How to Add Reviews to Your Shopify Store to Build Trust and Boost Sales

There are two primary ways to add customer reviews to your Shopify store. You can either do it manually (ideal for showcasing selected feedback) or through trusted third-party apps (great for automating and scaling). Let’s walk you through both options so you can choose what fits your business best.

Method #1: Manual Method

If you’re looking to add a few selected reviews to specific pages manually, here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Log into your Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Themes > Customize.

Step 2: In the theme editor, click Add Section. Choose a Multi-column or similar layout depending on your theme, which will allow you to showcase text reviews and star ratings.

Step 3: Input your customer review content manually in the columns. You can format them to include the customer name, star rating, and feedback.

This method gives you full control over how and where reviews are displayed—perfect for custom testimonial sections on homepages or landing pages. However, this approach is not scalable and is best for stores with a limited number of reviews.

Method #2: Using Third-Party Review Apps (Recommended)

For a more dynamic and efficient solution, we recommend using a Shopify-compatible review app. These apps automate the process, collect feedback via email, display user-generated content, and even support rich snippets for SEO benefits.

Popular apps include:

• Judge.me

• Loox

• Fera.ai

• Rivo

• Trustpilot

Among these, Judge.me is a favorite due to its comprehensive free plan, ease of setup, and deep customization options.

How to Add Reviews Using the Judge.me App

Adding Judge.me to your Shopify store and making the most of it is simple, powerful, and scalable. Follow these detailed steps to enhance your store’s credibility and drive conversions through authentic customer feedback.

Step 1: Installation and Setup

Start by logging into your Shopify admin and visiting the Shopify App Store. Search for “Judge.me Product Reviews” and click on it.

Judge.me offers a generous free plan that’s perfect for small to medium-sized stores. Click Install, and once the app is added to your store, you’ll be directed to the setup wizard.

Judge.me automatically creates a default review widget, allowing you to start collecting customer feedback right away. If you’re migrating from another review tool, Judge.me makes it easy to import your existing reviews using .csv or .xls files. This smooth transition ensures your social proof remains intact.

Step 2: Activating Judge.me on Your Shopify Theme

To ensure the review widgets display properly, you’ll need to enable the app on your theme. There are two ways to do this:

Method 1:
From the Judge.me onboarding screen, click on “Enable app embed”. A new window will open with the embed option already active. Just click Save.

Method 2:
Go to your Shopify admin panel, then Online Store > Themes. Click Customize on your active theme. Navigate to the App Embeds section, find Judge.me, enable it, and hit Save.

This ensures that all review features function correctly as you continue your store setup.

Step 3: Integrating the Review Widget into Product Pages

To place reviews exactly where they matter—on your product pages—head into your Shopify Theme Editor:

• Navigate to Online Store > Themes, then click Customize.

• In the Theme Editor, select the dropdown at the top and go to Products > Default Product.

• Scroll through the sidebar and click Add Section.

• Locate and select Review Widget from the “Apps” list.

Position the review widget in a prominent area—mid or high up on the product page—for better visibility. Once placed, click Save to activate it on live product pages.

Step 4: Customizing the Review Widget

To make the review section match your store’s style:

• In your Shopify admin, go to Apps > Judge.me.

• From the sidebar menu, choose Widgets, then click Manage on the widget you want to customize.

You can adjust font style, colors, layout, and language to fit your store’s branding. Personalizing your review display helps create a consistent and professional appearance across your storefront.

Don’t forget to Save your changes before exiting.

Step 5: Importing Existing Reviews

If you’re switching from another review provider, retain your valuable feedback by importing reviews into Judge.me:

• Go to the Judge.me dashboard and click Manage Reviews > Import Reviews.

• Upload your data file in accepted formats such as .csv, .xls, or .xlsx.

Once uploaded, Judge.me will populate the reviews across your designated products. If formatting errors occur, their support team is available to help resolve them.

Step 6: Encouraging Customers to Leave Reviews

Automating review requests is essential for building a steady stream of social proof.

• Navigate to Collect Reviews > Schedule Requests in the Judge.me dashboard.

• Set up your Email Templates and Automatic Requests, customizing them to match your brand’s voice and tone.

You can also offer incentives—like discount codes, store credit, or loyalty points—to customers who leave a review. These incentives help increase review volume and boost post-purchase engagement.

Judge.me also provides moderation tools so you can control what gets published and ensure content aligns with your store’s standards.

Step 7: Moderating and Responding to Reviews

Ongoing review management is critical to maintaining a strong store reputation.

In the Manage Reviews section of the Judge.me dashboard, you can:

• Approve, hide, or respond to individual reviews.

• Highlight top reviews.

• Flag suspicious or offensive content.

Be proactive in responding to all reviews—positive and negative. Thank happy customers and thoughtfully address critical feedback to show professionalism and commitment to improvement.