Guide

Can you trust influencer recommendations?

By the Truliate team · Updated October 19, 2026

Short answer: Sometimes. Plenty of influencers have great taste and say so honestly, but many posts are paid, gifted or made for views, and the format rarely shows the bad nights. Before you spend money on a pick, check five things: whether money was involved, whether they really tried it, whether they ever criticize anything, how their past picks held up with other people, and whether real commenters back it up.

Why it’s hard to tell

A 30-second video can’t show a slow kitchen, a dish that’s only good on the day it was filmed, or a pick that was comped. Short-form content also rewards excitement: “this is the best taco in the city” gets more views than “this was fine.” None of that makes influencers dishonest. It means one post is a weak signal on its own.

The 5-minute checklist

Was money involved? Look for “Paid partnership”, #ad, “gifted”, discount codes or purchase links. A paid pick can still be great, but discount the enthusiasm. (How to spot a sponsored post.)
Did they actually try it? Do you see them eat it, use it, or go back for it, or is it mostly B-roll and a voiceover? Repeat visits and long-term use are much stronger than a first bite on camera.
Do they ever say anything negative? Influencers who sometimes say “skip this” or “it’s overhyped” make their praise mean more. If everything is a 10/10, nothing is.
How have their past picks held up? This is the most useful question and the hardest to answer from their feed, which only shows their side. It’s exactly what Truliate scores are for: people who went rate each recommendation, so you can see an influencer’s track record.
Do real comments back it up? Comments from people who went (“went Saturday, the brisket was dry”) are worth more than emoji and “need to try!” Mixed comments on a glowing post are a yellow flag.

Red flags

Several creators pushing the same new spot in the same week with similar wording.
A discount code but no disclosure.
Superlatives with no specifics (“insane”, “the best ever”) and no mention of price, wait or what to order.
Comments asking “is this sponsored?” that never get an answer.

Green flags

Specifics: what to order, what to skip, the price, the wait.
Clear disclosure when something was paid or gifted, and honest takes anyway.
Return visits, or follow-ups like “I went back and it’s not as good”.
A track record other people agree with: a high score on Truliate across many picks and many ratings.

Match the taste, not just the score

Even an honest influencer has their own taste. Someone who loves heat will rave about a spicy spot you’d hate. Look at their category scores (Restaurants, Tech and so on) and their highest- and lowest-rated picks to see where your taste lines up with theirs.

Help the next person

The fastest way to make influencer recommendations more trustworthy is to close the loop: after you try a pick, rate it. One tap on Truliate tells everyone after you whether it was worth it.