Can Customers Leave Reviews on Shopify?

Introduction

If you're running a Shopify store, reviews are one of the most powerful trust signals you can surface. They reduce purchase friction, improve SEO with fresh content, and feed product improvements—yet merchants often ask a simple question: can customers leave reviews on Shopify?

Short answer: Yes. Customers can leave reviews on a Shopify store, but Shopify doesn't force a single built-in review system across all themes. Stores enable product and site reviews through integrated tools and review collection workflows. With the right retention suite, merchants can collect, moderate, display, and use reviews to drive repeat purchases and long-term value.

In this post we'll explain how customer reviews work on Shopify stores, the different review types you can collect, and the exact steps to set up a review system that increases conversions and lifetime value. We'll connect each tactic to the retention levers that matter—loyalty, UGC, referrals—and show how our More Growth, Less Stack approach helps you do it without juggling multiple platforms. If you want to try the solution hands-on, you can install Growave on your store or check our pricing to start a 14‑day free trial. We're trusted by 15,000+ brands and hold a 4.8‑star rating on Shopify, and our goal is to turn retention into a growth engine for merchants.

Our main message: reviews are essential, and collecting them should be simple, scalable, and tied to retention strategies—so you add revenue without adding complexity.

Why Reviews Matter for Shopify Stores

Social proof drives purchase decisions

Customer reviews are social proof in action. Shoppers read reviews to validate product quality, sizing, and expectations. A visible, well-managed review section reduces hesitancy and increases conversion rates because potential buyers see real people endorsing the product.

Reviews boost organic visibility

User-generated content in reviews adds keyword-rich, fresh content to product pages. Search engines reward unique, relevant content, so reviews help product pages rank better for long-tail queries that shoppers actually use.

Reviews are feedback loops for product improvement

Reviews are low-cost product research. They reveal common issues, feature requests, and real use cases. Those insights help merchants prioritize improvements, adjust descriptions, and reduce returns.

Reviews feed retention mechanics

Reviews and UGC can be tightly integrated with loyalty and referral programs. Rewarding reviewers with points or featuring contributors in campaigns turns one-time buyers into repeat customers and advocates.

What Types of Reviews Can Customers Leave?

Product reviews

Product reviews are the most common type. These usually include star ratings, text, and optional media like photos or videos. Product reviews appear on product pages and influence immediate purchase decisions.

Site reviews and testimonials

Site-level reviews or testimonials are broader—customers review the brand, shipping, or overall service rather than individual SKUs. These are useful on landing pages, home pages, or a dedicated testimonials page.

Verified purchase reviews

Verified purchase reviews are flagged as coming from customers who actually bought the product. These carry more weight with shoppers and improve credibility.

Visual UGC (photos & videos)

Images and videos uploaded by customers create strong authenticity. Visuals answer a lot of product questions that text can’t (fit, texture, scale), and they’re highly shareable on social channels.

Q&A and feedback threads

Some stores enable a Q&A format where potential buyers ask questions and previous buyers or staff answer. These threads become evergreen content that assists conversion.

How Reviews Work on a Shopify Store (The Mechanics)

On-site widget placement and visibility

Reviews typically live on product pages, but placement matters. Top-of-page summary ratings catch attention; full reviews in a scrollable section let shoppers read details. Review widgets can also be placed in cart pages, collection pages, or dedicated review pages to amplify trust.

Collection channels

Merchants collect reviews through multiple channels:

• Post-purchase automated emails that request feedback
• On-site submission forms or pop-ups
• Social imports (e.g., Instagram or direct uploads)
• Manual admin submission for curated testimonials

Automating collection ensures steady review velocity without manual outreach.

Moderation and publishing workflow

Most review flows include moderation: approve, hide, or edit (for formatting). Policies should be transparent—publish most reviews, respond to negatives, and enforce community guidelines to avoid fraudulent or abusive content.

Structured data and SEO

Implementing product review schema (structured data) helps search engines display star ratings in search results (rich snippets). Proper schema increases click-through rates and helps pages stand out in organic results.

