How to Add Product Review in Shopify

Introduction

Customer reviews are one of the single most powerful levers for turning browsers into buyers. Products with strong user feedback convert more often, keep buyers coming back, and feed organic search with fresh, keyword-rich content. At the same time, merchants face "platform fatigue"—too many point solutions, too many integrations, and scattered data. That tension is exactly why we built Growave: to help merchants convert reviews into lasting retention without adding complexity.

Short answer: You can add product reviews in Shopify by either enabling a reviews solution within your store or embedding review functionality into your theme. The fastest path is to install a reviews-enabled retention suite, configure the review widget, and add the review block to your product templates. From there you should automate review requests, optionally reward reviewers, and surface photo and video content to maximize social proof and SEO.

In this post we'll walk through every step you need to add product reviews to Shopify, including native theme methods, how to deploy a reviews solution from our retention suite, how to gather and display high-quality reviews (text, photos, video), and how to measure impact. We’ll also cover advanced topics like structured data for SEO, moderation, incentives and loyalty, and common mistakes to avoid. Throughout, we’ll show how reducing your tech stack—moving from multiple tools to one retention suite—saves time and increases results.

Our main message: collecting reviews is only the first step. To drive sustainable growth you need a holistic approach that captures reviews, displays them smartly, rewards engagement, and turns UGC into repeat purchases. We build for merchants, not investors, and we’re focused on "More Growth, Less Stack."

Why Product Reviews Matter For Shopify Stores

Reviews Drive Conversions

Customer feedback reduces purchase anxiety. Reviews provide real-use context—fit, performance, longevity—that product descriptions rarely capture. When potential customers see clear, recent, and relevant feedback, they are more likely to convert.

• Reviews increase trust by showing authentic experiences.
• Product pages with reviews keep shoppers on the page longer, increasing the chance of purchase.
• Reviews often contain long-tail keywords that improve visibility in organic search.

Reviews Improve Customer Retention and LTV

Reviews help with retention in multiple ways. When you invite buyers to leave feedback, you create a touchpoint that increases post-purchase engagement. When you publicly recognize contributors (for example, by awarding loyalty points), you reinforce repeat behavior. Over time, these practices raise customer lifetime value (LTV).

• Asking for reviews is an opportunity to start a relationship.
• Responding to reviews—especially negative ones—builds credibility and reduces churn.
• Rewarding review activity ties to loyalty programs and repeat purchases.

Reviews Boost SEO and Organic Traffic

User-generated content (UGC) keeps pages fresh and naturally injects product-specific keywords. Search engines favor pages with regularly updated content, so reviews can measurably help your ranking.

• Reviews create long-tail keyword coverage that product descriptions rarely capture.
• Presence of reviews can increase click-through rate from search results.
• Structured review data (review ratings and counts) can power rich snippets in search results.

Reviews Yield Product Insights

Reviews are a real-time feedback loop. They help merchants identify product issues, understand FAQs, and make better merchandising choices.

• Use reviews to find recurring product defects or requests.
• Reviews can guide copy updates and improve product photography.
• Aggregated review insights inform roadmap and supplier conversations.

Options For Adding Reviews to Shopify

There are multiple valid paths to add reviews to Shopify. The right path depends on your priorities—speed vs. control, budget vs. features, single-source-of-truth vs. many special-purpose solutions.

Built-In Theme Methods (Quick and Code-Light)

Shopify themes often allow adding a review section by inserting a block or section in the theme editor. This is the fastest non-technical method, but typically it relies on an installed reviews solution to populate content.

• Use the theme customizer to add a “reviews” section to product templates.
• This method is easy and works well for stores that want a straightforward display.

Pros:

• Fast to deploy.
• No coding required for most themes.

Cons:

• Limited customization.
• May not include advanced features like photo/video reviews, automated review requests, or loyalty integration.

Manual Code Integration (Full Control, Requires Development)

If you need a bespoke layout or custom filtering (for example, separate cards for positive and negative reviews), you can integrate review data directly into Liquid templates.

• Use Liquid to loop through review objects and display them within product templates.
• Add JSON-LD structured data for review ratings and counts to enable rich snippets.

