Community Guidelines

Last updated: July 2026

Welcome to the Hotspots Portugal community! Our guidelines help us maintain a welcoming, honest, and safe space for Insiders, restaurant owners, and diners everywhere. By using Hotspots Portugal, you agree to follow these guidelines in all your interactions.

1. Our Core Values

Hotspots Portugal is built on three principles:

1.1 Authenticity

We trust Insiders to share genuine experiences. Your reviews should reflect your honest opinion based on a real visit to the restaurant. We celebrate diverse perspectives — not everyone has to love the same place — but those perspectives must be real.

1.2 Respect

This is a community where people from different backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles come together around food. We respect everyone and expect the same from you. Disagreement is fine; harassment is not.

1.3 Helpfulness

The best reviews help others make decisions. Specific details (what you ordered, price, service speed, ambiance) are more helpful than generic praise or complaints. Constructive feedback is welcome; trolling is not.

2. What We Welcome

2.1 Great Reviews

• Honest opinions: "The pasta was overcooked, but the service made up for it."
• Specific details: Mention dishes you ordered, price range, wait time, ambiance.
• Constructive feedback: "The kitchen seems to struggle with timing; consider pre-prep or a larger line."
• Photos: Real photos of your meal, the restaurant, or both add credibility.
• Updates: "I revisited 6 months later and things have improved..."

2.2 Diverse Perspectives

• Love fine dining? Write about it.
• Prefer casual, cheap eats? We want to hear from you too.
• Have dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten-free, kosher)? Share how the restaurant handled your needs.
• Language learner? Tell us about your experience as a non-Portuguese speaker.

2.3 Community Engagement

• Thoughtful replies to others' reviews
• Voting on helpful reviews (yes, or no)
• Friendly discussions about food and restaurants
• Asking questions about restaurants ("Is this place wheelchair accessible?")
• Voting in Community Choice to highlight your favorite spots

3. What We Don't Tolerate

3.1 Hate Speech & Harassment

Zero tolerance. We will not accept content that:

• Demeans or attacks someone based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or age
• Uses slurs or dehumanizing language
• Threatens, stalks, or harasses an individual
• Incites violence or harm against a person or group

3.2 Defamation & False Claims

We encourage honest critique, but not false accusations. For example:

Attacks on restaurant staff members should focus on service, not personal characteristics.

3.3 Spam & Manipulation

• Fake reviews: Posting reviews without visiting the restaurant
• Vote brigades: Coordinating with others to artificially boost or trash a restaurant
• Paid reviews: "I'll pay you €50 to post a positive review"
• Competitor attacks: Creating multiple accounts to trash a competitor
• Spam links: Posting promotional links or ads in reviews

3.4 Off-Topic Content

• Political rants unrelated to the restaurant
• Conspiracy theories
• Unsolicited advertisements
• Copy-pasted content from other review sites

3.5 Posting Private Information

• Names and addresses of staff members
• Personal contact info (phone, home address, social media)
• Photos identifying staff without permission
• Information about customers (other than your own experience)

3.6 Illegal Content

• Content promoting illegal drugs or services
• Child exploitation material (immediate law enforcement referral)
• Instructions for committing crimes
• Counterfeit or stolen goods

4. Honest Reviews

4.1 Review Authenticity Standards

Your review should reflect a genuine dining experience. We use multiple signals to detect fake reviews:

• Account age: Brand new accounts posting extreme ratings are flagged.
• Timing patterns: Multiple 5-star or 1-star reviews of the same restaurant in one day from similar accounts triggers review.
• Content: Generic praise ("Great food! 10/10!") with no details is suspicious.
• IP/device: Multiple accounts from the same device posting on the same restaurants are monitored.
• Competitor overlap: Accounts that only attack one restaurant and praise a nearby competitor are reviewed.

4.2 Incentivized Reviews

You must not:

• Accept money, free food, or other compensation for a positive review
• Agree to post a review in exchange for a discount
• Post a negative review on behalf of a competitor for payment

You can:

• Visit a restaurant as a paying customer and review your experience
• Mention if a restaurant offered you a sample or press preview (transparency is honest)
• Review a restaurant you were invited to (disclose the invitation)

4.3 Ratings & Star System

Rate based on your overall dining experience:

• 5 stars: Exceptional — would return regularly. Food and service were excellent.
• 4 stars: Very good — worth a visit. Minor issues but overall great.
• 3 stars: Good — decent experience, but some notable issues (slow service, flavor issues, or high price).
• 2 stars: Poor — significant problems (cold food, rude staff, poor value).
• 1 star: Unacceptable — major failure (food poisoning symptoms, dangerous safety issue, extreme rudeness).

Don't rate based on politics, owner identity, or other factors unrelated to your dining experience.

5. Insider Conduct

5.1 Your Insider Rank

Your rank is earned through review volume and is displayed on your profile:

• First Bite (0–4 reviews): Welcome, newcomer! We're glad you're here.
• Regular (5–14 reviews): You're an active reviewer. Your opinions matter.
• Local Insider (15–49 reviews): You're part of our core community. Your voice shapes rankings.
• Resident Critic (50+ reviews): You're a trusted voice. Your insights are valued highly.

