If you’re wondering how to get more reviews on WooCommerce, the short answer is: ask every customer at the right time, make leaving a review as quick as possible, and remove settings that quietly block people from reviewing. Most customers who don’t leave reviews simply weren’t asked or forgot. An automated review reminder, a simple review form, and a direct link to it solve most of that.
This guide walks through the practical steps: the WooCommerce settings to check first, how and when to ask, how to reduce friction, and how to showcase the reviews you collect. It also covers the review rules you need to follow and what to check when customers say they can’t leave a review.
Why WooCommerce Stores Struggle to Get Reviews
Before you change anything, it helps to know why reviews don’t come in. For most stores, the reasons are the same:
- Nobody asked. WooCommerce doesn’t send review requests unless you set them up.
- Customers forgot. They meant to leave a review, but the moment passed.
- It took too much effort. They had to find the product, scroll to the reviews tab, log in, or fill in extra fields.
- Your settings blocked them. Some WordPress and WooCommerce settings stop customers from reviewing without making that obvious.
Each of these has a fix, and none of them requires a big budget.
How to Get More Reviews on WooCommerce: 8 Practical Steps
1. Check the settings that may be blocking reviews
Start under WooCommerce > Settings > Products. The WooCommerce product reviews documentation explains each option. The ones that matter most here:
- Enable product reviews must be on.
- Reviews can only be left by “verified owners” is good for trust, but it also stops anyone who can’t be matched to an order, such as a customer who checked out as a guest with a different email address. If you turn it on, you’ll get fewer reviews.
- Star ratings should be required is usually fine. Most customers expect to give a rating.
Next, check Settings > Discussion in WordPress. Product reviews use the WordPress comment system, so if Users must be registered and logged in to comment is checked, guest customers won’t see the review form at all. Also open a few products and confirm reviews are enabled under Product data > Advanced.
2. Ask every customer automatically, at the right time
The single biggest improvement for most stores is an automated review request email. Send it after the customer has received the product and had time to use it. For physical products, that usually means a delay after the order is marked Completed, since many stores mark orders Completed when they ship.
Recent versions of WooCommerce include an optional, beta Review request email that’s sent once after an order is Completed. A review reminder plugin gives you more control over the trigger, timing, and message. Our guide on sending review reminders in WooCommerce compares both options.
3. Make leaving a review take less than a minute
- Link straight to the review form. Don’t send customers to your homepage. Link to the product page’s reviews section.
- Keep the form short. A rating, a few sentences, and optional extras are enough.
- Don’t require extra steps. Requiring an account, a photo, or a video will turn some customers away.
- Test it on a phone. Many customers will open your review request on mobile, so submit a test review on your own phone.
4. Let customers show, not just tell
Some customers find a photo or a quick video easier than writing a paragraph, and these reviews are often the most useful for shoppers. WooCommerce doesn’t support photo or video reviews on its own, but a plugin can add them to the review form. Keep them optional so they never stand in the way of a simple text review. See our guides on adding photo reviews and adding video reviews to WooCommerce.
5. Ask in more than one place
Email isn’t the only option. Depending on your store, you could:
- Add a short card to the package with a QR code that opens the product page.
- Ask at the end of a helpful customer service conversation, once the issue is resolved.
- Mention reviews in a post-purchase or onboarding email that customers already expect.
- Invite repeat customers to review products they’ve bought more than once.
Keep the request light and make sure the link goes straight to the review form.
6. Show reviews where shoppers can see them
Reviews that are easy to find help new shoppers decide, and they show existing customers that reviews on your store are read. Show a rating summary on product pages, and consider featuring your best customer reviews on your homepage, category pages, or landing pages.
7. Respond to reviews, especially critical ones
Thank customers for useful reviews, and answer complaints calmly with a clear next step. A thoughtful reply to a negative review often reassures future shoppers more than another five-star rating would. It also shows customers that their feedback goes somewhere.
8. Follow the rules on incentives and honesty
It’s tempting to offer a discount in exchange for a five-star review. Don’t. In the US, the FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule prohibits making an incentive conditional on a review expressing a particular sentiment, and it bans fake reviews and using threats or intimidation to get reviews removed. The FTC’s guidance also notes that asking only happy customers for reviews could be deceptive. Offering an incentive for an honest review is treated differently, but it should be clearly disclosed. Rules vary by country, so check what applies to your store.
The safest approach is simple: ask every customer, accept honest feedback, and never hide or punish negative reviews.
