Description

GS Review Booster provides a responsive multi-source review carousel through a native Gutenberg block, WordPress widget, Elementor widget, or the [gsreview] shortcode. It combines reviews supplied by Google Places and Facebook Recommendations, preserves each source’s last successful results during temporary API failures, and includes a customizable feedback card.

Highlights:

Responsive fixed-size review carousel.
Combined Google Places reviews and Facebook Recommendations.
Native Gutenberg block with per-block customization, an editor preview, and alignment support.
Independently customizable WordPress widget for classic widget areas and the Legacy Widget block.
Native Elementor widget with an optional editable heading.
Optional per-instance Elementor customization for sites using multiple review widgets.
Built-in plugin feedback form and a Premium area prepared for future Freemius licensing.
Reviewer photos where available, with initial-based fallbacks.
Review source badges, star ratings, dates, and full-review popups.
Automatic or manual scrolling with configurable speed and arrows.
Random, newest, oldest, or highest-rated ordering.
Optional positive-only filtering across supported review sources.
Configurable card dimensions, spacing, rounding, colours, and visibility.
Modern, Classic, Soft, and Bold design presets with font-family and text-size controls.
Minimal, filled, or outline buttons with adjustable rounding, icon style, and icon size.
Custom positive and negative feedback-button labels displayed as text, icons, or both.
English, French, or WordPress-site interface wording with flexible review-date formatting.
Stacked or horizontal mobile layouts with independent width, spacing, padding, feedback, and arrow controls.
Custom feedback-card and popup wording.
Manual refresh, automatic refresh intervals, and last-updated status.
Separate last-successful caches when Google or Facebook is temporarily unavailable.
Keyboard-accessible tabs, carousel controls, and modal dialogs.
Optional complete data removal during uninstall.

Google Places returns a maximum of five reviews. Retrieving a complete Google Business Profile review history requires a separate authenticated Google Business Profile integration, which is not included in this version.

External Services

This plugin connects to the Google Places API at maps.googleapis.com to retrieve reviews configured by the site administrator. Requests send the administrator-supplied API key, Place ID, requested review field, and site locale to Google. Reviewer profile images can be loaded from URLs returned by Google. Visitors can choose to open the administrator-configured Google review URL.

When Facebook is configured, the plugin connects to Meta’s Graph API at graph.facebook.com and requests the configured Page’s /ratings connection. Requests include the administrator-supplied Page ID and Page access token. Returned reviewer names, recommendation text, recommendation type, ratings where available, and dates are cached in WordPress. Visitors can choose to open the administrator-configured Facebook recommendations URL.

Use of Google services is governed by Google’s terms and privacy policy:

Google Maps Platform Terms: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/terms
Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Use of Facebook services is governed by Meta’s terms and privacy policy:

Meta Platform Terms: https://developers.facebook.com/terms/
Meta Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/

No visitor feedback is submitted to GS Computers by this plugin. The thumbs-up and thumbs-down controls only open local dialogs containing the configured review destinations.

Privacy

The plugin stores its configuration and cached Google and Facebook review data in the WordPress database. It does not collect public visitor names, email addresses, form submissions, or analytics. When an administrator intentionally submits the plugin Feedback form, the entered name, email address, feedback message, site address, and plugin version are sent by the site’s WordPress email system to GS Computers. Site administrators are responsible for describing their own use of third-party review content in their privacy policy where required.

Source Code and Development

All PHP, JavaScript, and CSS files included in this plugin are the original, human-readable source code. The plugin does not include minified, compressed, transpiled, bundled, or otherwise generated JavaScript or CSS. No build tools are required: the distributed files can be reviewed, edited, and used directly.

Screenshots

Responsive review carousel and feedback card.

General settings and shortcode. — Responsive review carousel and feedback card.

Blocks

This plugin provides 1 block.

GS Review Booster Display reviews from configured sources with a customer feedback card.