Higher rank does not give you special rights to harass others or violate guidelines. Resident Critics who break guidelines face account suspension just like newer members.

5.2 Saved Places & Community Voting

• Saving restaurants (♡): Keep a personal list of places you love. This is private unless you make your saved list public in Settings.
• Helpful votes: Vote "yes" or "no" on whether reviews are helpful. Don't vote based on agreement with the rating.
• Community Choice voting: Vote once per category per year. Voting is anonymous but tracked to prevent duplicate votes.

5.3 Respectful Replies & Discussions

You can reply to others' reviews or comments. When you do:

• Disagree respectfully: "I had a different experience when I visited last month..."
• Ask clarifying questions: "Did you try their house specialty?"
• Share related experiences: "I totally agree, the dessert is their weak point."
• Don't attack the reviewer: Never demean someone for their opinion.

5.4 Disputing Reviews & Accuracy

If you believe a review is inaccurate:

• Your own review: You can edit or delete it anytime via your profile.
• Someone else's review: Contact us if it contains false factual claims (e.g., "This restaurant is closed" when it's open). We will investigate.
• A restaurant's response: If an owner responds to your review with false claims, you can flag it.

6. Restaurant Owner Conduct

6.1 Claiming Your Restaurant

Restaurant owners can claim their listings to:

• Verify ownership with a badge
• Update menu, hours, and restaurant info
• Respond professionally to reviews
• Track statistics (views, ratings, reviews over time)

You cannot:

• See reviewers' email addresses or personal information
• Contact reviewers outside of public responses
• Delete negative reviews (only flag for factual inaccuracy)
• Manipulate vote counts or rankings

6.2 Responding to Reviews

Professional responses are welcomed. For example:

6.3 No Fake Reviews or Vote Manipulation

• Creating accounts to post positive reviews of your restaurant = grounds for permanent ban
• Offering incentives for positive reviews = permanent ban
• Coordinating with others to downvote competitors = permanent ban
• Mass-reporting competitors' reviews to get them removed = investigation + potential ban

6.4 Transparency & Accuracy

• Keep menu and hours up-to-date
• Disclose changes (new chef, ownership, renovations) that reviewers should know about
• Don't misrepresent your restaurant's cuisine type, price range, or experience

7. Enforcement & Consequences

7.1 How We Respond to Violations

Depending on severity and context, actions include:

• Warning: First minor violation. We notify you of the issue.
• Content removal: Offensive review, comment, or profile text is deleted. Your account remains active.
• Suspension (7–30 days): Repeated violations. You cannot post or vote during suspension.
• Permanent ban: Severe violations (hate speech, fraud, harassment, illegal activity) result in immediate permanent ban.

7.2 Severity Levels

🟡 Minor (Content Removed, Warning)

• Off-topic comments
• Mild spam or self-promotion
• Accidental copyright infringement

🟠 Moderate (Suspension 7–30 days)

• Repeated minor violations
• Defamatory claims with evidence of intent to harm
• Obvious fake reviews (account created today, posted 10 reviews of same restaurant)
• Coordinated vote manipulation (2–3 accounts tracked)
• Harassment or personal attacks
• Incentivized reviews ("I paid them for this positive review")

🔴 Severe (Permanent Ban)

• Hate speech or slurs targeting protected groups
• Threats of violence or physical harm
• Sexual harassment or exploitation
• Coordinated campaign of fake reviews (10+ accounts, large-scale fraud)
• Doxxing (posting private information) with intent to harm
• Illegal activity (phishing, malware, child exploitation)
• Repeated violations after suspension

8. Appeals & Disputes

8.1 Appealing an Action

If we remove your content or suspend your account, you receive an email explaining the violation. You can appeal within 14 days by:

• Emailing community@hotspotsportugal.com with your account email and appeal reason
• Explaining why you believe the action was in error

8.2 Appeal Review

A human reviewer (not automated) will re-examine your case. We consider:

• Context (is this clearly joking or sarcastic?)
• History (first violation vs. repeated pattern?)
• Intent (accident vs. deliberate violation?)

8.3 Appeal Outcomes

• Upheld: Action stands. We explain why.
• Partially reversed: Content is restored, but we add a label or context note.
• Reversed: Action is undone; you receive an apology.

Appeals can take up to 7 business days.

9. Reporting Violations

9.1 How to Report

See something that violates these guidelines? Report it:

• On a review or comment: Click the ⋯ menu → "Report this review"
• On a profile: Click the ⋯ menu → "Report this profile"
• Email: community@hotspotsportugal.com

9.2 What to Include

• Link to the content or account
• Which guideline(s) you believe are violated
• Brief explanation (2–3 sentences)

9.3 False Reports

Repeatedly reporting content that clearly doesn't violate guidelines is itself a violation. We track patterns and may warn you.

9.4 Review Timeline

• Urgent (threats, illegal content): 24 hours
• Standard (hate speech, harassment): 48–72 hours
• Low priority (spam, off-topic): 5–7 days

---

Questions?

Email us at community@hotspotsportugal.com if you have questions about these guidelines or need to report a violation.

These guidelines may be updated periodically to keep pace with evolving community needs. We'll notify users of material changes. Thank you for helping us maintain the Hotspots Portugal community as a safe, authentic, and welcoming space.