> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ribbon.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Custom Scoring
> How to create and use custom scoring criteria in Ribbon
Ribbon automatically scores every interview on default criteria, but you can also define custom scores tailored to what matters most for your role.
## Default Scores
Every interview is automatically scored on:
* **Communication** - How clearly the candidate expresses themselves
* **Enthusiasm & Motivation** - Their interest in the role and company
* **Skills & Experience** - Relevant background for the position
Each default score is rated out of 5.
## Creating Custom Scores
Custom scores let you evaluate candidates on criteria specific to your role. For example:
* "Leadership Experience"
* "Technical Problem Solving"
* "Customer Empathy"
* "Startup Mentality"
### Step 1: Open your interview flow
Navigate to your interview flow. You'll see three tabs: **All candidates**, **Scoring**, and **Settings**.
### Step 2: Click the Scoring tab
Click **Scoring** to see your default and custom scores. Default scores include General assessment and Language proficiency.
### Step 3: Add a custom score
Click **+ Add custom score** to create a new scoring criterion. You can choose to:
* **Use AI magic** - Let Ribbon suggest scores based on your job description
* **Start from scratch** - Define your own criteria manually
### Step 4: Define your score
When creating a score, specify:
* **Score Name** - What you're evaluating (e.g., "Leadership Experience")
* **Description** - Guidelines for how to score (the AI uses this to evaluate)
* **Scoring System** - How to measure it
### Scoring Systems
Choose from three scoring systems:
| System | Description | Best For |
| -------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------- |
| **Out of 5** | 1-5 rating scale | Most evaluations |
| **Percentage** | 0-100% scale | Quantifiable skills |
| **Binary** | Yes/No | Must-have requirements |
## Auto-Generate Scores
Not sure what custom scores to create? Use **AI magic**:
1. Click **+ Add custom score**
2. Select **Use AI magic**
3. The AI analyzes your job description and questions
4. Review and edit the suggested scores
5. Add the ones you want to use
## How Scoring Works
After each interview, Ribbon's AI:
1. Reviews the full transcript
2. Evaluates the candidate against each scoring criterion
3. Assigns a score with reasoning
4. Highlights specific quotes that support the score
### Score Details
For each score, you'll see:
* **The Score** - The numerical rating
* **Reason Summary** - Why the AI gave this score
* **Highlights** - Positive and negative moments with timestamps
* **Candidate Quotes** - Exact words from the transcript
Click any highlight to jump to that moment in the interview recording.
## Rescoring Interviews
If you update your scoring criteria, you can rescore all existing interviews:
1. Edit or add custom scores
2. Click **Rescore All Interviews**
3. Ribbon will reprocess all completed interviews with the new criteria
Rescoring can take time for flows with many interviews. You'll see a progress indicator while it runs.
## Tips for Effective Custom Scores
* **Be specific** in your score descriptions - the AI uses them to evaluate
* **Use binary scores** for dealbreakers (e.g., "Has 5+ years experience")
* **Limit to 3-5 custom scores** to keep reviews manageable
* **Update descriptions** if scores aren't capturing what you intended