Canonical page: https://lootgrade.com/guides/reading-a-review/

[Home](https://lootgrade.com/)[Guides](https://lootgrade.com/guides/)Field note
FIELD NOTES / REVIEW LITERACY

# A score is only as useful as its evidence

What a receipt, a timestamp, and a clear test route can tell you about a review.

FILE UPDATED October 13, 2026

## Start with the tested conditions

Look for the game, region, route, order date, and service type. One purchase cannot describe every region or product. Check whether the recommendation is limited to the conditions the reviewer actually tested.

## Separate observations from promises

A measured completion time is an observation. A deadline shown on a product page is a promise. A useful review records both and explains the difference. The same distinction applies to price, support, and refunds.

## Look for the missing fields

An absent receipt, unexplained score, or unnamed author leaves a question unanswered. Missing evidence is a reason to withhold a conclusion. It is not evidence that a company performed badly.

## Read the money disclosure

A page should explain whether a purchase through its links earns the publisher a commission. Check how the scoring rules keep payments separate from results, and whether the page has a correction process.

## Use the same standard for a review

[Our scoring protocol](https://lootgrade.com/how-we-score/) explains which records belong in a test file. [Browse the service files](https://lootgrade.com/services/) to see their current evidence status.

For publisher rules, consult the current [Riot Games terms](https://www.riotgames.com/en/terms-of-service) or the [Steam Subscriber Agreement](https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/), as applicable.

No paid placements. There are currently no affiliate links on this page. [Our funding policy](https://lootgrade.com/how-we-make-money/)

IN THIS FILE[Start with the tested conditions](https://lootgrade.com/#section-0)[Separate observations from promises](https://lootgrade.com/#section-1)[Look for the missing fields](https://lootgrade.com/#section-2)[Read the money disclosure](https://lootgrade.com/#section-3)[Our scoring methodology](https://lootgrade.com/how-we-score/)