WooCommerce Product Reviews: Enable, Add, Disable, and Best Plugins
26 mins read

WooCommerce Product Reviews: Enable, Add, Disable, and Best Plugins

Mike0

Table of Contents

Introduction

WooCommerce product reviews help shoppers trust your products faster. Reviews act like social proof for new visitors. They also answer common buyer questions without support tickets. When reviews are active, shoppers stay longer on product pages. They compare ratings and read real feedback before buying. This often improves conversion rates and reduces returns.

Many store owners also use reviews for better SEO visibility. Review content adds fresh text to product pages regularly. Search engines can index that text for long tail searches. That is why reviews matter for store growth.

In this guide, you will learn how to manage reviews fully. You will learn how to enable WooCommerce reviews safely. You will learn how to add product reviews to WooCommerce correctly. You will also learn how to disable WooCommerce product reviews when needed. You will also see the best WooCommerce review plugin options later.

We will follow simple steps with clear admin paths. We will keep settings clean for stable store performance. We will also cover spam control and moderation tips.

What is Product Review?

A product review is feedback written by a shopper or customer. In WooCommerce, reviews usually appear on product pages. Reviews include a star rating and a written comment. Some stores also collect photos or videos with reviews. Reviews help other shoppers understand product quality and fit. They also help set expectations about shipping and packaging. Reviews can be positive, neutral, or negative.

Both types can be useful when managed well. Positive reviews increase trust and clicks for a product. Honest negative reviews can highlight improvement areas quickly. They can also reduce returns by setting clear expectations.

WooCommerce uses WordPress comments as the base system for reviews. That means review control is connected with discussion settings too. You can allow reviews for all products or disable them globally. You can also allow reviews only on certain products. You can also moderate reviews before they appear publicly. This helps prevent spam and fake reviews.

Where WooCommerce product reviews appear?

  • The product page reviews tab shows the full review list. Buyers read detailed comments before final purchase decisions.
  • Star rating near the title improves trust quickly. Quick ratings reduce doubt and speed up buying actions.
  • Category page star display helps product comparison faster. Shoppers can shortlist products without opening every page.

What are the Key Features of Product Review in WooCommerce?

WooCommerce reviews include several core features that help store owners. These features control how reviews are collected and displayed. They also control moderation and customer posting experience.

Good review settings improve trust while limiting spam risk. Good review settings also improve usability for mobile visitors. You should understand each feature before changing settings globally. This ensures your WooCommerce product reviews remain stable and consistent.

1.    Star ratings with review text support

  • Star rating shows quick quality summary for the product. Shoppers use stars as a fast decision shortcut.
  • Review text explains why the customer chose that rating. Context reduces confusion and supports better buying decisions.
  • Average rating and review count display near product title. This improves trust before users scroll to reviews.

2. Review moderation and approval controls

  • Manual approval allows you to stop spam reviews instantly. Spam reviews damage trust and reduce conversion quickly.
  • Auto approval for returning commenters can reduce admin workload. Trusted reviewers can publish faster without admin delays.
  • Spam filters and blacklists help reduce fake review attempts. Filters keep your review section clean and relevant.

3. Verified owner label for real customers

  • Verified owner tag builds stronger trust for new visitors. Buyers trust purchase based feedback more than random comments.
  • It discourages fake review attempts from non customers. Fraud reviewers lose impact without verified badges visible.
  • It supports premium products that need higher trust signals. Expensive items need strong proof for new customers.

4.Review form with rating requirement options

  • Rating required keeps review data structured for averages. Structured data improves comparison and product score accuracy.
  • Simple form reduces friction for customers leaving feedback. Easy forms increase review submission volume over time.
  • Name and email fields help reduce anonymous spam attempts. Basic identity fields discourage low effort spam posting.

5. Per product review enable and disable toggle

  • Disable reviews on products that should not be reviewed. Some services do not fit public review formats well.
  • Enable reviews only on top sellers to increase trust there. Focus reviews where conversion impact is highest.
  • Use per product control to reduce spam targets. Spam often targets popular pages with public comment forms.

6.  Sorting and display depends on theme and plugins

  • Theme controls review layout and rating visuals on product pages. Layout affects readability and review engagement on mobile.
  • Plugins can add sorting, filters, and helpful vote options. Better sorting improves buyer experience and trust signals.
  • Consistent design improves review reading and reduces bounce rates. Clear review sections keep shoppers on product pages longer.

What are the Benefits of Product Review in WooCommerce?

WooCommerce product reviews create trust and reduce purchase hesitation quickly. They also give shoppers real context about product quality. Reviews also work like free marketing content on each product page. They also help you learn what customers love or dislike.

This feedback helps you improve product pages and descriptions. It also helps you fix product issues before refunds increase.

