Clarification on Policy Enforcement: Incentivized Reviews and "Click-to-Unlock" Tactics
Hitesh230
Hi everyone,
I’m seeking clarification on the Developer Program Policies regarding incentivized reviews and manipulated ratings.
While researching growth strategies, I’ve noticed several top-ranking extensions successfully using a "Review Gate" to inflate their store presence. A prominent example is:
Extension Name: WAExport - Free WhatsApp Chat Export
Extension ID: ldodkdnfdpchaipnoklfnfmbbkdoocej
Website: https://waexport.wadesk.io/
The Growth Loop Observed:
Feature Gating: The extension restricts core functionality (like unlimited exports) unless the user performs a "Review" action.
The Click-to-Unlock Loophole: The app redirects the user to the review page and unlocks the features immediately upon the click. Because the API doesn't confirm the review, this seems to be a "grey area" tactic to bypass the ban on paid/incentivized reviews.
Monetization Transition: Their pricing page (https://waexport.wadesk.io/pricing) converts these users into paid subscribers after the initial "review-fueled" growth phase.
My Questions:
Is "Click-to-Unlock" considered a violation of the Spam and Abuse policy?
Does Google's enforcement team distinguish between "Incentivizing a Review" and "Incentivizing a Visit to the Review Page"?
As a developer following the rules, how can we compete for search rankings when competitors are using these methods to gain thousands of 5-star reviews?
I believe a clear stance on this would help maintain a fair playing field for all developers.
Finally, it is worth noting that this is not an isolated case; a significant number of newly launched and trending extensions have recently adopted these forced review gates, turning what was once a 'safe' ecosystem into a landscape where artificial rating inflation is becoming the standard growth playbook.