Installation

Upload the plugin ZIP through Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
Activate GS Review Booster.
Open GS Review Booster > APIs & Refresh.
Configure Google, Facebook, or both. Facebook requires a Page ID and valid Page access token.
Enter the public review-page URLs used by the feedback popups.
Save the settings and select Refresh Reviews Now.
Add the GS Review Booster block to a post or page. You can also use its WordPress widget, Elementor widget, or the [gsreview] shortcode.

Every Gutenberg, Elementor, and classic WordPress widget can either inherit the global Customization settings or use its own independent appearance, feedback, language, date, and mobile-layout configuration.

FAQ

Why do I see only five Google reviews?: Google Places supplies a maximum of five reviews. This is an upstream API limit, not a carousel limit.
What happens if Google is temporarily unavailable?: The plugin keeps displaying the last successfully downloaded reviews. The administration page records the most recent error without replacing the successful cache.
How do Facebook Recommendations connect?: Enter the Facebook Page ID, a valid Page access token, and the public recommendations URL under APIs & Refresh. Meta controls whether the Page and app can access the /ratings connection, so the required permissions and availability depend on Meta’s current platform rules.
How do I make the widget background transparent?: Open Customization and select Clear in the widget background colour picker. Transparent is the default.
Can I disable automatic movement?: Yes. Disable Automatically scroll reviews under Carousel Controls. Navigation arrows can be independently enabled or disabled.
Can I reset everything?: Use Reset All Settings to Defaults on the General tab. The action requires confirmation and also clears the review cache.
Are settings deleted when I remove the plugin?: Not by default. Enable Delete settings and cached reviews when the plugin is uninstalled before deleting the plugin if complete removal is desired.
How does the Feedback tab send my message?: It uses the website’s standard WordPress email system. Successful delivery therefore depends on the site’s email or SMTP configuration. The message is sent to brad@gigasoft.ca with the subject “GS Review Booster Feedback.”

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“GS Review Booster” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

SpikerzZ

Translate “GS Review Booster” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.0.1

Reformatted the distributed JavaScript and CSS as directly editable, human-readable source.
Documented that no build, bundling, compilation, or minification step is required.
Updated the plugin branding to GS while retaining Gigasoft Computers as the author credit.
Added a Review link beside Donate and a dismissible rating reminder on the Plugins page, with a temporary Coming Soon popup.
Added a Feedback link to the Plugins page and applied the temporary Coming Soon popup to every rating-reminder action.
Added cache-busting for administration assets and placed a Feedback button beside Not Interested in the rating reminder.

1.0.0

First full public release.
Added typography controls and Modern, Classic, Soft, and Bold design presets.
Added filled, outline, and minimal button styles with solid or outline feedback icons.
Added custom positive and negative feedback-button text with icon, text, or combined display modes.
Added English, French, or WordPress-site interface language options and source, relative, WordPress, or custom date formatting.
Added stacked or carousel mobile layouts with mobile card width, gap, padding, feedback, and navigation controls.
Added every new customization to global settings, Gutenberg blocks, Elementor widgets, and classic WordPress widgets.
Simplified the roadmap and vertically centered feature cards.
Prepared a single-plan Premium structure with 1-site, 5-site, and 25-site pricing options for future Freemius integration.
Completed the plugin header and WordPress.org readme compatibility metadata.
Corrected carousel spacing so review-card borders and shadows are not clipped on the right or bottom.

0.16.6

Removed the experimental third-party review connector.

0.16.5

Moved the Please Donate button up 75 pixels.

0.16.4

Added a Facebook API disclaimer explaining that Meta may return recommendations without reviewer names or profile pictures.

0.16.2

Matched the Facebook recommendation-text area height to Google review cards.
Expanded Facebook reviewer-name and profile-picture parsing for additional Meta response formats.
Migrated the old Facebook User cache label and corrected the review-text fade while a card is hovered.

0.16.1

Improved Facebook reviewer-name and profile-image parsing when Meta returns that identity data.
Replaced the anonymous Facebook User label with the clearer Facebook Reviewer fallback when Meta withholds a reviewer’s identity.
Aligned every Read more button at the bottom of its review card.