Pros:

• Maximum design and logic control.
• Fine-grained filtering and grouping (e.g., show "good" and "bad" review cards separately).

Cons:

• Requires developer time.
• Maintenance burden for theme updates.

Install a Reviews-First Retention Suite (Balanced Approach)

A retention suite that includes Reviews & UGC gives you a single platform to collect, display, and act on reviews while also offering loyalty, referrals, wishlists, and social features. This approach reduces tool sprawl and centralizes customer data.

• Install the retention suite and enable the Reviews & UGC product.
• Add the review widget to product templates and customize its appearance.
• Automate review request flows, integrate with loyalty, and surface UGC across the storefront.

Pros:

• One platform replaces many separate solutions.
• Built-in automation and analytics.
• Easier to scale advanced strategies (loyalty incentives, UGC galleries).

Cons:

• Slightly longer initial setup than theme-only methods.
• Requires learning the platform admin, but the payoff is lower overhead in the long term.

If you’re ready to explore a solution that combines reviews, loyalty, referrals, and UGC, install Growave on your store from the Shopify marketplace: install Growave from the Shopify marketplace.

Step-By-Step: How To Add Product Reviews In Shopify

Below we show multiple approaches—theme-only, Liquid code, and retention-suite setup—so you can choose the flow that fits your team and timeline. Each option includes practical tips and common pitfalls.

Method A: Use Theme Editor With a Reviews Solution

This is the fastest way to display reviews on product pages assuming a reviews solution is already installed.

• Open Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Themes.
• Click Customize for your active theme.
• Navigate to a product page template.
• Look for an option to add a section or block and find the Reviews or third-party widget entry.
• Drag the reviews block to the desired area near the product description or below the fold.
• Save and preview on both desktop and mobile.

Key configuration items:

• Choose location and style for star rating and review list.
• Decide whether to show an aggregate rating in product listings.
• Ensure review submission form is accessible on mobile.

Common mistakes:

• Hiding the submit button on mobile due to layout constraints.
• Failing to display aggregate rating in collection pages where it can help conversions.

Method B: Embed Reviews Via Liquid (Dawn Example)

For stores that need specific layout or logic (e.g., separate cards for 4–5 star reviews and 1–3 star reviews), Liquid gives full control.

• In Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes > Actions > Edit code.
• Create or edit a snippet such as product-reviews.liquid.
• Use Liquid to loop through stored review objects and conditionally render content.

Example Liquid skeleton (simplified):

{% comment %} Collect good and bad reviews into arrays {% endcomment %}
{% assign good_reviews = '' | split: ',' %}
{% assign bad_reviews = '' | split: ',' %}

{% for review in product.reviews %}
  {% if review.rating > 3 %}
    {% assign good_reviews = good_reviews | push: review %}
  {% else %}
    {% assign bad_reviews = bad_reviews | push: review %}
  {% endif %}
{% endfor %}

<div class="reviews-wrapper">
  <div class="good-reviews">
    <h3>Good Reviews</h3>
    {% for r in good_reviews %}
      <div class="review-card">
        <h4>{{ r.title }}</h4>
        <p>{{ r.body }}</p>
        <p class="stars">{{ r.rating }} stars</p>
      </div>
    {% endfor %}
  </div>

  <div class="bad-reviews">
    <h3>Constructive Feedback</h3>
    {% for r in bad_reviews %}
      <div class="review-card">
        <h4>{{ r.title }}</h4>
        <p>{{ r.body }}</p>
        <p class="stars">{{ r.rating }} stars</p>
      </div>
    {% endfor %}
  </div>
</div>

Notes:

• The above assumes review data is available as product.reviews; your store might expose data differently depending on the reviews solution.
• Add CSS for responsive layout and visual hierarchy.
• Add pagination or “load more” for large numbers of reviews.

Method C: Install and Configure Reviews via a Retention Suite (Recommended For Scale)

Using a retention suite centralizes collection, display, incentives, and analytics. The setup involves installing the platform, enabling Reviews & UGC, adding the widget to product pages, and configuring automation.

