Hi there,
The error is not about the API key but that the widget isn’t configured with a business correctly. Can you provide the Google Maps url of the business or the G+ Profile page of the business you are using in that widget?
Hi Stephen,
I believe the issue is that your Business is not a Verified Business and/or you have not confirmed that you serve customers at that physical address. These are requirements that Google puts in place.
Read through this documentation article on this, and confirm that your business profile is configured correctly:
https://wordimpress.com/documentation/google-places-reviews/google-places-reviews-101/
Thanks!
Ali
(@aetebari1985)
Hi Matt,
Thanks for your continued support. Unfortunately I still have a problem. When I logged in to the google business profile it was only 80% complete but the business WAS already verified and “serving customers at that address”. I completed the profile to 100% but I still get the same error.
Here is a screenshot of the errors:
http://www.asbcomputer.com.au/new3/GoogleReviewsProblem.jpg
Thanks,
Stephen
Hi there,
We just pushed an update out to the plugin, and updated our Docs. Google now requires the Maps API Key to be enabled in order to use the Lookup widget. Please do the following:
1) Review this doc and make sure you have both the “Google Places API Web Service” and “Google Maps Javascript API” enabled on your API Key
2) Update to the latest version (version 1.4.2)
Let me know how it goes. Thanks!
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the update. Unfortunately I still have an issue. I reviewed the document and I have both API keys enabled. I had to enter my Javascript API key in order to get the Lookup widget to work (I had the same error as before when using the “Server” key) but then when I go to the sidebar of my page I get “Invalid Request Please check that this widget has a Google Place ID set.”
See the screenshot:
http://www.asbcomputer.com.au/new3/GoogleReviewsProblem2.jpg
Do both API keys need to be used? One for the Lookup widget & the other one for the actual reviews?
Stephen
Ali
(@aetebari1985)
Thanks for the update Matt… enabled the “Google Maps Javascript API” and that solved the problem.
@aetebari1985 That’s great to hear. If you’re enjoying Google Places Reviews and appreciate our support, we’d love a kind review from you here:
https://wordpress.org/support/view/plugin-reviews/google-places-reviews
@stephenerik Try going into your widget, open the “Advanced Options” section and hit the “Clear Cache” button. You probably have the old API results cached and that needs to be refreshed.
Secondly, that error on the frontend isn’t related to your API as much as that you haven’t added a proper Google Place into the widget itself. Make sure after you clear the cache that you search for your business, that the autopopulate comes up and you can choose your business correctly.
Let me know how that goes. Thanks!
Hi Matt,
I tried clicking “Clear Cache” but that didn’t fix the problem. When I clicked the button I got an error in the console. See screenshot:
http://www.asbcomputer.com.au/new3/GoogleReviewsProblem3.jpg
The “Location Place ID” is set correctly.
Stephen
OK, most likely that’s a conflict with another plugin. Please de-activate all other plugins. If it works as expected at that point, re-activate each plugin one by one, testing the widget again in between until you experience the problem again. Then let me know which plugin caused the issue and I’ll look into a workaround.
If it still doesn’t work as expected, it’s most likely a conflict with your theme. Let me know which theme it is and I’ll dig into that.
Thanks!
Everything works fine on our development site, however when we transfer to the live site I can no longer look up a location. Have tried this several times on different ones. Added a new development site and used it fine – anyone else have this issue? plugin up to date and API key works fine.
Hi @nikkinmg
Check the settings of the API key to see if you added a HTTP referral and make sure you add one for your live site.
Also, here’s a couple other items:
1) Make sure you’re on our latest version, since it resolves this issue with the latest Google API update.
2) Review our docs on creating your API key. It’s been updated in light of the recent Google API changes: https://wordimpress.com/documentation/google-places-reviews/creating-your-google-places-api-key/
3) After you make changes to your API key, make sure you go into your Widget and open the Advanced Options section and hit the “Clear Cache” button.
Let me know how that goes. Thanks!
Hi Matt,
Unfortunately I still get the exact same issue. I deactivated the 3 other plugins that I had and then changed the theme back to TwentySixteen and I got the same error. I am using the “OnePress Plus” theme.
Thanks,
Stephen
Hi Stephen,
It seems we’ve touched all the major items, I’m not sure how to help much further except to ask that you review the main requirements for serving reviews:
1) Make sure you’re on the latest version of our plugin
2) Make sure you have enabled BOTH the Google Maps Javascript API and the Google Places Reviews Web Service API on your API key per our documentation
3) Make sure your API key is in our settings correctly
4) Make sure you don’t have ANY other plugins that reference the Google APIs active (in your latest screenshot I noticed an additional “Google Reviews” widget active besides ours)
5) Enter your business into the widget (like I see you did in the latest screenshot)
6) Clear the cache in our widget and any other plugin caching you might have active.
All our users who have struggled with this have struggled primarily with configuring the API key correctly, or that their business is not configured correctly. Once that is done everything works exactly as expected.
Let me know what you find. Thanks!
