ElPlan Kuchikomi Wall

Description

Kuchikomi Wall helps local businesses collect, manage, and display Google Business Profile reviews and customer testimonials on their WordPress site. Boost your Local SEO and MEO with automatic Schema.org structured data (Pro) — turn your best Google reviews into powerful social proof and rich results in Google Search (star ratings, review snippets).

Key Features

  • Google Reviews Integration — Connect your Google Business Profile and display real customer reviews automatically (cached for performance, Google API compliant)
  • X (Twitter) Embeds — Add tweet URLs and display them as beautiful testimonial cards (no API key required)
  • Manual Testimonials — Add any testimonial manually — from emails, Coconala, direct feedback, or any other source
  • 3 Display Templates — Card Grid, Slider/Carousel, and Simple List layouts
  • 3 Color Schemes — Light, Dark, and Auto (inherits your theme colors)
  • Unified Dashboard — Manage all review sources from a single, clean admin interface
  • Gutenberg Block — Native block included — search “Kuchikomi Wall” in the block inserter; configure template, color, and filters from the sidebar
  • Shortcode Support — Embed anywhere with [tmnl_kuchikomi_wall]

Free vs Pro

Feature
Free
Pro

Google Reviews (1 location)

X (Twitter) embeds

Manual testimonials

3 display templates

Gutenberg block

Multiple locations (multi-store)

Schema.org structured data (JSON-LD)

Rich results in Google Search (★ rating)

Review request QR code

Pro is available at el-plan.com/kuchikomi-wall — $3.50/month (billed $35/year).

Perfect For

  • Local businesses wanting to show Google Reviews on their website
  • Freelancers and consultants showcasing client testimonials
  • Salons, clinics, restaurants — anyone who collects Google Reviews
  • Web creators building client sites

Shortcode Usage

Basic:
[tmnl_kuchikomi_wall]

With options:
[tmnl_kuchikomi_wall limit=”6″ template=”slider” color=”dark” min_rating=”4″]

Parameters:
* limit — Number of reviews to display (default: 6)
* sourceall, manual, google, or x_embed (default: all)
* templatecard (grid), slider, or list (default: card)
* colorlight, dark, or auto (default: light)
* min_rating — Minimum star rating to display, 1–5 (default: 1)

Google Reviews Setup

  1. Get a Google Places API key (free tier: 1,000 requests/month)
  2. Find your Google Place ID
  3. Enter both in Kuchikomi Wall Google Reviews Settings
  4. Reviews are cached for 30 days (Google API compliant)

Privacy & API Compliance

  • Google review text is not stored in your database (compliant with Google’s Terms of Service)
  • Only Place ID is saved permanently; review data is cached temporarily via WordPress Transients
  • X (Twitter) embeds use the free oEmbed API — no authentication or API key required

Multilingual Ready

Kuchikomi Wall is translation-ready. A Japanese translation (ja) is included. Contributions for other languages are welcome.

Support

  • Plugin homepage: https://www.el-plan.com/kuchikomi-wall/
  • Support forum: Use the WordPress.org support tab

External Services

This plugin connects to the following third-party services:

Google Places API

  • What it does: Retrieves customer reviews and business information from Google Business Profile.
  • When data is sent: Only when you manually trigger a review fetch in the admin dashboard, or automatically via WP-Cron if you enable the scheduled refresh option.
  • What data is sent: Your Google Place ID and API key (stored locally on your server; sent to Google’s API endpoint).
  • Service provider: Google LLC
  • Google Maps Platform Terms of Service
  • Google Privacy Policy

X (Twitter) oEmbed API

  • What it does: Converts tweet URLs into embeddable HTML cards for display on your site.
  • When data is sent: When a visitor views a page containing an X embed (the browser contacts Twitter’s oEmbed endpoint to render the tweet).
  • What data is sent: The tweet URL only. No personal user data is transmitted by this plugin.
  • Service provider: X Corp.
  • X Terms of Service
  • X Privacy Policy

Screenshots

  • Dashboard — manage all review sources in one place
  • Card Grid template — clean, responsive review display
  • Slider template — carousel display for testimonials
  • List template — compact vertical layout
  • Gutenberg block — insert and configure from the block editor
  • Admin: Add manual testimonial
  • Admin: Google Reviews settings

Installation

  1. Upload the kuchikomi-wall folder to /wp-content/plugins/
  2. Activate the plugin through Plugins Installed Plugins
  3. Go to Kuchikomi Wall in the admin menu
  4. Add your first testimonial manually, or connect Google Reviews

FAQ

Do I need a Google API key?