Common Merchant Questions About Reviews on Shopify

Do I need a developer to enable reviews?

No. Many solutions integrate with your store via a few clicks and use theme embeds to add widgets. For custom themes or advanced placements, a developer can help but basic setup is accessible to most merchants.

Can I import reviews from another source?

Yes. You can migrate historical reviews in bulk using common files (CSV, XLSX) or via dedicated import tools in modern review platforms.

Are photo and video reviews supported?

Yes. Allowing customers to upload images or videos dramatically increases review credibility and conversion impact.

How do I prevent fake reviews?

Set up verified purchase flags, require authenticated submissions, and maintain human moderation for edge cases. Incentivized reviews should be transparent and comply with disclosure rules.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Customer Reviews on Your Shopify Store

Below is a practical, action-oriented workflow to add reviews, collect them at scale, and turn them into a retention asset.

Preparing your store

• Audit current product pages to identify ideal widget locations.
• Decide which review types you want: product reviews, site reviews, or visual UGC.
• Set moderation rules and a response policy for negative feedback.

Installing and embedding the review solution

• Install the review solution and enable the widget in your theme editor so reviews appear where shoppers expect them.
• Verify the widget renders correctly on desktop and mobile.
• Optionally import existing reviews to preserve social proof from previous platforms.

(If you want to install Growave on your store quickly, you can find the Growave listing on the Shopify marketplace and complete installation in minutes.)

Automating review requests

• Create a post-purchase email sequence that asks for feedback within a window when buyers have had time to use the product.
• Keep emails short, personalized, and mobile-friendly.
• Offer optional incentives—like loyalty points—to increase submission rates while being transparent.

Encouraging visual reviews

• In emails and on-site prompts, invite customers to upload photos or videos in exchange for extra rewards or a chance to be featured.
• Provide clear instructions on acceptable media and showcase examples so customers understand what to submit.

Moderation, responses, and publishing cadence

• Set a cadence to review incoming submissions daily or weekly.
• Publish positive reviews promptly and respond to negative reviews with empathy, a fix, and a public follow-up to show accountability.
• Use a “verified purchase” badge to surface authentic reviews.

Using reviews across your store and channels

• Add top-rated product snippets to collection pages and the homepage to increase overall trust.
• Feature high-impact reviews in email campaigns and paid ads.
• Repurpose UGC for social media and shoppable galleries.

How to Increase Review Volume Without Sacrificing Authenticity

Use loyalty to reward reviewers

Integrate review collection with your loyalty program—reward points for submitting a review or uploading a photo. Points encourage participation while reinforcing repeat purchase behavior.

(Our loyalty and rewards solution makes it simple to reward reviewers and tie those behaviors directly to customer value and retention.)

Keep the ask timely and personalized

Personalization increases response rates. Reference the purchased product, include an estimated time to complete the review, and show how the store uses feedback to improve products.

Reduce friction in the submission flow

Make the review form short and mobile-optimized. Offer multiple input options (stars + short text, or quick rating with optional comments). The easier it is, the more reviews you'll collect.

Offer leverage beyond discounts

Instead of discounting revenue-heavy items, reward reviewers with points, recognition, early access, or entry into a monthly spotlight. Non-monetary rewards often yield higher-quality content.

Measuring the Impact of Reviews

Key metrics to track

• Review velocity: number of reviews per week/month
• Average product rating and distribution of stars
• Conversion rate uplift on pages with reviews vs. pages without
• UGC engagement metrics (clicks on shoppable images, time on page)
• Repeat purchase rate and customer LTV for customers who left reviews

Setting up experiments

Run A/B tests to compare product pages with and without reviews or with different widget placements. Measure the downstream effect on add-to-cart and conversion, then roll out winning treatments.

Attribution and long-term value

Track how reviewers become repeat buyers. Tie review participation to your loyalty program to see the effect on retention and customer lifetime value.