• Install Growave on your Shopify store from the Shopify marketplace: install Growave from the Shopify marketplace.
• From Growave admin, enable Reviews & UGC in the product list.
• Configure review submission form fields (name, rating, title, body, photo, video).
• Customize moderation rules, auto-approval thresholds, and email templates.
• Place the review widget on product pages using the theme editor or a snippet provided by the platform.
• Enable post-purchase and scheduled review request flows.

Why this approach works:

• You get a consistent experience across product pages without stitching together separate tools.
• Reviews integrate with loyalty and referrals so you can reward review activity and use reviewers for advocacy.
• Analytics show how review volume relates to conversions and LTV.

See how to collect and surface rich user-generated content with our Reviews & UGC product, and how it connects to loyalty programs and referrals: collect visual reviews and UGC.

Designing the Review Experience

Where To Place Reviews On Product Pages

Placement matters. Consider these locations:

• Above-the-fold summary: display overall rating and review count near the product title so customers see social proof immediately.
• Near the add-to-cart button: a short star summary can reinforce trust at the point of decision.
• Full review section lower on the page: include filters, photos, and structured Q&A.
• On collection pages: show aggregated ratings to help browsing decisions.

Balance immediate trust signals with deeper social proof lower on the page. For many stores, a compact rating summary combined with a visible “read all reviews” link works best.

What To Display In Each Review

A robust review entry should include:

• Star rating and title.
• Review body (short and long).
• Optional photos or videos uploaded by customers.
• Date and verified purchase label.
• Location or size (if relevant, e.g., apparel).
• Tags or attributes (e.g., “durable”, “runs small”).

Avoid overwhelming shoppers: show the most important elements upfront and allow expanding for full details.

Encourage Visual and Video Reviews

Photos and videos increase credibility. Allow customers to upload them with their reviews and showcase the best in a UGC gallery on the homepage or collection landing pages.

• Create a gallery block that surfaces positive photo reviews.
• Use seller-moderation to approve images before publication.
• Consider a dedicated UGC widget to make visual content shoppable.

Our Reviews & UGC solution makes it simple to collect and showcase customer media — learn how to turn images and videos into social proof and conversions: display customer photos and videos.

How To Collect More and Better Reviews

Timing Your Review Requests

Post-purchase timing is key. A well-timed, automated email or SMS increases response rates.

• For consumables: request reviews after a delivery window that allows product use (e.g., 7–14 days).
• For furniture or durable goods: allow a longer window for meaningful feedback (e.g., 30–60 days).
• Send a short reminder if the customer hasn’t responded after the first message.

Automate these flows using your retention platform to save time and keep the cadence consistent.

Use Incentives Wisely

Rewarding reviewers can increase submissions, but it must be done carefully to preserve authenticity and comply with rules in many countries.

• Offer loyalty points redeemable in your store, not cash, to reward review submissions.
• Make incentives unconditional on positive rating—reward the act of reviewing, not the sentiment.
• Disclose incentives transparently when required by local laws.

If you run a loyalty program, link reviewer rewards directly to earning points. That ties review activity into repeat purchase behavior and retention: reward reviewers with points.

Keep the Review Form Simple

Make it easy to submit a review:

• One-click star rating.
• Optional title and photo upload.
• A single text area for the review body.
• Pre-fill name and email for logged-in customers.

Reduce friction and you’ll increase completion rates.

Collect Reviews Through Multiple Channels

Don’t rely solely on post-purchase emails. Leverage:

• Order confirmation pages with a review prompt.
• Account dashboards where customers can submit reviews.
• Social media and UGC campaigns that funnel content back to product pages.

A retention suite centralizes these capture points so reviews live in one place.

Moderation, Authenticity, and Legal Considerations

Moderation Best Practices

Moderation protects your store from spam and offensive content while preserving authenticity.

• Set up automatic filters for profanity and spam.
• Allow manual review for borderline content.
• Use verified purchase badges to help buyers judge credibility.

Moderation workflows should be fast—delays frustrate customers and lower trust.

Dealing With Negative Reviews

Negative feedback is an opportunity to demonstrate excellent customer service.