A Google API key is required only if you want to display Google Reviews. Manual testimonials and X (Twitter) embeds work without any API key. Google provides 1,000 free API calls per month, which is sufficient for most websites.

Does this plugin store Google review text in my database?

No. To comply with Google’s Terms of Service, review text is cached temporarily (30 days) using WordPress Transients, not stored permanently. Only your Google Place ID is saved.

Can I use this without Google Reviews?

Yes. You can use manual testimonials and X (Twitter) embeds completely free, without any API key.

How many reviews can I display?

The free version supports unlimited manual testimonials. Google Reviews returns up to 5 reviews per API call (Google limitation). X (Twitter) embeds support as many tweet URLs as you add.

Is it compatible with page builders?

The shortcode [tmnl_kuchikomi_wall] works in any area that supports shortcodes, including Elementor, Divi, WPBakery, and the Classic Editor. A native Gutenberg block is also included — search for “Kuchikomi Wall” in the block inserter.

Is there a Pro version?

Yes! Kuchikomi Wall Pro ($3.50/month, billed $35/year) unlocks:

  • ★ Star ratings in Google Search — When someone searches “your city + your business type” (e.g., “Shibuya chiropractic”), your site can appear with star ratings and review snippets directly in the results. This is powered by automatic Schema.org structured data (JSON-LD) output — no technical knowledge required.
  • Multiple locations — Connect up to 10 Google Business Profile locations. Perfect for chains, franchises, or agencies managing multiple clients.
  • Review request QR code — Generate a QR code that links directly to your Google review page. Print it on receipts, menus, or business cards to collect more reviews effortlessly.

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“ElPlan Kuchikomi Wall” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

2.0.5

  • Added: Free/Pro feature comparison table in the admin dashboard
  • Added: “Upgrade to Pro” button with Freemius checkout popup
  • Added: Japanese translation bundled (ja.mo/ja.po) with full i18n support
  • Fixed: Hardcoded Japanese strings replaced with translatable equivalents
  • Fixed: load_plugin_textdomain() added to enable bundled translation files
  • Improved: API key guide link now automatically switches to the user’s language

2.0.4

  • Added: LP link and Freemius checkout JS to the admin dashboard
  • Added: API key connection test button with instant feedback
  • Added: “How to get an API key” guide link in Google Reviews settings
  • Improved: WP.org directory description and FAQ updated

2.0.3

  • Added: “Google API Key Setup Guide” link in the admin dashboard
  • Added: “Upgrade to Pro” banner in the admin dashboard
  • Added: “Plugin Homepage” and “Support Forum” quick-links in the admin dashboard
  • Added: API key connection test button with instant validation in Google Reviews settings
  • Added: “How to get an API key” link next to the API key field

2.0.2

  • Fixed: All $_POST inputs now sanitized via array_map('sanitize_text_field', wp_unslash())
  • Fixed: embed_html output wrapped with wp_kses_post() in all templates
  • Fixed: wp_nonce_url() wrapped with esc_url() in X embed handling
  • Fixed: Removed unused Domain Path header
  • Fixed: Stable tag in readme.txt corrected

2.0.1

  • Changed: Main plugin file renamed to elplan-kuchikomi-wall.php
  • Changed: All shortcodes unified under tmnl_ prefix ([tmnl_kuchikomi_wall])
  • Fixed: All $_POST/$_GET inputs sanitized (13 locations)
  • Fixed: All echo outputs escaped (19 locations)
  • Changed: Text domain updated to elplan-kuchikomi-wall

2.0.0

  • Rebranded as Kuchikomi Wall
  • Added Source Adapter architecture — easily extendable for new review sources
  • Added X (Twitter) oEmbed support (no API key required)
  • New dashboard UI with per-source management
  • Added Slider and List display templates
  • Added Dark and Auto color schemes
  • Expanded shortcode parameters: template, color

1.0.0

  • Initial release
  • Google Reviews integration with 30-day cache
  • Manual testimonial management (add/edit/delete)
  • Card Grid display with responsive layout
  • Shortcode [tmnl_kuchikomi_wall]