Product reviews are among the most influential elements on an e-commerce product page. They shape user trust, validate purchase decisions, and often serve as a proxy for product quality, especially when brand recognition is low or price points are high. Yet despite their importance, one deceptively simple question continues to divide UX practitioners and developers alike: how many reviews should be shown by default?
Display too few reviews, and users are left with insufficient information to evaluate the product. They must spend extra effort to locate answers to specific questions, detect patterns, or find reviewers similar to themselves, especially for high-consideration purchases. But show too many at once, and users can quickly become overwhelmed by dense, unstructured content that resembles a wall of text. Critical page sections like Q&A modules, related product carousels, or even the site’s footer may be pushed far below the fold, creating navigational and engagement challenges.
Finding the right default number of visible reviews is a nuanced decision that depends on several variables: the average length and formatting of reviews, the presence of supporting elements like subratings or images, whether users have applied filters, and the constraints of mobile vs. desktop environments. Furthermore, the method by which additional reviews are revealed – whether through “Load More” buttons, pagination, or infinite scrolling – adds another layer of complexity.
This guide presents a research-backed framework for determining the optimal number of reviews to display by default, helping designers and developers strike the right balance between discoverability, performance, and usability.
The Problem With Too Few Reviews
Displaying too few reviews by default may appear minimalist and efficient, but it often undermines the core purpose of product reviews: helping users make confident, informed decisions. When only a small number – say, two or three – are visible by default, users are forced to interact with loading controls just to get a basic sense of product quality. This friction interrupts the decision-making flow and raises cognitive barriers, particularly for users seeking to validate specific concerns.
Users frequently scan reviews for patterns. Recurring mentions of durability, sizing, battery life, or shipping experience, for example. Others approach reviews with particular questions in mind, such as “Does this work well for tall users?” or “How long did the battery last after six months?” When the default set of visible reviews is too small, users cannot detect these patterns without expending effort. In user experience research, this results in reduced engagement with the review section and lower overall satisfaction with the product page.
Moreover, a meaningful subset of users attempts to find reviews from individuals who share relevant traits or use cases. For example, a parent might seek insights from other parents, or a runner might look for reviews from long-distance athletes. This behavior, known as demographic matching, requires users to scan multiple reviews in quick succession. Showing too few reviews initially makes this impractical, leading to either abandonment or increased interaction costs.
In a digital environment, where every additional tap or click can result in user drop-off, requiring users to “Load More” before gaining meaningful insight is a costly mistake. It assumes a level of motivation that not all users possess, especially when browsing casually or comparing multiple products.
The Problem With Too Many Reviews
While showing too few reviews limits user comprehension, displaying too many can be equally problematic. Overloading users with a long, unbroken list of reviews leads to a range of usability issues: increased page length, reduced scannability, and a heightened risk of cognitive fatigue. The result is often a paradox of choice, where more information leads not to better decisions but to user paralysis and disengagement.
Long lists of reviews can conceal other important page elements, particularly on mobile devices where vertical space is limited. Sections such as product Q&A, cross-selling modules, or footer navigation may be pushed far below the fold, causing them to be overlooked or underutilized. In responsive layouts, even modest additions to the review section can drastically alter page flow and hierarchy, with significant consequences for both conversion rates and SEO.
Another concern is content density. Reviews are inherently unstructured: some are concise, others lengthy; some include images, others include detailed technical commentary. When more than 10–15 reviews are shown by default on desktop (or more than 10 on mobile), the review section can begin to resemble a “wall of text.” This visual bulk reduces readability and increases the cognitive load required to extract meaningful insights. In practice, users may begin to skim or skip reviews altogether, missing key information or abandoning the section entirely.
Furthermore, information retention suffers when users are asked to process too many reviews at once. Rather than comparing two or three relevant insights, users face dozens, often with conflicting opinions and varying levels of credibility. This saturation effect reduces confidence in decision-making and can even induce regret or second-guessing after a purchase.
From a performance standpoint, loading too many reviews by default may also strain page load times or introduce layout shifts, particularly if reviews include multimedia content. These delays subtly undermine user trust and contribute to abandonment, especially on slower mobile networks or older devices.
In short, while it may seem generous or transparent to display as many reviews as possible upfront, the user experience quickly deteriorates when quantity is not balanced with clarity and control.