• Respond publicly and quickly with empathy and solutions.
• Offer returns, replacements, or discounts when appropriate.
• Move the conversation to private channels if the issue requires shared information.

Publicly addressing problems often increases trust and can flip uncertain customers into advocates.

Legal and FTC Guidelines

Make sure incentives and testimonials comply with local regulations.

• If reward programs require disclosure, include it in the review UI.
• Don’t solicit positive reviews expressly; ask for honest feedback and reward the act of reviewing rather than the opinion.

Structured Data and SEO: How To Get Review Stars In Search Results

Displaying star ratings in search results increases click-through rates. To make that happen, implement structured data for products and reviews.

JSON-LD Example For Product Reviews

Add a JSON-LD block to your product page that includes aggregateRating and review entries. Here’s a simplified example:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org/",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "{{ product.title }}",
  "image": ["{{ product.featured_image.src }}"],
  "description": "{{ product.description | strip_html | truncate: 250 }}",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "{{ product.rating_value }}",
    "reviewCount": "{{ product.reviews_count }}"
  },
  "review": [
    {
      "@type": "Review",
      "author": "{{ review.author }}",
      "datePublished": "{{ review.created_at }}",
      "reviewBody": "{{ review.body | escape }}",
      "reviewRating": {
        "@type": "Rating",
        "ratingValue": "{{ review.rating }}"
      }
    }
  ]
}
</script>

Notes:

• Replace placeholders with real variables from your reviews solution.
• Make sure the data is accurate and kept up to date—misleading structured data can lead to penalties.
• Test pages with Google’s Rich Results Test to confirm eligibility.

If you’re using a retention suite, the platform often supplies maintained schema snippets so you don’t have to hand-code and maintain them.

Importing Existing Reviews

If you’re migrating from another system or consolidating multiple sources, import reviews via CSV or API.

• Export existing reviews from legacy sources (CSV or API).
• Map fields: author, rating, title, body, date, verified flag, photo URL.
• Validate data and run a small import test to confirm formatting.
• Import in batches and verify display on product pages.

A unified platform makes this process simpler and prevents fragmented review data across multiple tools.

Analytics: Metrics To Track

Track the impact of reviews on both acquisition and retention.

• Review volume and average rating over time.
• Conversion rate on product pages with vs. without reviews.
• Click-through rate from search results (if you have rich snippets).
• Repeat purchase rate and LTV of customers who leave reviews.
• UGC engagement (views and clicks on photo galleries).

Use these metrics to optimize your review request cadence, incentive levels, and display choices.

Advanced Strategies: Turn Reviews Into Growth

Combine Reviews With Loyalty

Linking review submissions to loyalty points creates a virtuous loop:

• Customers earn points for submitting reviews.
• Points encourage repeat purchases.
• Repeat customers submit more reviews, fueling social proof.

This is an efficient way to increase both review volume and retention while maintaining authenticity when incentives are properly structured. Learn how loyalty and reviews work together in a single retention suite: reward reviewers with points.

Use Reviews For Email and Ads

Highlight top reviews in product emails and paid campaigns. User quotes and photos are more persuasive than brand copy.

• Use short review excerpts in abandoned cart emails.
• Create social ad creatives using customer photos and five-star quotes.
• A/B test which review snippets lead to higher CTR and conversions.

Curate UGC Into Product Pages and Social Galleries

Turn customer photos into shoppable galleries on your homepage and product pages. This makes UGC discoverable and purchaseable.

• Make gallery images clickable to the corresponding product.
• Tag products within photo submissions.
• Feature the best UGC on landing pages and category pages.

Our Reviews & UGC product is designed to make this process straightforward and integrated: collect visual reviews and UGC.

Use Review Data To Improve Merchandising

Identify frequently praised features and recurring complaints and update product copy, sizing guidance, and images accordingly. Small copy changes informed by reviews often yield outsized conversion improvements.

