--- - |2+ Objective The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of a crowd innovation network and its cooperation obstacles. Methods This study constructs a reputation‐based public goods game model, uses the maximum utility of neighbors as the standard in order to update strategies, and analyzes the cooperative, evolutionary effect toward reputation of a crowd innovation network. Results The introduction of a reputation mechanism in the PGG can significantly promote the level of group cooperation, and the increase of reputation heterogeneity and co‐factors can promote the evolution proportion of cooperators in the group. Conclusion Reputation and its critical threshold have significant effect on cooperation under proper network scale. - 'Social Science Quarterly, EarlyView. '