1. How it usually happens
Online reviews are quick to write and even quicker to modify. One day you find a detailed, highly critical comment; the next day it has been modified or removed. In other cases, several similar reviews appear, with almost identical tones and content.
There are curious situations: profiles publishing reviews for dozens of different businesses in a few hours, or very specific reviews about experiences that never took place. Other times, the review changes over time, perhaps after a public reply.
From the platform's perspective, reviews are dynamic content. From your perspective, this dynamism makes it hard to prove what was actually written at a certain time.
A frequent anecdote: someone replies to a review, then the author changes the text. At that point, the reply seems out of context, and the situation is flipped.
2. What you need to prove
Here the goal is to document the content of the review and the context in which it appeared.
You must be able to prove:
- the exact text of the review
- the profile that published it
- the associated rating (stars, score)
- the context (page, business, product)
- the time it was visible
- any subsequent modifications or removals
Basically, you must secure a precise version of the review at a specific moment.
3. What to collect
You need to collect both the content and the elements that make it recognisable.
- Full screenshots of the review (text, profile name, date)
- Screenshot of the general page (e.g., review list)
- Direct URL of the review or page
- Screenshot of the author's profile
- Any public replies to the review
- Screen recording while scrolling the page
- Screenshots of any modifications over time
- Screenshot of the review after removal or modification (if visible)
A useful detail: including nearby reviews helps to show the context and position of the review.
4. How to proceed
The priority is to act immediately, because the content can change rapidly.
As soon as you spot the review:
- Take a full screenshot
- Record a short video while scrolling the page
- Copy and save the URL
Right after:
- Open the author's profile and document it
- Save any replies or interactions
- Check if there are other similar reviews
Then organise:
- Gather everything in an orderly folder
- Give files clear names (date + content)
- Keep originals without modifying them
To strengthen documentation:
- Use ExistBefore to timestamp relevant screenshots, videos, and pages
- Update the collection if the review changes or disappears
An effective method is to think in versions: every modification of the review becomes a new "snapshot" to keep.
5. Mistakes to avoid
Some mistakes make documentation less useful:
- Taking partial screenshots without context
- Not saving the author's profile
- Ignoring subsequent modifications
- Not saving the URL
- Modifying or compressing original files
An important tip concerns completeness: a single image may not be enough, whereas a well-constructed sequence clarifies much more.
Timestamping content while it is still visible allows you to maintain a clear, usable trail at no cost.
6. After documenting
Once you have gathered the evidence, you can move in a more structured way.
- Report the review to the platform
- Provide the collected evidence in an orderly manner
- Reply publicly only if useful and with a clear tone
- Monitor any modifications or new reviews
- Consider support from assistance or consulting services
At this point, you are no longer reacting to an isolated review: you have a concrete foundation to reconstruct what was published and how it changed over time.