How to Get More WooCommerce Reviews with ReviQuo
ReviQuo is a WooCommerce review plugin built around these steps. It adds review reminders, photo and video reviews, and review displays to the standard WooCommerce review system, so your existing reviews and moderation workflow stay intact.
Automated review reminders
Under ReviQuo > Review Settings > Email reminders, turn on Enable reminders and set your sender details. Each reminder rule has a Trigger status (any WooCommerce order status, including custom ones), a Delay in days, a subject, and an HTML message with a live preview. The {products_list} placeholder adds a card for each product in the order with a Write Review button that links to that product’s reviews section. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and you can track reminders under ReviQuo > Email Reminders.
The free version includes one reminder rule. Pro adds unlimited rules.
Photo and video reviews
Under Review Settings > General, you can let customers attach up to five photos, record a video with their webcam, or upload a video file. Each option can be switched on separately. To avoid adding friction, leave Require before submitting off so photos and videos stay optional.
Faster moderation
By default, reviews with photos or videos wait for approval, and ReviQuo emails the site admin when one comes in. You can review them on the ReviQuo > Reviews screen and approve them in bulk. If you’d rather publish faster, the Auto-approve videos setting (which covers photos too) lets media reviews follow your normal WordPress moderation rules instead.
Showcase reviews across your site
On product pages, ReviQuo can add a rating summary and filters, including a With photos / videos filter. To feature reviews elsewhere, create a saved display under ReviQuo > Review Shortcode and add it with its shortcode, the Product Reviews Gutenberg block, the Elementor widget, or the Divi 4 and Divi 5 modules. The list layout is free, and grid and masonry layouts are Pro.
Pro also adds a Verified Customer badge to reviews from confirmed buyers, which helps shoppers trust what they’re reading.
Want to see what’s included? Compare ReviQuo’s free and Pro plans.
Common Mistakes That Reduce WooCommerce Reviews
- Asking too early. A request that arrives before the product does gets ignored.
- Sending too many reminders. One well-timed email usually beats three pushy ones.
- Requiring an account or a photo. Every extra requirement loses some customers.
- Linking to the wrong place. A homepage link makes customers hunt for the product.
- Leaving reviews unmoderated for weeks. If reviews take a long time to appear, customers may assume they were rejected.
- Only asking happy customers. Besides the regulatory risk, a wall of perfect reviews can look less believable.
Troubleshooting: Customers Say They Can’t Leave a Review
The review form doesn’t appear
- Check that reviews are enabled globally and on that product.
- Check Settings > Discussion for the “registered and logged in” requirement.
- If the “verified owners” setting is on, customers who can’t be matched to an order won’t be able to review. Try a test with a real customer account.
Reviews are submitted but don’t show up
- They may be waiting for approval. Check Products > Reviews (or ReviQuo > Reviews for reviews with media).
- Clear your page cache after approving reviews.
Review request emails aren’t arriving
- Set up an SMTP plugin or transactional email service so emails don’t go to spam.
- Remember that reminders are triggered when an order changes into the trigger status, so older orders won’t receive one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ask customers for reviews in WooCommerce?
The most reliable way is an automated email sent a few days after the order is fulfilled, with a direct link to each product’s review form. You can use WooCommerce’s beta review request email or a review reminder plugin such as ReviQuo.
Can I offer a discount for reviews?
Never make an incentive depend on a positive review. In the US, that’s prohibited by the FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule. Incentives for honest reviews should be clearly disclosed, and rules vary by country.
Should I only allow reviews from verified owners?
It’s a trade-off. Verified-only reviews are more trustworthy but reduce how many reviews you get. Many stores allow all customers to review and highlight verified buyers with a badge instead.
Can guests leave reviews in WooCommerce?
Yes, as long as WordPress doesn’t require users to be registered and logged in to comment, and the verified-owners-only setting doesn’t block them.
How long after purchase should I ask for a review?
Wait until the customer has received the product and had time to use it. That might be a few days for simple items, or a few weeks for products that take longer to judge.
Does WooCommerce ask for reviews automatically?
Only if you enable it. WooCommerce has a beta review request feature that’s off by default. Plugins offer more control over timing and content.
Start Getting More Reviews
To recap: remove settings that block reviews, ask every customer at the right time, make the review form quick and mobile-friendly, keep photos and videos optional, show your reviews prominently, respond to feedback, and play fair with incentives. Small changes to each step add up.
Get more reviews on your WooCommerce store with ReviQuo. You can also browse the ReviQuo documentation for detailed setup guides.