How to Add Customer Reviews on Shopify

Introduction

Customer reviews are the closest thing you can get to free sales copy that actually converts. Shoppers trust real opinions: product pages with reviews typically see higher conversion rates, richer search results, and stronger long-term value. At the same time, merchants face "platform fatigue" from juggling multiple tools, which makes adding reviews feel like one more headache instead of a growth opportunity.

Short answer: Adding customer reviews on Shopify is straightforward. You can add built-in review functionality, integrate a retention-focused solution like Growave to collect and showcase verified reviews and visual UGC, or customize your theme to display testimonials. The most effective approach pairs automated review collection with strategic placement and incentives to maximize conversion and SEO impact.

This article explains every practical way to add reviews on Shopify, from step-by-step setup to advanced SEO, collection tactics, moderation workflows, and using reviews as a retention engine. We’ll prioritize solutions that give you more growth with less tech overhead—so you can stop stitching together five to seven tools and instead use a single retention platform that handles reviews, loyalty, referrals, wishlists, and shoppable UGC.

Our main message: customer reviews should be automated, visible, and tied into retention incentives. We’re merchant-first—trusted by 15,000+ brands with a 4.8-star rating on Shopify—and we build to reduce stack complexity while increasing LTV. If you want to skip to installing a single solution that handles reviews and rewards, you can explore our plans and start a 14-day free trial to see the benefits firsthand (explore plans and pricing).

Why Customer Reviews Matter On Shopify

Customer reviews are both social proof and useful content. They influence buying decisions, inform SEO, and provide material you can re-use across marketing channels.

• Trust and credibility: Shoppers rely on impartial testimony. Reviews give prospective buyers confidence and reduce purchase hesitation.
• Conversion lift: Even a small number of reviews can significantly increase add-to-cart and conversion rates by answering common product questions.
• SEO and rich results: Reviews generate unique, keyword-rich content and enable star ratings to appear in search results when structured data is implemented.
• User-generated content funnel: Photo and video reviews create assets for social ads, product pages, and shoppable galleries.
• Retention and LTV: Reviews are part of an ecosystem—when tied to loyalty and referral programs, they help create repeat buyers and brand advocates.

Customer reviews are not just a display element; they belong at the center of a retention strategy that converts first-timers and brings them back.

Options For Adding Customer Reviews On Shopify

You have several routes to add reviews, each with trade-offs between control, features, and maintenance burden.

• Built-in review functionality: Shopify provides a straightforward reviews option. It’s free and easy to add, but limited in automation and visual options.
• Retention platform with reviews: A single platform that combines reviews with loyalty, referrals, and UGC reduces stack complexity and gives stronger incentives and automation.
• Theme-based testimonials: Manual testimonials or theme blocks can show curated quotes but don’t scale and won’t provide structured review data for rich snippets.
• Custom-coded solution: For maximum control you can build a custom solution, but this increases development and maintenance overhead.

We recommend a retention-first solution that combines automated review request flows with rewards and UGC capture—this maximizes review volume, captures photos/videos, and keeps everything manageable with fewer integrations. Learn how reviews fit into a broader retention strategy and how to reward customers for leaving feedback using integrated loyalty features (reward customers for leaving feedback).

Foundations: Decide What You Need Before You Start

Before adding anything to your store, answer these questions to guide your setup and placement choices.

• What type of reviews do you want? Text-only, star ratings, photo/video UGC, or verified-purchase badges?
• Where should reviews appear? Product pages, collection pages, homepage, email, and paid ads are common targets.
• What volume of reviews do you expect, and how will you moderate them?
• Do you need structured data for rich snippets in search results?
• Will reviews be incentivized through loyalty points or discounts?

A clear plan reduces rework. If you want both review collection and incentives handled in one solution, consider adding a retention platform that combines reviews with loyalty and UGC features (collect photo and video testimonials and display social proof).

Step-By-Step: How To Add Customer Reviews On Shopify

Below we cover multiple practical methods so you can choose the one that fits your resources and goals. We’ll walk through a simple built-in setup, then a retention-platform setup and theme-level approaches.

Using Shopify’s Built-In Reviews (Quickest Option)

Shopify’s native reviews offering is simple and free. It covers basic review collecting and display.

• Add the reviews package to your store by adding the widget code or enabling the reviews section. If you prefer a full retention solution that includes reviews plus loyalty and UGC, you can also explore our pricing and start a trial to see how combined features reduce stack complexity.
• Use the theme editor to place the reviews or rating block on the product template.
• Customize the visuals and moderation settings in the reviews interface.