Common Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

• Hiding negative reviews: Transparency builds trust. Show honest feedback and respond constructively.
• Over-incentivizing positive reviews: Rewarding only positive ratings can breach trust and legal guidelines. Reward all reviews equally for the act of reviewing.
• Ignoring mobile UX: If review forms are hard to complete on mobile, you’ll lose many submissions.
• Not integrating reviews with loyalty or analytics: Reviews are more valuable when tied to retention and measurement.
• Letting moderation lag: Slow moderation means missed opportunities and potential negative impressions.

Example Implementation Roadmap (Non-Numeric Steps)

• Decide the review approach that fits your priorities: quick theme addition, custom Liquid integration, or installing a retention suite.
• If choosing a retention suite, install and enable Reviews & UGC.
• Configure submission form fields, moderation rules, and email request cadence.
• Place review widgets on product templates and collection pages.
• Import existing reviews if needed and validate structured data for SEO.
• Enable loyalty rewards for reviewers and set transparent incentive rules.
• Monitor metrics and refine flows and display rules based on data.

A retention suite centralizes these steps so you don’t juggle multiple point solutions.

How Growave Fits In

We built Growave to be a merchant-first retention suite focused on turning retention into a growth engine. Our platform replaces multiple point solutions with five core pillars—Loyalty & Rewards, Reviews & UGC, Wishlists, Referrals, and Shoppable Instagram & UGC—so merchants get more growth with less stack.

• Reviews & UGC: Collect text, photo and video reviews, moderate and publish, and surface UGC through galleries and product widgets. See how this connects to conversion and SEO: collect visual reviews and UGC.
• Loyalty & Rewards: Reward review submissions and other loyalty actions to increase LTV: reward reviewers with points.
• Centralized analytics: See how review volume, ratings, and UGC performance impact conversions and retention.
• Merchant-first mindset: We’re trusted by 15,000+ brands and maintain a 4.8-star rating on Shopify because we focus on real merchant needs and long-term value.

If you’re considering consolidating tools and getting a single platform that handles both review collection and retention mechanics, explore our live plans to see the value for your store: see pricing and plan details.

Testing And Iteration

Continuous testing is essential. Some ideas to test:

• Widget placement: header vs. below fold.
• Incentive types and point values.
• Request timing and reminder cadence.
• Photo/video prompts vs. text-only requests.
• Display treatments: aggregated rating only vs. recent review highlights.

Track conversion and review completion rates to see what moves the needle.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Reviews not showing: Confirm the widget is placed on the correct product template and that the reviews solution is pointed at the right product IDs.
• Schema not appearing: Validate JSON-LD formatting and ensure server-side variables populate correctly.
• Low submission rate: Simplify the form, adjust timing, or add a small, transparent incentive.
• Spam submissions: Tighten moderation rules and add CAPTCHA or email verification.

If you need a demo or hands-on help, we offer guided setup and merchant support: book a demo.

Conclusion

Adding product reviews in Shopify is a foundational growth tactic. Done right, reviews increase conversions, feed organic search, provide actionable product feedback, and build the social proof that persuades new customers. For sustainable growth we recommend a unified approach: collect reviews, reward participation, and surface high-quality UGC across the storefront—all from one retention suite to avoid tool sprawl.

Explore our plans and start your 14-day free trial today to add review collection, UGC, and loyalty without increasing your stack: see pricing and plan details.

FAQ

How do I add the review widget to multiple product templates?

Use your theme editor to add the review widget to each product template, or add the provided widget snippet into the shared product template in your theme code. If you use a retention suite, it often provides an install snippet that applies to all product templates after you place it once.

Can I import reviews from another platform?

Yes. Most solutions support CSV or API imports. Export reviews from the legacy system, map fields (author, rating, text, photos, date), and import in batches. Always test with a small sample before a full import.

How do I get star ratings to appear in Google search?

Implement accurate JSON-LD structured data for aggregateRating and individual reviews on product pages. Test with Google’s Rich Results Test to confirm eligibility. Many retention suites automate this for you.

Is it okay to give rewards for reviews?

Yes—if done transparently and not conditioned on positive feedback. Rewarding the act of reviewing (for example, loyalty points) encourages submissions while keeping the system honest. Make sure your approach complies with local disclosure rules.