How to Show Google Reviews on Shopify Website

Introduction

Showing Google reviews on your Shopify website builds trust, reduces purchase anxiety, and can meaningfully improve conversions. But with the flood of platforms and widgets available, many merchants experience "platform fatigue"—too many fragmented tools that don’t work together. We believe retention should be a growth engine, not another piece of complexity.

Short answer: You can show Google reviews on your Shopify website using a no-code widget, a Google Maps embed, or by pulling reviews through the Google Business Profile API and rendering them with custom code. Choose a method based on your technical resources, design needs, and long-term maintenance preferences. For most stores, a hosted widget is the fastest route to professional, mobile-friendly results.

This post covers every angle you’ll need to make an informed choice and implement Google reviews correctly. We’ll explain pros and cons of each method, provide practical, step-by-step instructions for each approach, outline placement and UX best practices, and highlight how review display ties into broader retention strategies like loyalty and social proof.

Our main message: showing Google reviews is simple to do well, and when combined with a unified retention platform that replaces multiple disparate tools, it moves beyond a credibility play into a lever for sustainable growth. If you want to explore plans and start a 14-day free trial, you can explore our plans and pricing.

Why Display Google Reviews On Your Store

The business case

Google reviews are third-party validation that many consumers trust more than on-site testimonials. Displaying them does more than decorate your pages:

How reviews fit into retention and LTV

Reviews don’t only affect first-time conversions. They support retention by helping customers feel confident in repeat purchases and in subscribing to ongoing services. Reviews also feed into loyalty and referral programs: customers who leave positive reviews are strong candidates for rewards and advocacy incentives.

Linking reviews with your retention toolkit—like loyalty and rewards—creates synergy. For example, offering points to customers who leave verified reviews can increase long-term engagement and lifetime value. Learn how to connect review-driven behaviors to repeat purchase mechanics through our Loyalty & Rewards programs.

Common objections and realities

Overview Of Technical Options

We’ll cover four practical approaches:

Each method has different trade-offs in speed, cost, customization, and maintenance.

Quick comparison (benefits and trade-offs)

A single, unified retention platform helps solve “platform fatigue” by replacing 5–7 separate tools with one ecosystem that shares customer data and workflows—More Growth, Less Stack.

Method A — Use a No-Code Widget (Fastest, Designer-Friendly)

What a widget does

A hosted widget fetches reviews from your Google Business Profile, formats them into cards, carousels, or lists, and gives you an embed code to place on your Shopify pages. Widgets usually support customization like fonts, colors, and review filters.

When to choose a widget

Setup steps (generalized)

Adding embed code to Shopify (practical steps)

Widget best practices

Pros and cons of widgets

Method B — Google Maps Embed (Simple, Free)

What the Maps embed does

Google Maps provides an embed option that places your business’s map and review panel into a page. This is a straightforward method to show your presence and one highlighted review or map with a link to reviews.

When to choose the Maps embed

How to add a Google Maps embed

Limitations and tips

Method C — Google Business Profile API (Full Control)

When to use the API

The API is right for merchants who need full control, want complex filtering, integration with CRM or loyalty systems, or want to transform reviews into dynamic marketing content. It’s the most flexible, though it requires developer time.

What the integration looks like

High-level implementation steps

Compliance and API limits

Integration with retention systems

Custom API integrations allow you to tie review events to loyalty rewards. For instance, when a verified reviewer is identified, you can automatically award points or add them to a referral campaign. These integrated workflows are where retention suites deliver outsized value.

Method D — Use a Retention Platform That Includes Reviews

Why a unified platform is valuable

Running multiple point solutions for reviews, loyalty, referrals, UGC, and wishlists leads to duplicate data, inconsistent customer experiences, and integration friction. A single retention platform can:

We build with merchants first and focus on replacing 5–7 disparate tools so teams spend time on growth, not integration.

What to look for in a retention platform

How this reduces "More tools, more problems"

If you prefer to install our platform to manage reviews and loyalty together, you can install Growave from the Shopify store.