0.16.0

Added Facebook Recommendations as the second supported review source.
Added Facebook Page ID, Page access token, recommendations URL, connection status, and refresh controls.
Combined Google reviews and Facebook Recommendations in the same ordering, filtering, carousel, widgets, and blocks.
Added Facebook source badges and Recommended or Not recommended labels.
Added separate Facebook caching so the last successful recommendations remain visible during temporary Meta API failures.
Added Google and Facebook destination buttons to the customer feedback popups when configured.
Added a Premium link beside Donate on the WordPress Plugins page.
Moved Facebook Recommendations to Available Now on the roadmap.

0.15.5

Added a Use Global Plugin Settings switch to every Gutenberg block.
Added per-block review filtering, ordering, carousel timing, navigation, and visible-element controls.
Added per-block card dimensions, spacing, rounding, hover animation, and complete colour controls.
Added per-block feedback-card visibility, wording, buttons, and popup messages.
Updated the Gutenberg editor preview to reflect each block’s independent settings in one horizontally scrollable row.
Lowered the Please Donate button by another 50 pixels on desktop.

0.15.4

Added independent review, carousel, layout, colour, and feedback-card customization to every WordPress widget instance.
Added a Use Global Plugin Settings option so each WordPress widget can either inherit the main settings or keep its own design.
Renamed the roadmap category to Review Sources.
Kept Facebook Recommendations in development and moved the other future free review sources back to Planned.
Lowered the Please Donate button by 50 pixels on desktop while preserving the compact mobile layout.
Improved feedback email sender headers, clarified the delivery status, and added a direct-email fallback when site mail is unavailable.

0.15.3

Added a Use Global Plugin Settings switch to each Elementor widget instance.
Added per-widget carousel timing, navigation, visible-card count, and reviewer-element controls.
Added per-widget card dimensions, spacing, rounding, hover animation, and complete colour controls.
Added per-widget feedback-card visibility, wording, buttons, and popup messages.
Sanitized every Elementor override before merging it with the global settings.
Preserved fully independent settings when multiple Elementor widgets are placed on the site.
Made the positive-review explanation source-neutral for future review integrations.
Moved Please Donate to a rounded blue button in the administration header.
Renamed Google & Refresh to APIs & Refresh and generalized the source-badge wording.
Added the five-card limit to the Maximum Visible Review Cards label.
Kept all Live Design Preview cards on one horizontally scrollable row.
Corrected version 0.1.7 from May 2025 to August 2025 in Release History.
Added Feedback and Premium administration tabs, with Feedback immediately before Premium.
Added a nonce-protected plugin feedback form that emails brad@gigasoft.ca with the subject “GS Review Booster Feedback.”

0.15.2

Added a native GS Review Booster widget to the Elementor widget panel.
Added an optional Elementor heading with selectable heading tags and inline editing support.
Loaded the existing carousel styles and interactions as declared Elementor widget dependencies.
Added a direct Elementor control-panel link to the global plugin customization settings.
Kept the integration dormant when Elementor is not installed or active.
Moved Elementor Widget to Available Now on the roadmap.

0.15.1

Added the GS Review Booster WordPress widget for classic widget areas and the Legacy Widget block.
Added an optional widget title and a compact sidebar-friendly layout.
Kept widget output synchronized with the same reviews and global settings used by the shortcode and Gutenberg block.
Moved WordPress Widget to Available Now on the roadmap.
Moved Additional Display Layouts from Planned to In Development.

0.15.0

Added a native dynamic Gutenberg block under the Widgets category.
Added a block-editor preview using the saved visible-card count and design colours.
Added wide and full-width block alignment support.
Added a block sidebar shortcut to the plugin customization settings.
Kept frontend block output synchronized with the shortcode renderer and global plugin settings.
Moved Gutenberg Block to Available Now on the roadmap.

0.14.1

Fixed the Live Design Preview so it renders the selected number of sample-customer cards immediately and updates that number before saving.
Allowed preview cards to wrap so every selected sample customer remains visible.
Moved the preview below the customization controls.
Changed the fresh-install default to three visible review cards while preserving existing saved settings.
Corrected live colour updates for WordPress colour-picker changes and the feedback card.

