Chrome extensions live and die by their ratings. They change our rankings. How much we look like we can be trusted. And how often people click "Install."
We knew it wasn't a product issue when we saw that QuillBot's Chrome extension had a lot fewer ratings than competitors like Grammarly, Wordtune, and LanguageTool. It was a feedback friction issue.
🧩 The Problem
Our extension had millions of users, but our reviews were few and far between. The store listing didn't look very good, and that cost us:
Lower search visibility
Less social proof
Fewer installs, especially in competitive segments
What made this worse? We never really asked users to rate us.
🛠️ Our UX Approach
Instead of asking for 5-stars, we focused on qualifying, timing, and placement.
User Criteria
The user hasn't given us a rating yet
Paraphrased atleast 5 times
At least two hours have passed since the first use
User Journey
Ask - Are you enjoying QuillBot?
Yes - Ask to rate on store
No - Route to feedback form
Product surface
Phase 1 - Extension on Gmail
Phase 2 -
Sidebar settings
Footer of the editor
In-line widget trigger
After key success events
🎨 Emotional design
This design showcases a 3-step feedback flow triggered within the extension experience. The flow balances conversion and empathy—a best-in-class UX for review solicitation.
After confirming that the feedback flow was successful, we continued beyond the initial touchpoints.To make it feel more like a natural part of the product than a campaign, we repeated the same pattern on the in-editor footer, extension sidebar, and post-interaction prompts.
🧠 UX Laws That Shaped Our Approach
We referenced Hick's Law and Cognitive Bias.
We asked for help right after useful interactions, when users felt like they were getting the most out of it. People are more likely to return the favor when they get something of value.
🚀 The Outcome
In a matter of months:
The ratings for the Chrome Extension went from 4.4 (500 reviews) to 4.7 (3,000+ reviews)
Got more useful feedback about the product through the negative path
More people who install apps on the Chrome Store are activating them
The rates of uninstalling and pausing stayed the same (no backlash)
💡 Takeaway: Focus on flows
Be respectful of the user's time. Recognize their journey. Don't make it feel like a rating trap; make it feel like a conversation. Don't stop—*integrate* the request into normal usage patterns.
It's not enough to just ask for better ratings. It's about listening first and then gently nudging the user when they're already feeling good.
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