Strategic Placement And UX: Where To Show Reviews

Placement matters. Reviews should be visible at the exact moments customers evaluate trust and commit to buy.

High-impact placements

UX best practices

Design & Content Considerations

What reviews should show

Handling negative feedback

Accessibility and performance

Legal And Policy Considerations

Google’s policies

Privacy and data handling

Measuring Impact And Optimization

Key metrics to track

A/B test ideas

Iteration loop

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Widget not displaying

Performance problems

Review syncing and moderation

Turning Reviews Into Retention Actions

Rewarding reviewers

Encouraging advocacy

Linking review milestones to retention mechanics makes reviews more than a conversion tool—reviews become an active part of your growth machine. See how loyalty and review workflows can live together in one platform via our Loyalty & Rewards programs and Reviews & UGC tools.

Implementation Checklist (Do This Before You Launch)

When To Move From Widget To Custom Integration

Start with a widget for speed. Consider moving to a custom API integration if:

A unified platform reduces the need for premature custom development by offering built-in integrations that connect reviews to loyalty, wishlists, and referrals. If you want to install Growave from the Shopify store to manage reviews and retention together, you can install Growave from the Shopify store.

Security And Operational Considerations

Protect your storefront

Operational ownership

Cost Considerations And ROI

What to budget for

Think in net impact: even modest conversion lift from reviews can justify the recurring cost. A platform that replaces several single-purpose solutions typically provides better value-for-money by consolidating functionality and data.

For precise plan details, you can explore our plans and pricing to see how a single platform can replace multiple point solutions.

How Growave Helps (Where Reviews Meet Retention)

We help merchants treat retention as a growth engine. Instead of a patchwork of point products, our retention suite brings reviews, loyalty, referrals, wishlists, and shoppable UGC together. That means reviews do more than convert—they feed into loyalty rewards, referral campaigns, and social feeds to drive repeat purchases.

We’re trusted by 15,000+ brands and maintain a 4.8-star rating on Shopify because we focus on merchant outcomes and long-term partnerships. If you want to see how reviews and retention work as a single engine, explore our plans and pricing.

Final Checklist Before You Publish Reviews On Your Site

Conclusion

Showing Google reviews on your Shopify website is a fast, proven way to boost trust and conversions. Start with a low-friction method like a hosted widget if you need speed, and graduate to API-driven or platform-based solutions as your needs for customization and integration grow. The real upside is when reviews are part of a unified retention strategy—when they feed loyalty, referrals, and UGC, they stop being isolated trust badges and become a reliable growth lever.

Ready to see this in action? Start your 14-day free trial and see how Growave turns retention into a growth engine—explore plans and pricing.

FAQ

How do I choose between a widget and a custom integration?

Choose a widget for fast deployment and low maintenance. Choose a custom integration if you need advanced filtering, deep CRM connections, or if you plan to transform review data programmatically. Often the fastest route is to start with a widget and iterate toward a custom solution if necessary.

Will showing Google reviews hurt my SEO?

Displaying reviews on-site can provide fresh, user-generated content that supports long-tail relevance and trust. Always ensure reviews are rendered in a search-friendly way (server-rendered or using SEO-friendly hydration) and avoid duplicative or spammy content.

Can I filter out low-star reviews?

You should avoid suppressing genuine negative reviews entirely, as that harms credibility. It’s acceptable to filter for display on certain placements (for example, highlight 4–5 star reviews in a testimonial strip) while keeping a full, unfiltered archive accessible elsewhere. Always link back to the original review for transparency.

How do reviews work with loyalty programs?

Reviews are a powerful engagement touchpoint. You can award points for leaving verified reviews, create automated follow-ups that offer rewards after a review is posted, and use reviewer segments to build referral campaigns. Integrating reviews into loyalty workflows multiplies their long-term value. See our Loyalty & Rewards programs and Reviews & UGC tools for examples of how this ties together.