How To Add Product Reviews Shopify

Introduction

Customer reviews are one of the single most powerful levers for increasing conversions, trust, and lifetime value. Stores that showcase authentic customer feedback make purchase decisions easier for first-time buyers, improve search visibility, and create a steady stream of user-generated content to fuel marketing. But many merchants struggle with "tool fatigue"—juggling multiple platforms to collect, display, and reward reviews. That's why we built a unified retention solution that brings reviews together with loyalty, referrals, and more.

Short answer: You add product reviews to Shopify by installing a reviews solution, placing a review block on your product templates (and optionally on collection pages), enabling schema for rich snippets, and creating an automated workflow to request reviews after purchase. If you want the reviews feature integrated with loyalty, UGC, and referral tools so you get more value from one solution, you can add Growave to your store from the Shopify listing and configure reviews from the dashboard.

In this article we'll walk through everything merchants need to know about how to add product reviews Shopify stores. We’ll cover the practical steps for installation and setup, design and placement options, SEO considerations, methods for collecting high-quality reviews (including photos and video), how to use loyalty to incentivize reviews, and how to measure and iterate. Throughout, we'll highlight how a unified retention suite reduces complexity and drives better results than stitching together multiple point solutions.

Our main message: you can implement reviews quickly, but the real uplift comes when reviews are part of an integrated retention strategy that increases repeat purchases and lifetime value. We’re merchant-first, focused on turning retention into a growth engine, and trusted by 15,000+ brands with a 4.8-star rating on Shopify.

Why Product Reviews Matter For Shopify Stores

Reviews Influence Purchase Decisions

Customer reviews are social proof in action. Shoppers routinely look for reviews before committing to a purchase, and product pages with detailed reviews convert at higher rates. Reviews answer the practical questions shoppers have—fit, durability, real-world use cases—that product descriptions often can’t.

Reviews Help SEO and Organic Traffic

Review content is fresh, keyword-rich, and often long-tail by nature. When customers describe specific features ("fits small," "lasts all day," "deep pockets"), search engines index those phrases and improve relevance for niche queries. Adding structured review data (schema) can also surface star ratings in search results, increasing click-through rates.

Reviews Reduce Returns and Support Load

Detailed reviews that cover sizing, usage instructions, or common pitfalls reduce uncertainty. Shoppers who understand what they're buying are less likely to return products. In turn, your support team spends less time answering the same questions.

Reviews Feed Other Channels

Reviews can be repurposed in email, on product feeds, in paid ads, and across social. Visual reviews—photos and videos—are especially valuable because they improve click-through rates and ad performance.

Overview Of Your Options To Add Reviews On Shopify

Quick Options Versus Long-Term Strategy

There are two practical approaches to adding reviews:

• Add a simple review module to display and collect stars and text.
• Adopt a retention platform that combines reviews with loyalty, referrals, wishlists, and shoppable social content.

A lightweight review module can solve the immediate need to collect feedback. A retention suite removes integration work, centralizes data, and adds powerful incentives to turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.

Build vs. Adopt: What Merchants Should Consider

Merchants should weigh these factors when choosing how to add reviews:

• Time to value: How quickly can you collect and display reviews?
• Integration needs: Do you need reviews tied to loyalty points, referral rewards, or UGC galleries?
• Customization and design: Do you want complete control over placement and appearance?
• Moderation and anti-fraud: How will you manage spam or inauthentic reviews?
• Scalability: Will the solution grow with your catalog and traffic?

For businesses aiming to reduce the number of solutions they manage, a retention suite delivers better value for money by replacing multiple standalone platforms.

Step-By-Step: How To Add Product Reviews Shopify (Practical Instructions)

Below we walk through a clear, actionable process to add reviews to your Shopify store. We focus on steps that work across any review solution, then highlight ways to supercharge the process with an integrated retention platform.

Preparing Your Store

Before you add reviews, take a few preparatory steps to make setup smooth:

• Audit your product templates to understand where reviews will go.
• Decide whether you want review snippets visible on collection pages.
• Collect any existing reviews you want to import (CSV, or from other platforms).
• Prepare images or visual assets for review widgets if the solution supports UGC.

Install The Review Solution

To add reviews you need to add the reviews solution to your store. For a solution that bundles reviews with loyalty and more, you can add Growave to your store from the Shopify listing. We built our platform to replace multiple tools so merchants get more growth with less stack.

After installation, follow the onboarding steps in the dashboard to configure your reviews product. Typical setup screens include importing existing reviews, setting up collection placement, and customizing the review form.

