Guide

Google reviews widget: how to show your reviews on your website

There is no official Google reviews widget you can paste in. Here are the three real options, what Google requires when you display its reviews, and a simple HTML button you can add today.

Locus Intelligence team

Updated 6 Nov 20267 min read

Reach · Engage

Key takeaways

The simplest option is a "Read our Google reviews" button that opens your business on Google Maps.
The Places API returns at most five reviews per place, and you must show author attribution and Google branding.
Third-party widgets vary: check where the data comes from, how often it updates and whether you can filter out low ratings.
Do not show only five star reviews in a way that hides the rest: it can mislead buyers.

Is there an official Google reviews widget?

No. Google does not offer a ready-made Google reviews widget to paste into your website. You have three real options: a simple button that links to your reviews on Google Maps, a custom widget built on the Google Places API (which has strict display and attribution rules), or a third-party reviews widget from a review or website platform.

For most small businesses, the button is enough: it is free, always up to date and has no policy risk. A full widget is worth it when reviews are central to the buying decision and you have a developer or a tool you trust.

The three options

1. Review link button

A plain HTML link to your business on Google Maps, plus a "Leave a review" link. Free, nothing to maintain, always current.

2. Places API widget

Your developer pulls up to five reviews from Google and displays them with the required attribution. Billed by Google per request.

3. Third-party widget

A review platform or website builder shows your reviews in a styled carousel or grid. Check its data source and filtering before you install it.

Option 1: add a "Read our Google reviews" button (5 minutes)

Google Maps URLs let you open a specific place using its Place ID. The format is https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1 followed by a query and a query_place_id, where the query is only used if Google cannot find the Place ID (Google: Maps URLs). Find your Place ID with Google's Place ID Finder.

TemplateHTML: Read our reviews and Leave a review buttons

<p class="reviews-links">
  <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query={Business+Name+City}&query_place_id={PLACE_ID}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read our Google reviews</a>
  <a href="{YOUR_REVIEW_LINK}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leave us a review</a>
</p>

Replace the parts in braces. Use + instead of spaces in the business name. Get {YOUR_REVIEW_LINK} from your Business Profile or the free review link generator. Style the links with your own button CSS.

The second link uses your Google review link, which opens the review box directly. See Google review link: how to find and share yours, or make one with the free review link generator.

Option 2: build a widget with the Google Places API

A developer can request reviews for your place from the Places API (New). Place Details returns up to five reviews, sorted by relevance, and requesting review fields is billed under the Place Details Enterprise + Atmosphere SKU (Google: Place Details). You cannot pull your full review history this way.

Google's display rules for Places data are specific (Google: policies and attributions for Places API):

How a Places API reviews widget works

01Place IDStored once
02RequestPlace Details, reviews field
03Up to 5 reviewsSorted by relevance
04DisplayWith author and Google attribution
05Link outEach review opens on Google Maps

The API also returns Google Maps links for a place, including one that opens its reviews and one that opens the review form (Google: Google Maps links). Use those for the "see all reviews" and "write a review" buttons under the widget.

Option 3: use a third-party Google reviews widget

Many review management platforms and website builders offer a reviews widget. They differ a lot under the surface, so ask these questions before you paste their script into your site. If you are choosing a platform anyway, the review management software buyer's guide covers the wider features.

Question	Why it matters
Where does the data come from?	An official Google API, your own Business Profile connection, or scraping. Ask the vendor directly.
How often does it update?	A widget that shows reviews from last year looks stale and can be wrong.
Does it show author and Google attribution?	Google requires both when its review content is displayed through its APIs.
Can you hide low ratings?	A "show only 4 and 5 stars" filter can mislead buyers. Use it carefully, if at all.
What does it do to page speed?	Heavy scripts slow the page. Load the widget below the fold or after the page loads.
What happens if you cancel?	Some widgets disappear or show the vendor's branding when the plan ends.

Filtering reviews on your own site

The FTC says organizing reviews is not suppression under its consumer reviews rule, but ordering them to make negative reviews hard to find, or using non-representative reviews in marketing, could be deceptive under the FTC Act (FTC: rule Q&A). This is not legal advice; if unsure, show reviews as they are and link to the full set on Google.

Which Google reviews widget option should you choose?

Choose by effort and control

Full control over displayLittle control over display

Third-party widget

Styled quickly, but you depend on the vendor for data, updates and compliance.

Places API widget

Full control of design, up to five reviews, attribution and billing to manage.

Review link button

Five minutes, free, always current. Reviews open on Google, not on your page.

Static quotes

Copying reviews by hand. Goes stale, and you must keep them accurate and attributed.

Low effortHigh effort

Most local businesses start bottom-left with the button, and only move up when reviews drive the sale.

Mistakes to avoid

Copying Google reviews into your page as plain text with no name or link
Instead: Show the reviewer's name, the date and a link to the review on Google, or use the button instead.
Removing Google branding from an API widget to match your design
Instead: Keep the Google Maps logo or text and author attribution visible. They are required.
Showing only five star reviews with no way to see the rest
Instead: Add a link to all reviews on Google Maps so visitors can see the full picture.
Adding review stars markup for your own business to get rich results
Instead: Google says pages where a business controls reviews about itself are ineligible for review stars with LocalBusiness or Organization markup (Google Search Central). Use local business schema for your business details instead.

Get more reviews worth showing

A widget with six reviews from two years ago does more harm than none. Keep new reviews coming with the system in how to get more Google reviews, and put a review QR code at your counter with the Google review QR code generator.

Then keep an eye on every location in one place. Review management in Reach brings reviews into one inbox, and reputation management covers the rest of your online reputation.

Keep the reviews on your widget fresh and answered

Reach by Locus Intelligence monitors reviews for every location and drafts replies in your voice in 19 languages, posted only after you approve. Free for one location, no card.

Start free

Google Business Profile audit

Free. You get a profile score, your Maps rank against the top 3, and the fixes that matter most.

Your next steps

Today

Find your Place ID and make your review link.
Add the two-button HTML snippet to your contact page.

This week

Add the buttons to your service and booking pages.
Reply to every unanswered review before you display them.

This month

Decide whether you need a full widget, and if so, check its data source and attribution against Google's rules.
Keep new reviews coming with a same-day request after every visit.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google have a free reviews widget?

No. Google does not provide a widget to paste into your site. You can link to your reviews on Google Maps for free, build one with the Places API, or use a third-party widget.

How many reviews can the Google Places API show?

Place Details returns up to five reviews per place, sorted by relevance.

Do I have to show the Google logo with reviews?

When you display Places API content without a Google map, Google requires its logo, plus author attribution for each review.

Can I copy my Google reviews onto my website?

You can quote reviews, but keep them accurate, attributed and representative, and link to the full set on Google. A link button is simpler and always current.

Will a reviews widget help my Google ranking?

Not directly. It helps visitors decide. Google ranking for your business comes from your profile, relevance, distance and prominence.

Never miss another customer.

Start with a free audit. See what each location is losing, and where.

Profile score, Maps rank against the top 3, and the fixes that matter most.

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