Where to place review elements in the theme editor:

• Open Online Store > Themes > Customize on the theme you want to edit.
• From the page selector, choose the product template.
• Add a Reviews or Star rating block from the list of sections (often under “Apps” or “Sections”).
• Drag the block to the preferred spot—below the title, above the description, or near the add-to-cart area for maximum impact.

Limitations of the built-in approach:

• Limited automation for review invites.
• Fewer display and layout options.
• No built-in incentives or advanced UGC features like photo/video galleries.

For merchants who want more functionality without increasing tool count, a retention platform that includes review collection, incentive management, and UGC display is a better long-term option.

Adding Reviews With a Retention Platform (Recommended for Growth)

A retention platform replaces multiple tools by handling reviews, loyalty, referrals, wishlists, and shoppable social content in one place. This reduces complexity and provides synergies—for example, rewarding customers for leaving a review and then using that review in referral or social campaigns.

How to add reviews using a retention platform:

• Add the retention platform to your Shopify store through the Shopify marketplace and complete the onboarding steps. If you want to add a solution that centralizes reviews and rewards, add Growave via the Shopify marketplace to get review collection, moderation, and incentives in one suite (add Growave through the Shopify marketplace).
• Configure the review collection flow: set timing, channels (email, SMS), request templates, and whether to target verified buyers only.
• Activate photo and video review capture to build visual UGC.
• Add review widgets to product templates via the theme editor or by inserting a snippet into the product template if your theme requires it.
• Tie rewards into review actions so customers earn points for leaving feedback and photos (reward customers for leaving feedback).

Benefits of using a single retention platform:

• Native integration between reviews and loyalty speeds up adoption and motivates customers.
• Centralized moderation and reporting across all retention features.
• Reduced maintenance and fewer third-party connections to manage.
• Built-in UGC galleries and shoppable Instagram features to amplify reviews.

When onboarding, the marketplace listing will guide you through adding the platform to Shopify and the steps for installing review widgets. If you prefer exploring options first, you can review pricing and features before adding the platform (explore plans and pricing). Once added, most merchants get the core review flows running within the first few days.

Manually Adding Reviews via Theme Code (When You Need Total Control)

For full control over layout or if your theme doesn’t support widget insertion, you can add review display elements by editing theme files. This requires comfort with Liquid and possibly JSON-LD structured data.

Typical steps to add review markup manually:

• Backup your theme before making changes.
• Identify the product template file (often sections/product-template.liquid or templates/product.liquid or sections/main-product.liquid).
• Add a placeholder div where reviews should appear, and reference your review data source—this may be a third-party service that exposes an embed script, or it may be a snippet you create to pull review metafields.
• Add CSS to style the widget and adjust layout for mobile.
• Add structured data (see below for JSON-LD code) so Google can read aggregateRating and review metadata.

Manual insertion provides ultimate control but increases maintenance. When your goal is to run a lean stack, you’ll want a solution that lets you drop in widgets without custom code.

Structured Data & Rich Snippets: Make Reviews Work for SEO

To get stars showing in Google search results, search engines require structured data that exposes aggregateRating and individual reviews in schema.org format.

Example of JSON-LD for aggregateRating (place in the product template within a script type="application/ld+json"):

Important notes when implementing structured data:

• The values must be visible on the page and accurate. Google may ignore structured data that contradicts page content or is hidden.
• Ensure reviewCount and ratingValue reflect real, published reviews. Inflated values or mismatches can cause manual actions.
• If your review system is external, ensure the embed or API populates these fields on product pages.

Most retention platforms handle structured data automatically so you don’t have to manage JSON-LD manually. This is another reason we recommend a single solution that integrates review widgets and schema management.

Best Practices For Collecting More and Better Reviews

Collecting reviews isn’t passive. A short, repeatable process will increase volume and quality.

• Ask at the right time: For most products, send a review request 5–21 days after delivery depending on product usage time.
• Keep requests short and clear: Include product details, a direct CTA, and an incentive if you use one.
• Offer optional media capture: Allow customers to upload photos or videos—these increase conversions and provide assets for marketing.
• Reward actions via loyalty: Offer points for leaving a review, verified purchase badge, or bonus points for photo reviews (reward customers with points for leaving reviews).
• Use reminders sparingly: A single reminder can significantly increase responses; never spam customers.
• Segment requests: Prioritize high-value customers or repeat buyers for more personalized review invites.
• Localize review requests for language and tone to match your customer base.

Sample review request email snippet you can adapt:

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for buying [Product Name]. We hope you’re enjoying it. Would you take 60 seconds to share your thoughts and a photo? You’ll earn [X] loyalty points and help other customers decide.

