Description
TWDH Business Review Display for Google connects directly to the Google Places API and pulls your business reviews into WordPress automatically. A 24-hour cache system keeps your site fast, and because everything renders server-side, it works with any page builder and theme.
Features (Free)
- Display up to 5 Google reviews
- Grid and list layouts
- Star ratings with reviewer profile photos
- Filter by minimum star rating
- Show or hide relative review dates
- 24-hour automatic review caching
- Works with any theme or page builder
- No third-party subscription required
Shortcode
[twdh_google_reviews]
Shortcode Attributes
layout—gridorlist(default:grid)count— 1 to 5 (default:5)min_rating— 1 to 5 (default:1)show_date—yesorno(default:yes)show_photo—yesorno(default:yes)
Examples
[twdh_google_reviews]
[twdh_google_reviews layout="list" count="3" min_rating="4"]
[twdh_google_reviews show_photo="no" show_date="no"]
External Services
This plugin communicates with two external services:
-
Google Places API (api.maps.google.com / maps.googleapis.com) — used to fetch your business reviews and rating. Called when the shortcode is rendered and results are not yet cached. Data is cached for 24 hours. Google Privacy Policy
-
TWDH License Server (thewebdesignhub.com/api/public/plugins/verify-license) — used to validate your license key if you enter one in Settings. Only called when you activate a license; result is cached for 24 hours. No personal data is sent beyond your site’s domain and the license key you provide. Privacy Policy
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to
/wp-content/plugins/, or install via the WordPress Plugins screen. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen.
- Navigate to Settings Google Reviews and enter your credentials.
- Add
[twdh_google_reviews]to any page, post, or widget area.
Getting a Google Places API Key
- Go to Google Cloud Console
- Create or select a project
- Enable the Places API under APIs & Services Library
- Create an API key under APIs & Services Credentials
- Restrict the key to the Places API for security
Finding Your Place ID
Use the Place ID Finder — search for your business name and copy the Place ID (it starts with ChIJ).
FAQ
-
Do I need a paid Google plan?
-
The Places API requires a Google Cloud billing account, but Google provides a generous monthly free credit ($200/month) that covers millions of API calls. For most small businesses, usage stays well within the free tier.
-
Why do I only see 5 reviews?
-
The Google Places API returns a maximum of 5 reviews per request. This is a Google limitation for the standard Details endpoint.
-
Reviews aren’t updating — why?
-
Reviews are cached for 24 hours. Go to Settings Google Reviews and click Clear Reviews Cache to force a refresh.
-
Does this work with Elementor / Divi / Gutenberg?
-
Yes. Add the shortcode
[twdh_google_reviews]anywhere you can embed a shortcode — pages, posts, widgets, and most page builder text/shortcode blocks.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“TWDH Business Review Display for Google” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
ContributorsTranslate “TWDH Business Review Display for Google” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.0
- Initial release