---
title: What Happens When You Edit an Existing Review Criteria in ReviewX?
description: "Renaming a criterion keeps existing ratings intact - just keep the new name close in meaning."
url: "https://reviewx.io/docs/what-will-happen-if-i-edit-a-criteria/"
updated: "2026-09-30"
category: Configuration
---

# What Happens When You Edit an Existing Review Criteria in ReviewX?

Fine-tuning the language of your review form is a standard part of optimizing customer response rates. You might find that changing a vague label like *"Quality"* to *"Material Quality"* or *"Sizing"* to *"True to Size"* clarifies the prompt and encourages more thoughtful reviews.

When you edit a review criterion in ReviewX, the change is instant and non-destructive. However, understanding how ReviewX connects labels to underlying database keys ensures your review data remains semantically accurate and trustworthy.

---

## 1. Technical Architecture: Display Labels vs. Criteria Keys

Inside the ReviewX settings store (`useReviewSettingsStore.ts`), each review criterion consists of two parts:

1. **The System Key (`key`):** A persistent internal identifier (such as `criteria_1`, `criteria_2`) stored in database records and comment meta.
2. **The Display Name (`name`):** The human-readable string displayed to shoppers on the storefront and in the admin dashboard.

When you edit a criterion in the Multi-Criteria Editor, ReviewX updates the `name` string while keeping the underlying system `key` identical. As a result, all existing ratings previously submitted under that key automatically display with the updated label — with 100% mathematical continuity and zero data loss.

---

## 2. Semantic Consistency: Safe Edits vs. Risky Edits

Because editing updates the label across both historical and future reviews, it is essential to distinguish between semantic refinement and fundamental metric shifts:

- **Safe & Recommended Edits (Clarification & Polish):**
  - *"Fit"* → *"Fit & Sizing"*
  - *"Speed"* → *"Shipping Speed"*
  - *"Value"* → *"Value for Money"*
  - *"Durability"* → *"Long-Term Durability"*
  - *Outcome:* Past customer ratings remain accurate and contextually aligned with the improved label.
- **Risky Edits (Topic Shifts):**
  - *"Packaging"* → *"Sound Quality"*
  - *"Ease of Setup"* → *"Battery Life"*
  - *Outcome:* Past customers who gave 5 stars for packaging will now show 5 stars for sound quality — misleading shoppers and violating review transparency principles.
  - *Correct Action:* Delete the obsolete criterion and add a new one instead.

---

## 3. Step-by-Step Guide: Editing Review Criteria

To edit criteria labels or reorder their position:

1. Go to **ReviewX → Reviews** in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click the **Review settings** button in the top navigation bar.
3. Under the **Multi-criteria reviews** section, locate the criterion you wish to update.
4. Click into the text input field and type your revised title.
5. To change the visual hierarchy, grab the **drag handle icon** (`rvx-drag-handle`) on the left and drag the row up or down.
6. Click the **Save** button at the bottom of the page.

![ReviewX Multi-Criteria Editor with Drag Reordering and Field Management](https://reviewx.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/rvx_criteria_editor_lifecycle_annotated.png)

  **Interface Highlights:**
 **(2) Reorder Drag Handle:** Instantly reposition criteria without changing their keys.
 **(3) Name Input Field:** Edit the visible label across storefront forms, cards, and graph widgets.
 **(5) Save:** Immediately flushes cached frontend templates.

---

## Related Articles

- [How to Add and Configure Review Criteria in ReviewX](https://reviewx.io/docs/how-do-i-add-review-criteria/)
- [What Happens When You Delete a Review Criteria in ReviewX?](https://reviewx.io/docs/what-will-happen-if-i-delete-a-review-criteria/)
- [How to Create and Manage Multiple Review Criteria](https://reviewx.io/docs/manage-multiple-review-criteria/)
- [How to Design the Review List Using WordPress Live Customizer](https://reviewx.io/docs/how-to-design-review-list-using-wordpress-live-customizer/)