Star Rating Questions

Star rating questions provide a visual way for respondents to rate items using stars or other icons. They’re intuitive and quick to answer.

When to Use

Star rating questions are ideal for:

  • Quick satisfaction ratings - Overall experience
  • Product reviews - Quality, value, usability
  • Service ratings - Support, delivery, communication
  • Simple preference scales - How much do you like X?

Adding a Star Rating Question

  1. Click Add Question in the survey editor
  2. Select Star Rating
  3. Enter your question text
  4. Configure the scale
  5. Add labels (optional)

Configuration Options

Scale Size

Set the number of stars:

  • 3 stars - Simple good/neutral/bad
  • 5 stars - Standard rating (most common)
  • 7 stars - More granular feedback
  • 10 stars - Detailed ratings

Icons

Choose your rating icon:

  • ⭐ Stars (default)
  • ❤️ Hearts
  • 👍 Thumbs
  • 😊 Smileys
  • Custom icons

Labels

Add context to your scale:

Endpoint labels:

  • Low end: “Poor”
  • High end: “Excellent”

Individual labels:

  • 1 star: “Very Poor”
  • 2 stars: “Poor”
  • 3 stars: “Average”
  • 4 stars: “Good”
  • 5 stars: “Excellent”

Half Stars

Enable half-star selections for more precision:

  • 4.5 stars possible
  • Doubles your scale points
  • Good for detailed feedback

Initial State

No selection (default):

  • All stars empty
  • Respondent must select

Pre-filled:

  • Start with middle value
  • Respondent can adjust

Required Response

Toggle to require a rating before continuing.

Best Practices

Scale Selection

ScaleBest For
3 starsQuick binary-ish feedback
5 starsGeneral satisfaction, reviews
7 starsWhen you need more granularity
10 starsDetailed analysis, NPS-style

Label Guidelines

Clear and balanced:

Good: "Very Poor" to "Excellent"
Bad: "Bad" to "Perfect" (unbalanced)

Consistent: Use same labels throughout survey for similar questions.

Question Wording

Specific:

Good: "How would you rate the checkout process?"
Bad: "Rate this"

One concept per question:

Good: "Rate the food quality"
Bad: "Rate the food and service"

Advanced Features

Conditional Logic

Route based on rating:

Skip logic:

  • If rating ≤ 2, show “What went wrong?”
  • If rating ≥ 4, show “What did you like?”

Display logic:

  • Show follow-up only for low ratings
  • Show upsell for high ratings

Multiple Items

Rate several items with same scale:

Consider using Matrix/Rating Scale for:

  • Multiple products
  • Multiple attributes
  • Side-by-side comparison

Piping

Reference the rating in follow-up:

You gave us {{Q1}} stars.
What would it take to earn 5 stars?

Analyzing Results

Metrics

Average rating:

  • Mean score across responses
  • Compare over time
  • Benchmark against targets

Distribution:

  • Count per star level
  • Percentage breakdown
  • Identify patterns

Standard deviation:

  • Measure agreement
  • Low = consensus
  • High = mixed opinions

Charts

Best visualizations:

  • Bar chart showing distribution
  • Average with trend line
  • Histogram of ratings

Interpreting Results

5-star scale benchmarks:

  • 4.5+ = Excellent
  • 4.0-4.4 = Good
  • 3.5-3.9 = Average
  • 3.0-3.4 = Below average
  • Below 3.0 = Needs attention

Segmentation

Break down ratings by:

  • Customer type
  • Time period
  • Product/service
  • Demographics

Common Use Cases

Product Review

How would you rate this product?
☆☆☆☆☆
Poor          Excellent

Customer Satisfaction

How satisfied are you with your purchase?
☆☆☆☆☆
Very Dissatisfied    Very Satisfied

Service Rating

Rate your support experience:
☆☆☆☆☆

Content Feedback

How helpful was this article?
☆☆☆☆☆
Not Helpful    Very Helpful

Quick Polls

How's your day going?
😢 😕 😐 🙂 😄

Star Rating vs. Other Scales

vs. NPS

Star RatingNPS
5-point scale11-point scale (0-10)
General satisfactionLoyalty/recommendation
Simple analysisPromoter/Detractor segments

vs. Matrix

Star RatingMatrix
Single itemMultiple items
Visual appealCompact for many items
Quick responseComparative ratings

vs. Slider

Star RatingSlider
Discrete valuesContinuous scale
Familiar interfacePrecise values
Clear meaningAbstract numbers

Mobile Optimization

Touch-Friendly

  • Stars are easy to tap
  • Clear touch targets
  • Immediate visual feedback

Display

  • Scales adapt to screen width
  • Labels may stack on mobile
  • Consider fewer stars for small screens

Troubleshooting

Rating Inflation

Many respondents give high ratings:

  • Scale may be too small (try more stars)
  • Question may be too general
  • Add follow-up for specifics

Central Tendency

Most responses cluster in middle:

  • Remove middle option (even scale)
  • Make labels more distinct
  • Ask more specific questions

Low Engagement

Respondents skip or rush:

  • Question may seem unimportant
  • Add context for why rating matters
  • Keep survey short

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