Best Practices for Review Moderation and Compliance

Clear moderation policy

Publish a short moderation policy visible on your review submission page. Clarify what constitutes acceptable content and set expectations for response times.

Responding to negative reviews

• Acknowledge the issue promptly.
• Offer a resolution path (exchange, refund, or support).
• Follow up publicly when the issue is resolved to show transparency.

Disclosure and incentives

When offering incentives for reviews, require that reviewers disclose the reward. Transparency builds credibility and reduces the risk of platform penalties.

Legal considerations

Avoid removing valid negative feedback simply to protect ratings. Some jurisdictions and platforms consider this deceptive. Maintain a fair system and document moderation actions for audits.

Common Mistakes Merchants Make—and How to Avoid Them

Hiding or delaying reviews

Long approval delays or hiding negative feedback erode trust. Publish reviews reasonably quickly and respond when moderation is needed.

Relying only on text reviews

Text-only reviews miss the trust boost of photos and videos. Incentivize visual UGC and make media uploads easy.

Not integrating reviews into retention workflows

Collecting reviews and letting them sit is a missed opportunity. Link reviews to loyalty rewards, referral boosts, and email campaigns to create a loop that drives repeat purchases.

Overcomplicating collection

A long or confusing review form kills submission rates. Ask for a star rating and a short comment; make media optional.

How Reviews Tie Into a Retention-First Stack

Reviews as a retention input

Reviewers tend to be more engaged customers. By rewarding review activity with loyalty points, you create a behavior loop: review → reward → repeat purchase.

UGC that fuels marketing and commerce

Shoppable customer photos on product pages connect inspiration to purchase. When UGC is tied to loyalty incentives, customers are more likely to create content that converts.

Referrals amplified by reviews

Satisfied reviewers make credible referrers. Highlight top reviewers in referral campaigns to boost word-of-mouth efficacy.

Simplify with one unified platform

We built our solution to replace multiple disconnected tools with a single retention suite covering reviews, loyalty, referrals, wishlists, and shoppable social. That’s our More Growth, Less Stack philosophy—less integration overhead, more cohesive growth.

If you want to see how these integrations work together, you can book a demo to see the retention suite in action.

Implementation Examples: Practical Templates You Can Use

Post-purchase review request email (short & effective)

• Subject: How did your [product name] work out?
• Body: Thank you for your purchase. Could you take a minute to rate your product? Uploading a photo earns you [X] loyalty points.

Keep it brief, include a direct CTA to the review form, and link to the product page for context.

On-site review prompt (non-intrusive)

• A small in-line banner on the product page for customers who are logged in: “Bought this? Share your thoughts and earn points.” Link to review modal.

Moderation response template for negative feedback

• Public response: “Thanks for the feedback. We’re sorry this didn’t meet expectations. We’d like to fix it—please DM or email us with your order number so we can resolve this.”
• Private follow-up: Offer solution and confirm when resolved; ask the customer if they’re willing to update the review.

UGC repurpose checklist

• Obtain explicit permission to use photos in marketing.
• Crop and optimize visuals for web.
• Add a caption and attribution where possible.
• Feature in product galleries, email headers, and paid ads.

Advanced: Structured Data and SEO Tactics for Reviews

Implement product review schema

Ensure your review widgets output valid structured data so search engines can display star ratings and review snippets in search results. This usually requires the review platform to inject schema automatically; confirm with the provider.

Encourage keyword-rich reviews naturally

While you shouldn't ask customers to include keywords, prompting them with specific, open questions (use, fit, material) helps create useful, searchable content that naturally contains relevant terms.

Evergreen content from Q&A and reviews

Convert common review themes into FAQ blocks that live on product pages. These provide additional content for search engines and address frequent buyer concerns.

Migrating Reviews from Another System

Export and map fields

Export existing reviews as CSV, then map columns to the new platform’s schema: product handle, author, rating, title, body, date, and media links.

Use import tools

Most modern review platforms support imports and will preserve timestamps and verified purchase flags. Test a small sample first.

