A 4-star average can hide a problem: the average moves slowly, sentiment moves fast. QI classifies every incoming review as positive, neutral, or negative based on what the customer actually wrote, not just the stars, and aggregates the results where you and your shoppers can use them. Sentiment insights are part of the full QI suite on Unlimited.
In your analytics
The sentiment breakdown in Analytics shows the split across positive, neutral, and negative, with counts and shares, plus an unclassified bucket for reviews QI has not processed yet. Watch it the way you watch revenue: the level matters less than the change. A negative share creeping up across two weeks is your earliest warning, often before support tickets catch up.
[SCREENSHOT: Sentiment breakdown in Analytics]
On your storefront
Your product page widget can carry a small sentiment row in its header, three quiet inline stats summarizing how reviewers feel. It reads as confidence, not clutter, and it has its own switch, so your analytics can use sentiment while the storefront stays untouched until you choose otherwise.
How to act on it
Cross with products. Negative sentiment concentrated on one product is a product problem. Spread thin across everything, it is usually shipping or expectations.
Cross with attributes. Sentiment says something is wrong, attributes often say what: the same product whose negative reviews all mark "runs small" has told you the fix.
Watch after changes. New packaging, new supplier, new sizing chart. The sentiment line is your before-and-after readout.
š” Tip: Stars are what customers say to be polite, text is what they say to be honest. When the two disagree, sentiment catches it: the polite 4-star review that reads like a complaint counts where it should.