Add The Review Block To Product Pages

Most modern Shopify themes and page editors support adding a review block as a section or an element. The general flow is:

• Open your Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Themes.
• Click Customize on your active theme.
• Choose the product template you want to edit.
• Use the theme editor to add a block or section for reviews, selecting the reviews integration under the Apps or Third-Party section.
• Place the reviews block where it makes sense for your layout—below the product description or tabbed with "Details" and "Shipping".
• Save and preview.

If you prefer to edit the theme code directly, many solutions provide instructions for adding the review snippet to product.liquid or product-template files.

Display Ratings On Collection Pages

Showing average star ratings on collection pages helps shoppers compare products at a glance. To enable this:

• Add the review snippet to your collection item template or use the theme editor to include a rating element.
• Ensure the review provider supports rendering the rating in collection grids.
• Style the stars to match your visual system and keep them visible in card layouts.

Displaying ratings on collection pages increases discoverability and can raise conversion rates on grid-level browsing.

Enable Schema Markup For Rich Results

Schema (structured data) tells search engines how to render review information as rich snippets in search results. Make sure your reviews provider supports schema for:

• Average rating
• Rating count
• Individual review items

Many solutions automatically inject schema. If your theme interferes, consult your developer or the solution’s documentation to ensure the JSON-LD is present and correctly placed.

Import Existing Reviews

If you have reviews in another system, import them via CSV or integrations. A typical import workflow is:

• Export reviews from the old system or compile them into a CSV.
• Map CSV columns to required fields (product handle, title, rating, body, reviewer name, date, images).
• Upload through the reviews dashboard and preview the imported entries before publishing.

Imported reviews help you start with social proof from day one.

Add Visual UGC (Photos & Video)

Photos and video in reviews increase credibility. When enabling visual reviews:

• Allow customers to upload images and short videos when submitting reviews.
• Moderate uploads to keep content relevant and on-brand.
• Use visual reviews across product pages, galleries, and social feeds.

Visual UGC is especially important for categories like apparel, beauty, and home goods.

Best Practices For Collecting High-Quality Reviews

Automate Post-Purchase Review Requests

Create an automated sequence to request reviews after purchase. Typical timing:

• First email: 7–14 days after delivery (ask for a review and provide a short link).
• Follow-up: 3–7 days later if no response.
• Incentivize visually: Offer loyalty points for photo or video reviews (see below).

Automatic sequences consistently convert a fraction of buyers into reviewers without manual effort.

Make It Easy To Leave Reviews

Minimize friction in your review form:

• Keep the form short—rating, short text, optional photo.
• Allow single-click star ratings.
• Offer mobile-friendly submission flows.
• Provide social login options if available.

The easier the process, the higher the completion rate.

Incentivize Responsibly With Loyalty

Use rewards to nudge customers to leave reviews, but avoid paying for positive feedback. A fair approach:

• Offer loyalty points redeemable for discounts or benefits for any verified review.
• Offer bonus points for adding a photo or video.
• Make clear your moderation policy so customers know authenticity matters.

You can set up these incentives as part of a loyalty program to both collect reviews and encourage repeat purchases. Learn how to build a loyalty program that rewards customer behavior and use it to encourage review submissions.

Ask For Specific, Useful Details

Prompt reviewers to include helpful details by suggesting questions in the form:

• How did the product fit?
• What feature stood out?
• Where did you use it?

Guided prompts lead to more actionable reviews for future shoppers.

Respond To Reviews Publicly

Thank customers for positive reviews and offer solutions for negative ones. Public responses increase trust by showing you care. Keep responses concise, friendly, and focused on resolution.

Moderation, Compliance, And Authenticity

Establish Clear Moderation Rules

Moderation keeps your review ecosystem healthy. Define rules for:

• Offensive language
• Non-product related content
• Spam and promotional content

Make the moderation criteria visible to build trust and ensure consistent handling.

Verify Purchases Where Possible

Verified-buyer badges increase credibility. Solutions can mark reviews as "Verified purchase" when the review is associated with a completed order. This is a strong signal for shoppers evaluating authenticity.

Avoid Manipulative Incentives

Rewarding reviews is acceptable when the reward is not conditional on a positive rating. Offering loyalty points for any honest review (positive or negative) is a transparent and acceptable practice.

Maintain Privacy And Legal Compliance

Ensure you comply with applicable rules around data protection and consumer rights. Keep review data secure and respect opt-outs for marketing communications.

Designing Review Placement And Experience

Where Reviews Should Appear On Product Pages

Common placements include:

• Directly beneath the product title or price for immediate social proof
• Below the product description as a dedicated section
• Inside product tabs (e.g., Details / Reviews / Shipping)
• As a floating or sticky summary showing average rating and review count

Placement affects conversion differently depending on your product type and price point, so test options and measure results.

