Product reviews play a critical role in building trust and encouraging potential customers to make a purchase. In WooCommerce, reviews are a built-in feature that allows customers to share their experiences and feedback directly on the product page. However, to prevent spam or unverified reviews, WooCommerce also gives you the option to allow only verified purchasers to leave reviews.
In this post, we’ll walk you through the steps to enable reviews for your WooCommerce products and show you how to restrict reviews to verified customers only.
Why Enable Reviews on WooCommerce?
Product reviews can:
- Boost credibility: Customers trust peer reviews more than product descriptions written by the business.
- Increase conversion rates: Positive reviews can encourage other visitors to buy your products.
- Improve SEO: Search engines like Google favor sites that feature user-generated content such as reviews.
With these benefits in mind, enabling reviews for your WooCommerce products is a no-brainer for most online stores.
Step 1: How to Enable Product Reviews in WooCommerce
Enabling product reviews in WooCommerce is straightforward and can be done directly from your WordPress dashboard.
Steps to Enable Reviews for WooCommerce Products
- Navigate to WooCommerce Settings:
- In your WordPress admin panel, go to WooCommerce > Settings.
- Access the Products Tab:
- Click on the Products tab at the top of the settings page.
- Enable Reviews:
- Scroll down to the Reviews section.
- Check the box that says Enable product reviews.
- Optional: Star Ratings:
- You can also enable star ratings by checking the box next to Enable star rating on reviews. You can further specify that star ratings are required and must accompany a review.
- Save Changes:
- After enabling reviews, click the Save changes button.
Once this is done, your product pages will display a reviews tab where customers can leave their feedback.
Step 2: How to Allow Only Verified Purchasers to Leave Reviews
Allowing only verified purchasers to leave reviews is a great way to ensure the authenticity of the reviews posted on your site. Verified purchasers are customers who have bought the product from your store, ensuring that reviews are genuine and based on real experiences.
Steps to Restrict Reviews to Verified Purchasers Only:
- Go to WooCommerce Settings:
- From the WordPress dashboard, navigate to WooCommerce > Settings.
- Access the Products Tab:
- Click on the Products tab at the top of the WooCommerce settings page.
- Enable Verified Purchasers Only:
- In the Reviews section, look for the option that says Reviews can only be left by “verified owners”. Check this box.
- Verified owners are customers who have purchased the product via the same WooCommerce store.
- Save Changes:
- After enabling this setting, click the Save changes button.
Now, only customers who have purchased the product from your store will be able to leave a review, significantly reducing the risk of spam reviews.
Step 3: How to Customize Review Settings Further
WooCommerce also offers several other review-related settings that can enhance the review system on your site. Below are a few additional options you can consider tweaking:
1. Moderate Reviews Before Publishing
You might want to approve reviews manually to ensure they meet your quality standards. To enable review moderation:
- Navigate to Settings > Discussion in your WordPress dashboard.
- Under Before a comment appears, check the box that says Comment must be manually approved.
This setting applies to both comments and reviews, allowing you to approve each review before it appears on your site.
2. Display Verified Purchaser Badge
WooCommerce automatically displays a “Verified owner” badge next to the names of customers who purchased the product. This makes it clear to other shoppers that the review was left by a genuine buyer.
You don’t have to do anything to enable this, as it’s on by default, but it’s worth knowing that this badge will automatically display when the verified purchaser setting is active.
Bonus: How to Use a Plugin to Improve WooCommerce Reviews
If you want to take your reviews to the next level, you might want to consider using a plugin to enhance WooCommerce’s default review system. Here are some popular plugins that provide advanced review features:
1. Customer Reviews for WooCommerce
This free plugin enhances WooCommerce’s default review system with features like:
- Verified buyer badges.
- Review reminders to encourage customers to leave a review.
- Rich review forms with additional fields like title, pros, cons, and images.
2. YITH WooCommerce Advanced Reviews
A premium plugin that improves the appearance and functionality of WooCommerce reviews by allowing:
- Enhanced review summaries.
- Review filters (e.g., most helpful, highest rated).
- Customizable review forms.
3. WooCommerce Product Reviews Pro
This is a premium extension from WooCommerce that adds features like:
- Product review filtering by verified owners.
- Image and video uploads with reviews.
- Question and answer sections on product pages.
These plugins can improve customer interaction, boost sales, and provide more insights into your products through detailed reviews.
Conclusion
Enabling product reviews in WooCommerce is essential for building customer trust and improving your store’s overall credibility. Restricting reviews to verified purchasers ensures that your reviews are genuine, preventing spam and boosting customer confidence in the authenticity of the feedback.
Quick Summary:
- Enable product reviews from the WooCommerce > Settings > Products tab.
- Allow only verified purchasers to leave reviews to ensure authenticity.
- Use plugins like Customer Reviews for WooCommerce or WooCommerce Product Reviews Pro to add advanced features and enhance your review system.
By following these steps, you can easily manage and customize WooCommerce reviews, ensuring a positive shopping experience for your customers while maintaining the integrity of your product reviews.
If you need help with your WooCommerce store, get a no obligation quote.
Photo by Diane Helentjaris on Unsplash