[Leave A Review]

Thanks,
[Brand Name] Team

Make sure the CTA button links directly to a review form pre-filled with order or product details for a smooth experience.

Incentives, Loyalty, And Review Volume

Incentives work when they’re transparent and tied to community-building, not transactional bribery. Rewarding customers with loyalty points for leaving honest feedback is a high-impact tactic.

• Reward structures that work:
  • Small point amounts for text reviews.
  • Larger rewards for photo/video reviews.
  • Bonus points for linking social profiles or verifying purchase.
• Benefits of combining loyalty with reviews:
  • Increased review volume and higher-quality submissions.
  • More UGC for product pages and social channels.
  • Improved retention by giving customers a reason to return and spend earned points.

If you want review collection and incentive management in one place, use an integrated retention platform that links loyalty programs to review actions and automates point grants (reward customers and automate review incentives).

Managing Reviews: Moderation, Display Rules, And Response Templates

Moderation and response workflows protect your brand and help convert skeptical shoppers.

Moderation best practices:

• Establish clear guidelines for publishing and removing reviews.
• Use moderation to filter spam, offensive content, or non-compliant material—not legitimate criticism.
• Publish negative reviews unless they violate guidelines—buyers trust transparency.
• Flag reviews that require follow-up and assign owner responsibility for each.

How to respond to reviews:

• Always acknowledge and thank the reviewer for positive feedback.
• For critical reviews, respond promptly, empathize, and offer to resolve offline.
• Turn negative experiences into opportunities to demonstrate customer service publicly.

Sample response templates:

• Positive review: Thank you for the awesome review! We’re glad [Product Name] is working well for you. If you ever need anything, reach out at [support link].
• Negative review: We’re sorry to hear you had a poor experience. Could you DM us or email [support email] with your order number so we can make this right?

Moderation and response flows are easier when your review platform centralizes messages and flags. A retention suite that includes review moderation gives you a single place to handle incoming feedback, assign follow-ups, and report on sentiment.

Display Strategies: Where Reviews Drive The Most Impact

Reviews should appear where they reduce doubt and increase conversions.

High-impact locations:

• Product pages: The primary spot. Place star rating near the product title and full reviews below the fold or in a tab for long lists.
• Collection pages: Show aggregate star ratings for quick evaluation across multiple products.
• Homepage and hero sections: Display social proof with recent photo reviews to build trust at first glance.
• Cart and checkout reminders: Use review snippets to reduce cart abandonment for high-consideration items.
• Email and SMS campaigns: Feature recent reviews in product-focused emails and post-purchase flows.
• Ads and social creatives: Use user photos and short quotes to increase ad relevance and CTR.

A retention platform that supports UGC galleries and shoppable social content simplifies reusing reviews across channels and turning UGC into shoppable experiences.

Advanced: Importing, Migrating, And Consolidating Reviews

If you’re switching solutions or consolidating multiple review sources, follow this migration checklist.

Migration checklist:

• Export existing reviews from your current source as CSV or via API.
• Map fields: reviewer name, rating, body text, product handle or SKU, date, media URLs, and verified purchase flag.
• Clean data: remove duplicates, broken media links, or spammy submissions.
• Import into the new system, preserving product handles and publish dates.
• Validate structured data after import to ensure rich snippet eligibility.
• Keep a redirect or mapping log if product handles change.

Consolidating reviews into a single retention platform helps you avoid fragmentation and eases cross-feature use (for example seeing which reviewers are also top loyalty members).

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If reviews don’t appear or ratings aren’t showing in search results, check these common problems.

• Widget not visible: Confirm the review widget is enabled for that product template and not blocked by theme CSS or JS.
• Stars not appearing on collection pages: Many themes require a separate rating block in the collection item template.
• Rich snippet absence: Verify JSON-LD is present, accurate, and matches on-page content. Use Google’s Rich Results Test to validate.
• Low review volume: Reassess timing for requests, incentive levels, and number of reminders.
• Photo uploads failing: Check storage limits and allowed file types in your review platform.

When you use a retention platform that handles widget installation and schema, many of these issues are addressed during onboarding or via support.

Measuring Success: Metrics To Track

Track both quantity and quality to measure impact.

Key metrics to watch:

• Review volume and velocity: number of reviews per week or month.
• Average rating and rating distribution.
• Conversion rate change on pages with reviews vs. pages without.
• Click-through rates and engagement on UGC galleries and ads.
• SEO impact: impressions and CTR for product pages, rich result appearance.
• Loyalty interactions tied to review actions: points earned, redemption rate, and revisits.