Preserve URLs and redirects

If the old system used unique review URLs, set up redirects or canonical tags to avoid losing SEO value.

Troubleshooting Common Setup Issues

Widget not appearing on the theme

• Check theme editor for disabled embeds.
• Clear theme caches and re-enable the widget.
• If the theme uses server-side rendering, confirm compatibility with the review platform.

Images not uploading

• Verify file size limits and supported formats.
• Check server or CDN permissions if images appear broken after upload.

Duplicate reviews after import

• Enable deduplication by matching on author + date + product.
• Remove exact duplicates before import.

Measuring Long-Term ROI of Reviews

Short-term KPIs

• Conversion rate improvement on product pages
• New reviews per week
• Photo/video submissions per month

Long-term indicators

• Customer lifetime value for reviewers vs non-reviewers
• Repeat purchase rate increase attributable to review-driven loyalty workflows
• Decreased return rates due to better product expectations

Linking review participation to loyalty behavior is critical to show true retention lift.

Growave Features That Make Review Programs Work

We built reviews into a full retention suite that connects the dots across loyalty, referrals, wishlists, and shoppable UGC. That means the content you collect becomes a growth asset—not just a widget.

• Our Reviews & UGC solution supports verified purchases, photo/video uploads, moderation tools, and automatic schema injection to help product pages rank.
  • Learn how our reviews solution brings credibility and content to product pages with user-friendly moderation and display.
• Our Loyalty & Rewards module lets merchants reward customers with points for leaving reviews, uploading photos, or referring friends—creating a feedback loop that lifts LTV.
  • See how integrating loyalty with review requests increases review volume and repeat purchase rates.
• When combined with wishlists, referrals, and shoppable social galleries, reviews help turn first-time buyers into returning customers and brand advocates, all from a single retention suite that replaces five to seven separate tools.

If you’d like to explore detailed plan options and see which features match your growth stage, check our pricing to compare plans and start a trial. You can also install Growave on your store directly from the Shopify marketplace.

Operational Checklist: Daily, Weekly, Monthly Tasks for Review Management

Daily:

• Scan new reviews and respond to issues.
• Approve or flag suspicious submissions.

Weekly:

• Publish new UGC to product galleries.
• Monitor review velocity and escalate drops.

Monthly:

• Sync reviews to marketing assets (email banners, homepage highlights).
• Analyze top feedback themes and feed them into product roadmaps.

Consistent discipline converts reviews from a passive resource into an active retention lever.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can customers leave reviews directly on Shopify product pages?

Yes. When a review solution is embedded in your storefront, customers can submit reviews from the product page or via post-purchase emails. The reviews will display on the page and can include star ratings, text, and media.

Will reviews affect my search rankings?

Reviews add fresh, relevant content and can enable rich snippets through structured data, which helps visibility and click-through rates. Properly implemented, reviews are an SEO asset.

How can I encourage more customers to leave reviews without offering discounts?

Rewarding reviews with loyalty points, recognition in newsletters, or entry into a monthly spotlight often works better than simple discounts. These incentives drive higher quality and more authentic submissions.

Can I moderate reviews and remove abusive or false submissions?

Yes. Most review systems include moderation tools. We recommend a transparent moderation policy, publishing most reviews while removing content that violates guidelines.

Conclusion

Yes — customers can leave reviews on Shopify, and when you treat reviews as part of a retention strategy rather than a standalone widget, they become a reliable growth lever. Reviews build trust, improve SEO, and—when integrated with loyalty, referrals, and shoppable UGC—directly contribute to higher LTV and repeat purchases. Our More Growth, Less Stack approach helps merchants collect, moderate, and deploy reviews without juggling multiple disconnected tools.

Book a demo to see how the retention suite ties reviews to loyalty and revenue, or review our plan options and start a 14‑day free trial to try the full platform yourself.

Start your 14‑day free trial and see how our retention suite turns reviews into repeat customers: see pricing and start your trial.

(If you prefer installing immediately, you can install Growave on your store from the Shopify marketplace: install Growave on your store.)