The Goldilocks Zone: Optimal Default Review Count
Determining the ideal number of product reviews to display by default is not about maximizing visibility or minimizing clutter, it’s about finding the functional middle ground that delivers value without friction. Empirical testing and UX research suggest that there is a “Goldilocks zone” for default review display: not too few to require immediate user effort, and not so many that the page becomes dense and unmanageable.
The optimal number depends on several contextual factors, including device type, review formatting, and layout complexity. However, general thresholds can be established as a starting point:
- Desktop: Showing 6 to 15 reviews by default generally allows users to gain meaningful insight while preserving space for other content elements. This range accommodates variability in review length and supplementary content, such as star subratings, reviewer images, or usage tags.
- Mobile: Due to constrained vertical space and slower scan speeds, a slightly lower range of 5 to 10 reviews is often more appropriate. The goal is to offer enough information to enable comparison and pattern recognition without overwhelming the user’s visual field or burying other page content.
These defaults should be dynamic and responsive to layout variations. For instance, if demographic data, subratings, or verified purchase badges are displayed alongside each review, fewer reviews may be shown without reducing perceived depth. Similarly, if the review section occupies a full-width container versus a tabbed or accordion layout, the ideal number may shift.
Ultimately, the goal is to maximize initial review impact, helping users form an early impression of product reliability, relevance, and suitability without requiring immediate interaction or risking cognitive overload. The “just right” number of reviews provides enough content to inform, but not enough to fatigue.
When to Display More Reviews by Default
While standard defaults strike a balance for most scenarios, there are cases where displaying a higher number of reviews by default can significantly improve the user experience. The most common of these is when users have applied filters or performed targeted review searches, for example, by selecting a specific star rating, entering a keyword, or filtering for a product use case such as “long battery life” or “pet-friendly.”
In these situations, users are signaling a high level of intent and are more motivated to engage deeply with the review content. Displaying more reviews by default in this context is not only appropriate, it’s expected. The cognitive burden of scrolling or clicking to load additional reviews becomes a source of frustration, especially when users are already refining their exploration to narrow in on relevance.
Recommended thresholds in filtered contexts:
- Desktop: Show up to 25 filtered reviews by default.
- Mobile: Show up to 15 filtered reviews, assuming screen real estate is managed thoughtfully.
To support this deeper engagement, the review section should clearly indicate the presence of filters and, if possible, summarize the filter criteria at the top of the section. This enhances context and reinforces that the content has been tailored to the user’s intent. Additionally, interfaces should offer a seamless way to reset filters or modify them without requiring a full page reload.
It’s also worth considering user state and behavior. If analytics indicate that users frequently apply filters and then abandon the review section quickly, it may be a sign that too few relevant results are being surfaced up front. A higher default count in filtered states can improve review discoverability and reduce bounce rates.
When displaying more reviews in these contexts, visual fatigue must still be minimized. Consider collapsing lengthy reviews after the first few lines, with an option to “Read More,” and use visual cues such as spacing, faded text shortening, or subtle dividers to maintain readability.
Best Practices for Loading More Reviews
Once the optimal number of reviews to display by default is established, the next consideration is how to present additional reviews beyond that threshold. The loading mechanism has a direct impact on user engagement, discoverability, and overall satisfaction with the review experience. Among the three dominant methods – pagination, infinite scroll, and “Load More” buttons – research and testing consistently show that one approach outperforms the others in terms of usability and user control.
Why “Load More” Outperforms Pagination and Infinite Scroll
Pagination, while still common, fragments the review experience. It forces users to navigate across separate pages, making it difficult to cross-reference or compare reviews. Users often overlook pagination controls entirely, especially when they appear as small text links, and on mobile devices, these controls are prone to interaction errors due to limited hit areas. Moreover, the perception of effort required to click through multiple pages often discourages further exploration.
Infinite scrolling, on the other hand, removes control entirely. While it ensures more content is always available, it makes it harder for users to maintain context, bookmark specific reviews, or reach important page sections that follow the review area – such as product Q&A or related product suggestions. Infinite scroll can also create performance issues and cognitive fatigue, as users are never sure how much content remains.