A unified retention platform makes it simple to correlate reviews with downstream metrics like repeat purchases and revenue per customer.

Integrations And Cross-Channel Use

Reviews are more powerful when they feed other channels.

• Email and SMS: Automate review requests and send follow-ups with segmented templates.
• Social: Use photo and video reviews as authentic ad creative and in shoppable galleries.
• Loyalty and referrals: Reward reviewers and create referral triggers when customers submit high-value content.
• Storefront search and filters: Allow shoppers to filter by star ratings or photo reviews for easier buying decisions.

Growave integrates reviews with loyalty, referrals, and shoppable social UGC so you can turn review content into ongoing retention tactics (collect photo and video testimonials and display social proof).

Common Mistakes Merchants Make And How To Avoid Them

Avoid these pitfalls to make review collection efficient and impactful.

• Neglecting automation: Manual requests don’t scale. Automate timing and templates.
• Over-incentivizing: Avoid promises of discounts for positive reviews only—reward honest feedback and avoid review manipulation.
• Hiding negative reviews: Suppressing criticism erodes trust when customers eventually see negative reviews elsewhere.
• Fragmented tooling: Using separate tools for reviews, loyalty, and UGC increases maintenance and costs. Consolidate where possible.
• Ignoring SEO: Reviews are content—implement structured data so search engines can surface star ratings.

A single retention platform reduces the risk of fragmentation by consolidating these functions and automating workflows.

How To Test And Optimize Your Reviews Experience

Testing will show what placement and messaging convert better.

Testing ideas to try:

• Vary placement of star rating (near title vs. near price).
• Test incentives: points vs. discount codes.
• A/B test different review request copy and subject lines.
• Experiment with including or excluding photo uploads in initial requests.
• Monitor impact on checkout conversion and average order value.

Document each test and iterate over small time windows to collect statistically useful data. A retention platform with built-in analytics helps run and measure these experiments without pulling data from multiple places.

Migrating From Another Review Solution

If you’re switching from a different system, prioritize a clean migration with minimal downtime.

Migration steps:

• Export reviews and media from the old system.
• Normalize product handles and SKU references.
• Import data into your new reviews solution and map fields.
• Validate pages and structured data for rich snippets.
• Keep the old solution active until you confirm the new one works.

Consolidating under a single retention platform simplifies future migrations and ensures your review data is connected to loyalty and referral programs for added value.

Security, Privacy, And Authenticity

Protecting customer data and ensuring authenticity is critical.

• Don’t store unnecessary personal data within public-facing reviews.
• Maintain consent records for review submissions, especially when using photos or social handles.
• Implement checks to detect spam or fake reviews.
• Disclose incentive details when reviews were rewarded, to keep transparency.

A merchant-first retention platform will provide clear consent and moderation tools to handle privacy and authenticity concerns while staying compliant.

Conclusion

Adding customer reviews on Shopify is a powerful lever for conversion, SEO, and long-term retention—but the real gains come from making reviews easy to collect, visible across the buying journey, and integrated with your retention strategy. Rather than piecing together multiple tools, choose a solution that centralizes reviews, loyalty, and UGC so you get more growth with less stack complexity. For a platform that does this and helps you automate review collection, reward customers, and showcase UGC—all while reducing tool sprawl—explore Growave’s plans and start your 14-day free trial today to begin collecting verified customer reviews and boosting retention (explore plans and pricing).

Explore Growave through the Shopify marketplace to add the platform to your store and speed up setup (add Growave via the Shopify marketplace).

FAQ

What is the fastest way to start collecting reviews on Shopify?

• The fastest approach is to add a reviews-capable retention platform through the Shopify marketplace, enable automated post-purchase review invites, and place review widgets on product pages. This gets you started quickly and ties reviews into loyalty incentives for better volume.

Can I show photo and video reviews on product pages?

• Yes. Choose a solution that supports photo and video capture at the time of review submission. Combining visual reviews with star ratings significantly boosts conversions and provides assets you can reuse in ads and on social channels (collect photo and video testimonials and display social proof).

How do I get review stars to show in Google search results?

• Ensure your product pages expose accurate aggregateRating and reviewCount via structured data (JSON-LD) and that the visible page content matches this data. Many retention platforms automate schema generation and updates for you.

Can I reward customers for leaving honest reviews?

• Yes. Rewarding customers with loyalty points for leaving reviews, including extra points for photo/video submissions, is effective. Make rewards transparent and platform-agnostic to avoid incentivizing positive-only reviews (reward customers with points for leaving reviews).