recipe, be adventurous or wait for reviews

Tip: More reviews generally mean more reliable ratings. A recipe with 50 reviews at 4.5 stars is often more reliable than one with 2 reviews at 5 stars.

6. Leaving Comments

Comments allow you to interact with recipes without having cooked them:

6.1 When to Leave a Comment

• Ask questions: Clarify ingredients, techniques, or substitutions
• Share variations: Suggest alternative approaches
• Discuss the recipe: Talk about the dish's origin or cultural significance
• Request clarification: Ask about unclear instructions
• Plan to cook: Share that you're planning to try the recipe

6.2 How to Comment

1. Navigate to the recipe page
2. Click the "Comments" tab
3. Type your comment in the text box
4. Click "Post Comment"

6.3 Comment Etiquette

• Be respectful and constructive
• Ask specific questions for better answers
• Thank creators for their recipes
• Share relevant experiences without derailing the discussion
• Avoid demanding changes - suggest politely

6.4 Creator Responses

Recipe creators often respond to comments:

• You'll be notified when a creator replies to your comment
• Creator responses appear threaded under your comment
• This creates helpful Q&A that benefits everyone

6.5 Managing Your Comments

• Edit comments using the edit button
• Delete comments using the delete button
• You can only edit/delete your own comments

7. Notifications

Stay updated on recipe interactions:

7.1 As a Recipe Creator

You'll receive notifications when:

• Someone reviews your recipe
• Someone comments on your recipe
• Someone likes your recipe
• Someone saves your recipe
• Someone marks your recipe as cooked

7.2 As a Reviewer/Commenter

You'll be notified when:

• The recipe creator responds to your comment
• Someone replies to your comment
• The recipe is updated (if you've cooked it)

7.3 Managing Notifications

• Click the bell icon to view all notifications
• Mark notifications as read individually or all at once
• Configure notification preferences in your settings

8. Reporting Inappropriate Content

8.1 When to Report

Report reviews or comments that contain:

• Offensive or abusive language
• Spam or promotional content
• False or misleading information
• Personal attacks
• Off-topic or irrelevant content
• Plagiarized content

8.2 How to Report

1. Click the flag or report icon on the review/comment
2. Select the reason for reporting
3. Add any additional context
4. Submit the report

8.3 What Happens After Reporting

• Moderators review all reports
• Violating content may be removed
• Users who violate guidelines may be warned or suspended
• You'll be notified of the outcome

9. Best Practices for Reviews and Ratings

9.1 Be Honest and Fair

• Rate based on recipe quality, not personal taste preferences
• If you don't like mushrooms, don't rate a mushroom recipe low
• Consider if the recipe delivered what it promised

9.2 Be Specific and Constructive

• Explain what worked and what didn't
• Offer suggestions for improvement
• Share context about your cooking experience

9.3 Account for Modifications

• If you changed ingredients or methods, mention it in your review
• Don't rate a recipe low if you significantly altered it
• Help others know what happens with substitutions

9.4 Update Reviews When Appropriate

• If you cook a recipe again with better results, update your review
• If the creator updates the recipe based on feedback, try it again
• Your evolving perspective helps everyone

9.5 Consider the Creator

• Recipe creators put time and effort into sharing
• Constructive feedback helps them improve
• Positive reviews encourage continued sharing
• Be respectful even when disappointed

10. Community Guidelines

When participating in reviews and comments, follow these guidelines:

• Be respectful: Treat others as you'd like to be treated
• Be honest: Only review recipes you've actually cooked
• Be constructive: Criticism should be helpful, not hurtful
• Be relevant: Keep comments on topic
• Be authentic: Share your genuine experience
• Be helpful: Aim to add value to the community

Your reviews and comments make FourFork a better place for everyone. Thank you for contributing to our community! For questions about reviews or to report issues, visit our Help Center or contact support.