How to Add Google Reviews to Shopify: Step-by-Step Guide

Key Insights
• Google reviews carry a distinct trust signal from on-site product reviews, since customers often encounter them independently through search before ever visiting your actual store.
• A free embed method exists for displaying Google reviews on Shopify without a paid app, though it comes with real tradeoffs in customization compared to a dedicated review platform.
• A Google Business Profile is the required foundation before any reviews can exist to display at all, and many stores selling online exclusively skip this step without realizing they need it.
• Many established businesses already have real Google reviews sitting unused, collected through in-person interactions or general business searches, that a Shopify store can surface with the right setup.

Adding Google reviews to Shopify searches usually comes from merchants who already have real Google reviews sitting on their Business Profile, sometimes collected over years through in-person interactions, general searches, or a physical location, and want to actually put that existing trust to work on their Shopify store directly. This guide covers the free embed method specifically, along with what it requires and where it falls short compared to a paid review platform.

This is a Google-specific guide. If you are looking for on-site product review apps generally, our broader comparison guide on the best Shopify review apps covers that wider category, and our beginner setup guide covers adding any review app to your store from scratch and getting it running.

Why Google Reviews Are Worth Adding Specifically

Google reviews carry a distinct kind of trust compared to on-site product reviews, since a customer often encounters them independently through a general search before ever landing on your actual store at all, sometimes days before making any purchase decision. This makes Google reviews a pre-existing trust signal rather than something a visitor discovers only after arriving, which is a meaningfully different position in the customer journey overall and worth treating separately from other trust signals.

Display existing Google Business Profile reviews on your Shopify store to quickly build trust using social proof you’ve already earned.

Setting Up a Google Business Profile First

Create and claim a Google Business Profile before displaying Google reviews on your Shopify store, even if you sell exclusively online.

Claim and verify your profile through Google’s standard process, filling in accurate business information that matches what customers already associate with your brand and reputation. Once claimed, this profile becomes the destination where customers can leave new reviews and where your existing reviews, if any already exist, are already sitting and waiting to be surfaced.

The Free Embed Method

Once you have reviews on your Google Business Profile, a free embed method lets you display them on your Shopify store without a paid app subscription weighing on your monthly costs. This typically involves a widget or code snippet that pulls review data directly from Google and renders it within your theme, using tools built specifically for this purpose at no ongoing cost to the store.

Free methods work well for basic Google review displays, while paid apps provide greater customization and design flexibility.

Want your Google reviews displaying cleanly on your Shopify store? Get a Shopify Reviews Setup Consult

Collecting More Google Reviews Once You Are Set Up

Encourage customers to leave Google reviews by sharing your review link after purchases to steadily build credibility and social proof.

A direct, shareable link that takes a customer straight to the review submission screen performs meaningfully better than simply asking someone to search for your business and find the review option themselves on their own. Most Business Profile dashboards provide this direct link, which is worth locating and using consistently in follow-up communications with customers going forward.

Combining Google Reviews With On-Site Product Reviews

Google reviews and on-site product reviews serve genuinely different purposes rather than competing for the same placement on a page. Google reviews speak to overall business trust, shipping reliability, customer service, and general reputation, while on-site product reviews speak specifically to whether a given item meets expectations. A homepage or footer placement for Google reviews alongside product-specific reviews on individual listings covers both dimensions of trust a visitor actually needs.

Use Google reviews for overall business credibility and product reviews to help customers confidently choose specific items.

Responding to Google Reviews Publicly

Respond to Google reviews regularly to build trust and maintain a positive public reputation across Google Search and Maps.

Keep responses professional and specific to the actual feedback given, avoiding generic templated replies that read as impersonal to anyone comparing multiple reviews and responses side by side. A thoughtful response to a negative review, in particular, is visible to every future visitor evaluating your business, which makes it a genuine opportunity rather than purely a defensive obligation.

Common Mistakes When Adding Google Reviews to Shopify

• Skipping the Google Business Profile setup step and assuming reviews can display without it
• Expecting the free embed method to offer the same customization as a paid review app
• Sharing a generic business search link instead of a direct review submission link
• Never actively requesting new Google reviews after the display setup is technically finished
• Assuming Google reviews replace the need for on-site product-specific reviews entirely

Ready to Put Your Existing Google Reviews to Work? Google reviews carry real, pre-existing trust that most stores have not yet surfaced on their actual product pages at all. A Google Business Profile, a free embed method, and consistent review requests turn an underused asset into visible social proof for every new visitor arriving at your store from search. Talk to our team about your Google reviews setup.

Pro Tip 💡

Check for an existing unclaimed Google Business Profile to claim previously collected reviews before creating a new listing.

FAQ

1. Do I Need a Google Business Profile to Show Reviews on Shopify?

Yes, a claimed and verified Google Business Profile is the foundation Google reviews are attached to in Google’s own system. Without one, there is no review data to actually pull into your Shopify store, regardless of which display method you choose to use for it.

2. Is Adding Google Reviews to Shopify Really Free?

The embed method itself typically has no ongoing subscription cost, though it may involve more manual setup than a paid app requires. Paid review apps can also display Google reviews, generally with more customization, at an added monthly cost to the store.

3. Can I Add Google Reviews Without a Physical Store Location?

Yes, a Google Business Profile does not strictly require a physical storefront to exist, though the setup process differs slightly for online-only businesses specifically. Confirm your specific business type is supported during the profile claiming process before starting.

4. How Do I Get More Google Reviews for My Shopify Store?

Share a direct link to your Google review submission page with customers after a purchase or interaction, making the request as simple as possible for them to complete. A direct link performs better than asking customers to search and find the option themselves on their own.

5. Are Google Reviews Better Than On-Site Product Reviews?

Not better exactly, just different in what they signal to a visitor. Google reviews reflect overall business trust encountered independently through search, while on-site product reviews speak to a specific item being considered. Most stores benefit from having both types working together simultaneously.

6. Can I Customize How Google Reviews Look on My Site?

With the free embed method, customization is generally limited compared to a paid review app built for this purpose. If deep visual control matters more than cost for your specific store, a paid platform supporting Google review display may be worth the added expense.