“Load More” buttons offer a balanced solution. By allowing users to reveal more reviews in stages without leaving the page, they preserve context while offering clear interaction feedback. Unlike pagination, “Load More” buttons are typically large, easy to locate, and optimized for touch on mobile devices. Unlike infinite scroll, they let users decide how much content they want to view and when.
Implementation Considerations
- The “Load More” button should appear only when additional reviews exist beyond the default set. If all reviews are already visible, the control should be hidden to prevent unnecessary interaction.
- After loading, consider briefly highlighting the new content or smoothly scrolling to the first newly loaded review, ensuring users don’t lose their place.
- The label should be explicit, e.g., “Show 10 More Reviews”, to set clear expectations.
- Loading should occur inline without refreshing or jumping the page, and a spinner or loading state should confirm that the request is being processed.
Content previewing and Mobile Design
Designing for mobile review consumption presents unique challenges. Limited screen space, slower reading speeds, and a higher likelihood of browsing in short sessions all demand a more streamlined presentation. One of the most effective strategies for accommodating longer or numerous reviews on mobile is content previewing – displaying only a preview of each review by default, with a clear path to reveal the full content.
Why Content Previewing Works
Shortening long reviews improves scannability and keeps the review section visually manageable, especially when users are presented with a higher number of reviews by default (e.g., when filters are applied). Without content previews, even a modest number of long-form reviews can result in an overwhelming “wall of text” that discourages exploration. By contrast, previewing offers a clean, consistent layout and enables users to focus only on reviews that seem immediately relevant.
Best Practices for Review Previews
- Consistent cut-off points: Shorten reviews after a defined number of lines or characters (e.g., 3–5 lines). Consistency maintains visual rhythm and reduces visual fatigue.
- Clear “Read More” link: Every shortened review should include a highly visible “Read More” or “Expand” link. Uncertainty in how to access full content can frustrate users and reduce engagement.
- Visual continuation cues: Use design elements such as faded text, ellipses, or gradient overlays at the bottom of shortened content. These subtle cues signal that additional content is available without cluttering the interface.
- Progressive disclosure: Upon expansion, the full review should appear inline, without navigating away or refreshing the page. Collapsible interactions (i.e., “Read Less” to re-collapse) improve usability for users skimming multiple reviews.
- Touch-friendly controls: Ensure that interaction elements (like “Read More”) have generous spacing and meet accessibility targets for mobile devices, especially for users with limited mobility.
Desktop Implications
While content previewing is most critical on mobile, it can also be beneficial on desktop when displaying long reviews or when including a large number of reviews by default. On wider screens, however, designers have more flexibility to show slightly more content upfront without overwhelming the user.
Ultimately, previewing should not be seen as limiting information – it’s a technique for enhancing navigability. It supports exploratory browsing behavior by enabling users to quickly assess review relevance and dive deeper only where appropriate.
Conclusion and Review Display Guidelines
Designing an effective review display strategy involves more than setting a randomly chosen number. It requires aligning the default display count with user intent, screen constraints, content density, and interaction patterns. The following table synthesizes key recommendations drawn from usability research and interface best practices:
Recommended Review Display Counts
| Context | Desktop | Mobile | Rationale |
| Unfiltered view (default) | 6–15 reviews | 5–10 reviews | Supports pattern recognition without overwhelming users or displacing content |
| Filtered view (e.g., by rating or keyword) | Up to 25 reviews | Up to 15 reviews | Reflects strong user intent; facilitates deep exploration |
| Maximum advisable default | ~15–20 reviews | ~10–12 reviews | Avoids scroll fatigue and “wall of text” effect |
Interaction & Layout Recommendations
- Use a “Load More” button rather than pagination or infinite scroll for loading additional reviews. It maintains context and gives users control.
- Shorten lengthy reviews, especially on mobile, with clear “Read More” links and visual continuation cues to preserve layout cleanliness.
- Dynamically adjust review display based on layout elements like reviewer avatars, star subratings, or embedded images.
- Avoid unnecessary interactions: If all reviews are displayed, suppress the “Load More” control to prevent user confusion.
- Always prioritize readability: White space, typography, and spacing are as important as review count in creating a usable experience.
These guidelines are not static rules but a framework to test against your specific audience, product category, and layout system. A/B testing variations within these thresholds – particularly around default count and truncation behavior- can yield data-driven insights that refine your review UX strategy.