// Moderation process

How verification works

Every review on GigScores is manually reviewed before it goes public. Here's exactly what that means — no vague claims, no black-box algorithms.

What counts as proof

A review requires at least two proofs from this list. Each proof must show enough detail to confirm the transaction was real.

01
Payment receipt or invoice
That a payment was made and received for a specific amount.
⚠Unacceptable if the amount, date, or counterparty name is cropped or fully redacted.
02
Bank transfer screenshot
A direct transfer from client to freelancer with matching names and amounts visible.
⚠Unacceptable if the recipient account details are completely hidden.
03
PayPal / Wise / Stripe transaction
A completed payment via a recognizable digital payment service.
⚠Unacceptable if only a partial transaction is shown without the amount or recipient.
04
Contract or agreement
A formal written engagement between client and freelancer with agreed scope and compensation.
⚠Unacceptable if names and financial terms are both redacted.
05
Email thread with payment confirmation
Written acknowledgment of payment via email, with identifiable sender and recipient.
⚠Unacceptable if the thread is cropped to remove amounts or identifying details.
06
Freelancer platform payment (Fiverr, Upwork, Toptal, etc.)
A completed order or contract receipt from a recognized freelance marketplace.
⚠Unacceptable if the screenshot is from an unrecognized or unverifiable source.
07
Crypto transaction record
An on-chain or wallet-level record of a payment from client to freelancer.
⚠Unacceptable if the transaction hash or wallet addresses cannot be cross-referenced.
08
Escrow release confirmation
That funds held in escrow were released to the freelancer upon completion of work.
⚠Unacceptable without clear amounts and the names of the parties involved.
09
Milestone payment record
A payment tied to a specific project milestone, confirming incremental delivery.
⚠Unacceptable if only the final milestone is shown and project context is missing.
10
Purchase order
A formal document committing to purchase services at a stated price.
⚠Unacceptable if amounts, dates, or vendor name are obscured.

The moderation process

After a review is submitted, here's what happens — in order.

  1. 01
    Review submitted and held as pending
    The moment a review is submitted, it enters a pending queue. It's completely invisible to the public — it doesn't appear on the freelancer's profile, doesn't affect their score, and doesn't show on the leaderboard.
  2. 02
    Proof files checked for authenticity
    Each uploaded proof file is examined. Dates, amounts, and names must be visible. Files that are cropped, edited, or fail to show a clear transaction are flagged for rejection.
  3. 03
    Reviewer X handle verified as real and active
    The reviewer's X handle is checked against the X API. If the account doesn't exist, was created very recently with no activity, or shows other signals of inauthenticity, the review is rejected.
  4. 04
    Review text checked for minimum quality
    The written review must be specific about the work. Generic text ("great to work with!", "highly recommend") without any project context is grounds for rejection. We want reviews that help future clients understand what to expect.
  5. 05
    Cross-checked for duplicates and suspicious patterns
    Reviews are checked for duplicate submissions, IP address clusters that suggest self-review, and patterns that match known abuse behaviors — including multiple reviews for the same freelancer from the same source.
  6. 06
    Approve or reject — decided by a human (Murat)
    Every review gets a final read by the admin. This isn't an automated score or AI decision. A human reads the proof, the review text, and makes the call.
  7. 07
    Approved reviews go live
    Approved reviews appear on the freelancer's public profile, contribute to their rating, and count toward their Trust Score ranking. Rejected reviews are discarded, and the reason is logged internally.

What gets rejected

The most common reasons a submitted review is rejected:

  • ✗Generic review text with no specific project details ("great experience!", "very professional")
  • ✗Proof images that don't show the payment amount or date
  • ✗Duplicate submissions from the same reviewer for the same freelancer
  • ✗Reviewer X accounts with no post history or that were created within days of the review
  • ✗Reviews where the IP address or X handle pattern strongly suggests the freelancer reviewed themselves
  • ✗Proof files that appear digitally altered or inconsistent (mismatched fonts, suspicious metadata)

What we don't do (yet)

  • —We don't use AI to verify proofs automatically — all moderation decisions are made by a human.
  • —We don't accept anonymous reviews. A reviewer's X handle is always recorded, even if they choose not to show it publicly.
  • —We don't allow freelancers to dispute or remove reviews. If you believe a proof is fraudulent, you can submit a report — but the moderation decision remains final.
  • —We don't notify freelancers when a new review is submitted (though this may change in a future update).
Have a question about a specific rejection? Email [email protected]