Use Review Highlights And Summaries

Summarize the most useful points to help shoppers read less and buy faster:

• Feature snippets that surface top pros and cons
• Top-rated attributes (e.g., comfort, quality, value)
• Visual carousel for recent photo reviews

Review highlights are especially effective for high-traffic product pages.

Show Review Distribution

A rating histogram (how many 5-star, 4-star, etc.) helps shoppers interpret the average rating and builds trust in the scoring system.

Make Reviews Shareable

Allow customers to share their reviews to social platforms or provide embeds for product review snapshots. Shareable reviews act as free promotion.

Leveraging Reviews Across Channels

Use Reviews In Email Marketing

Insert top reviews into product recommendation emails, win-back flows, and post-purchase follow-ups. Reviews make marketing emails far more persuasive.

Surface Reviews In Ads

Include star ratings and short review quotes in ad creative to increase ad relevance and click-through. Visual reviews work particularly well in social ads.

Build UGC Galleries For Shoppable Social

Collect visual reviews into a shoppable gallery on product pages or on a landing page. When UGC is connected to product pages, shoppers can click from a photo to buy the item shown.

Measuring Success And KPIs To Track

Track these metrics to understand the impact of reviews:

• Review submission rate (reviews per orders)
• Average product rating and rating distribution
• Conversion rate lift for products after reviews are displayed
• Click-through rate from search results with rich snippets
• Incremental revenue from review-driven campaigns
• Repeat purchase rate for customers who submitted reviews (when tied to loyalty)

A unified platform makes it easier to connect these metrics to loyalty behavior and referral performance.

Advanced Setup: Importing, Customizing, And Developer Notes

Importing Reviews From Other Platforms

If you’re migrating, use CSV import or API-based migration. Common fields required include product identifier, rating, review text, reviewer name, date, and images. Always preview imports before publishing.

Customizing Look And Feel

To match your brand, customize typography, colors, and spacing for review widgets. Many solutions provide theme-aware components or a CSS override panel.

Editing Theme Code For Special Cases

For advanced placement (e.g., within custom product templates or headless setups), developers may add the review widget snippet directly to Liquid templates or via sections/blocks. Use data attributes to pass product handles and ensure proper initialization on dynamic pages.

Using The API

If you want to build custom review flows or sync review data with other systems, use the solution’s API. Common use cases include integrating reviews into external dashboards, CRM systems, or in-house analytics.

How Reviews Fit Into A Broader Retention Strategy

Reviews + Loyalty = More Engagement

Rewarding reviews with loyalty points incentivizes submissions and creates an ongoing reason for customers to return and redeem points. This ties discovery (reviews) to long-term value (retention).

We make these connections seamless by allowing merchants to reward customers for review activity inside the same platform. Learn how to reward customers for sharing reviews and UGC so feedback becomes part of the retention loop.

Reviews + Referrals = New Customer Acquisition

Reviews that include the reviewer’s excitement can be paired with referral incentives to turn happy buyers into advocates. When the same platform handles both reviews and referrals, it’s easier to track which reviews lead to referred purchases.

Reviews + UGC = Richer Creative

Visual reviews provide ready-made creative for product pages, ads, and email. Centralizing UGC with reviews and shoppable galleries reduces content fragmentation and speeds up creative cycles.

Reduce Tech Complexity: More Growth, Less Stack

Rather than building review flows, loyalty programs, and referral systems across multiple vendors, a single retention solution consolidates them. Fewer integrations mean fewer failures, more consistent branding, and more insights from combined datasets.

For merchants looking to replace multiple subscriptions with one cohesive solution, it’s easy to compare our plans and see which fits your needs.

Common Problems And How To Fix Them

Reviews Don’t Appear On Product Pages

Possible causes and fixes:

• The review block wasn’t added to the active product template—open the theme editor and add the block.
• Theme caching or CDN delay—clear cache or publish a new theme version.
• Product handles don’t match between product pages and the review system—ensure correct product identifiers during import.

If you installed Growave and need help, our setup docs in the dashboard guide common theme configurations, or you can add Growave to your store from the Shopify listing and follow the guided steps.

Stars Aren’t Showing In Search Results

If stars don’t appear in search snippets:

• Confirm the reviews solution injects proper schema markup (JSON-LD).
• Validate the page with structured data testing tools.
• Make sure schema isn’t duplicated by multiple systems (two different modules adding review schema can cause issues).