0.14.0

Added a Live Design Preview to the Customization tab.
Previewed colours, transparent backgrounds, dimensions, spacing, rounding, visible elements, feedback wording, arrows, thumbs, and hover effects before saving.
Moved Live Design Preview to Available Now on the roadmap.
Updated September 2026 Release History to show only the latest 0.11, 0.12, and 0.13 patch versions, plus the new 0.14 feature release.

0.13.6

Moved Typography and Design Presets, Button and Icon Styling, and Avatar and Source-Badge Styling into In Development.
Updated roadmap development priorities.

0.13.5

Added planned Free button and icon styling, avatar and source-badge styling, and responsive mobile layout controls.
Added planned feedback customization features.
Added planned Premium review-request QR codes.
Moved Detailed Synchronization History into In Development.

0.13.4

Removed the empty Considering column from the Development Roadmap.
Moved Advanced Custom CSS into Planned.
Moved Live Design Preview, Settings Import and Export, Gutenberg Block, Elementor Widget, and WordPress Widget into In Development.
Replaced click-only feature dialogs with hover and keyboard-focus explanations.
Kept click and tap support as an accessible fallback for touch devices.

0.13.3

Restored the individual 0.1.0 through 0.1.10 releases in the 2025 Release History.
Simplified September 2026 to the 0.11, 0.12, and 0.13 release lines without listing their patch releases.

0.13.2

Simplified Release History to show only the latest version from each release period.
Corrected roadmap feature colours to match Available Now, In Development, Planned, and Considering.
Added accessible feature-detail dialogs to every roadmap item.
Removed testing tasks and unclear or duplicated roadmap entries.
Combined complete Google review retrieval with the OAuth integration.
Added planned Free Gutenberg, Elementor, WordPress widget, live preview, import/export, typography, display layout, shortcode-builder, date-format, and manual-testimonial features.
Clarified the Free connection status and Premium detailed synchronization history features.
Added Premium analytics, review notifications, advanced filtering, display profiles, review pinning, and multiple-location plans.

0.13.1

Added Roadmap between Settings and Donate on the WordPress Plugins page.
Added Roadmap as a fourth tab on the settings screen.
Added Google & Refresh, Customization, and Roadmap shortcuts to the left administration menu while retaining the horizontal tabs.
Preserved the currently selected settings tab after saving changes.

0.13.0

Added a responsive Development Roadmap page under the plugin administration menu.
Separated completed Release History from future feature planning.
Organized roadmap items by Available Now, In Development, Planned, and Considering instead of estimated future dates.
Added clearly marked Free and Premium feature labels.

0.12.0

Removed the unfinished Facebook provider and settings.
Added Refresh Reviews Now and last-successful-update information.
Added configurable automatic refresh intervals.
Added persistent fallback to the last successful reviews during Google failures.
Added auto-scroll, pause, arrow, speed, and review-order controls.
Added card size, spacing, rounding, maximum visible cards, colours, and element visibility controls.
Added editable feedback-card and popup wording plus button visibility.
Added a protected reset-to-defaults action.
Added optional complete data removal during uninstall.
Added unique dialog identifiers, focus trapping, focus restoration, keyboard tab navigation, screen-reader carousel announcements, and reduced-motion support.
Expanded installation, FAQ, privacy, and external-service documentation.

0.11.4

Added a colour palette to the widget background setting.
Kept transparent as the default background through the colour picker’s Clear option.

0.11.3

Added a Main-tab option to show only positive reviews.
Kept feedback icons at their configured colour after closing a popup.

0.11.2

Removed theme-generated boxes from the thumbs hover state.
Locked donation links to the hosted GS PayPal donation page.

0.11.1

Converted settings navigation to instant, single-page tabs.
Corrected feedback colours and added Read more spacing.
Added WordPress and PHP requirements to the plugin header.

0.11.0

Complete modular rebuild.