Low Review Submission Rate

Tactics to increase submissions:

• Add an automated post-purchase email flow with a review request.
• Offer loyalty points for reviews, and bonus points for photo/video submissions.
• Shorten the review form and make it mobile-first.
• Follow up with reminders and show examples of great reviews to guide responses.

When loyalty is combined with reviews, merchants often see faster lift in review volume. Learn more about combining incentives and review collection by exploring how to reward customers for reviews.

Spam Or Fake Reviews

Mitigations include:

• Use verified-buyer badges.
• Implement moderation rules and queue suspicious entries for manual review.
• Rate-limit submissions or require purchase confirmation for reviews.

Shopify Plus Considerations

Enterprise Needs

For merchants on Shopify Plus, enterprise-level customization and scalability may be important. Look for solutions that offer:

• Dedicated account support
• Advanced API access and webhooks
• Multi-store setup and localization
• Priority onboarding and SLA-level support

If you run a larger store or manage multiple storefronts, explore solutions that cater to Plus-level needs. We provide tailored capabilities for large merchants—learn about our enterprise approach and commerce-grade features for high-growth brands.

Example Workflows You Can Implement Today

Below are practical workflows you can implement without development heavy-lifting. These are presented as conceptual flows; adapt timing and messaging to your brand voice.

• Automated Review Request Workflow
  • Trigger: Order marked fulfilled + delivery confirmed
  • Action: Send an email 10 days post-delivery asking for a review, with one-click rating and photo upload option
  • Reward: Award loyalty points upon submission, extra points for photo
  • Follow-up: Reminder after 5 days if no response
• Collection Page Rating Display
  • Action: Add rating snippet to collection item template
  • Benefit: Improves browse-to-product conversion and surfacing of top-rated items
• Visual UGC Campaign
  • Action: Email repeat customers asking for photo reviews in exchange for loyalty points; curate best images into product galleries and social ads
  • Benefit: Creates cost-effective creative and improves ad performance

These workflows are easier to manage when reviews are part of a unified retention platform that handles rewards, UGC, and review display from one dashboard.

Measuring Impact And Iteration

When you deploy reviews, measure impact and iterate:

• Start with baseline KPIs: average conversion rate, AOV, and review submission rate.
• Run a short test: add ratings to a subset of collection pages or product variants.
• Compare conversion lift and tweak placement or wording.
• Measure how many reviewers become repeat customers and their LTV relative to non-reviewers.

A platform that centralizes review activity and rewards data helps you track the lifetime impact of review-driven retention.

Troubleshooting And Support

If you run into setup issues, consult these resources:

• Theme editor troubleshooting: Ensure your active theme supports sections and blocks.
• Import validation: Confirm CSV fields are mapped correctly before publishing.
• Schema debugging: Use structured data testing tools to ensure JSON-LD is valid.

If you prefer guided help, our onboarding materials walk merchants through common configurations, or you can add Growave to your store via the Shopify listing and access embedded setup guides in the dashboard.

Conclusion

Adding product reviews to your Shopify store is one of the highest-impact changes you can make to boost trust, conversion, and organic visibility. The technical steps—installing a reviews solution, placing a review block on product and collection pages, enabling schema, and automating review requests—are straightforward. The biggest gains come from making reviews part of a connected retention strategy that rewards customers, leverages UGC, and turns social proof into repeat business.

We believe in "More Growth, Less Stack": consolidating reviews, loyalty, referrals, and UGC into a single retention suite reduces complexity and unlocks compounded value. If you want a reviews solution that plugs into a broader customer retention platform trusted by 15,000+ brands, check our plans and get started quickly by comparing options on our pricing page.

Explore Growave’s plans and start your 14-day free trial today to add reviews, reward customers, and turn retention into a predictable growth engine. Compare our plans and start a free trial

FAQ

How quickly can I start collecting reviews after setup?

You can start collecting reviews as soon as the review form is live on your product pages and your post-purchase email sequence is active. Many merchants begin receiving reviews within days once they trigger an automated request after delivery.

Can I import reviews from another platform?

Yes. Importing via CSV or an available migration tool is supported. Ensure your CSV includes product identifiers and required fields like rating, review text, date, and any image links.

Will reviews affect my SEO?

Yes. Reviews generate fresh, user-generated content and, with proper schema markup, can appear as rich snippets in search results. Both elements typically improve organic visibility and click-through rates.

How can I encourage customers to add photos or videos in their reviews?

Offer a small, transparent incentive—such as loyalty points redeemable for discounts—for photo or video submissions. Make the submission flow easy and mobile-friendly, and show examples of the types of visual content you’re looking for.