1.    Stronger trust and faster purchase decisions

  • Reviews reduce fear for first time visitors quickly. Real feedback reduces risk feelings and increases checkout intent.
  • Star ratings help buyers compare products faster. Quick comparison reduces decision fatigue on shop pages.
  • Verified owner labels improve trust for high value products. Buyers trust real purchase based feedback more strongly.

2. Better SEO and more long tail traffic

  • Review content adds unique text to product pages regularly. Unique text improves relevance for more search phrases.
  • Reviews include real language buyers use in search queries. Buyer language matches long tail intent better often.
  • Ratings can improve snippet appeal and increase organic clicks. Star visuals draw attention in search result pages.

3. Fewer returns and fewer support questions

  • Honest reviews reduce wrong expectations and lower return rates. Clear expectations reduce disappointment and refund requests.
  • Reviews answer repeat questions without support involvement. This saves time for store owners and support teams.
  • Reviews highlight product issues early before they grow. Early feedback helps you adjust descriptions and images.

4. Stronger conversion on product pages

  • Positive reviews increase confidence and improve conversion rates. Social proof helps buyers commit to purchase faster.
  • Reviewing photos reduces doubts about real look and feel. Visual proof improves trust for apparel and decor products.
  • Helpful reviews make your product page feel more credible. Credibility reduces bounce and increases cart actions.

5. Better product decisions and smarter store improvements

  • Review trends show what customers value most. This helps you highlight those points in product descriptions.
  • Negative patterns reveal what needs improvement in product quality. Fixing these reduces refunds and bad word of mouth.
  • Feedback helps you improve shipping, packing, and instructions. Operational fixes improve reviews and repeat purchases.

How to Enable or Get Product Reviews on WooCommerce Step by Step?

This section explains how to enable WooCommerce reviews safely and cleanly. We will enable reviews store wide and confirm product level settings. We will also set moderation rules to prevent spam reviews. Follow each step in order for the best results.

Step 1: Enable product reviews in WooCommerce settings

WooCommerce has a dedicated product setting for reviews. If this is off, reviews will not appear on product pages. This is the first place you should always check.

WordPress Dashboard → WooCommerce → Settings → Products → General

  • Enable the checkbox for product reviews in settings. This allows reviews to display and accept new submissions.
  • Save changes after enabling the review option. Settings do not apply until you save the changes.
  • Open one product page and confirm the Reviews tab appears. This confirms your theme is showing review templates correctly.

Step 2: Enable star ratings for better review value

Ratings improve review usefulness because buyers can compare quickly. WooCommerce lets you enable ratings and force rating selection. Most stores should enable both options for structure.

WordPress Dashboard → WooCommerce → Settings → Products → General

  • Enable product ratings so stars can be submitted. Ratings improve trust and support faster buying decisions.
  • Enable rating required to submit a review if possible. Required ratings keep review data structured and consistent.
  • Save settings and test the review form on a product page. Testing ensures the rating field shows correctly for users.

Step 3: Confirm reviews are enabled at the product level

Even with global reviews enabled, a product can still have reviews off. Each product has a setting that controls comments and reviews. You must confirm it for key products.

WordPress Dashboard → Products → All Products → Edit Product → Product Data Area

  • Open the product editor and find the Discussion settings. WooCommerce uses WordPress discussion settings for reviews.
  • Enable comments or reviews for that product if unchecked. If unchecked, the Reviews tab may disappear for that product.
  • Update the product and recheck the product page frontend. This confirms changes applied correctly for that product.

Step 4: Set review moderation rules to control spam

Spam reviews can harm trust and create store risk. WordPress discussion settings control moderation and spam filters. You should configure them before inviting reviews publicly.

WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Discussion

  • Enable comment moderation so reviews require approval if needed. Approval stops spam and protects review quality.
  • Block links and suspicious words using comment moderation lists. Spammers often use links to promote unsafe sites.
  • Set rules for first time reviewers to reduce fake reviews. First time approval reduces automated spam attacks.

Step 5: Display reviews correctly using theme review templates

Some themes hide the reviews tab or style it poorly. You must confirm that your theme supports WooCommerce reviews properly. If reviews are enabled but not visible, theme overrides are often the cause.

WordPress Dashboard → Appearance → Customize → WooCommerce
Or Theme Options Panel → WooCommerce Settings

  • Check if product tabs are disabled inside theme settings. Some themes can hide tabs like Reviews and Description.
  • Switch to a default theme temporarily for testing if needed. This helps confirm whether the theme is causing the issue.
  • Clear cache after changes to ensure review tabs display. Cache can keep old product templates and hide updates.

How to Add or Leave a Product Review in WooCommerce?

This section explains how customers can add product reviews to WooCommerce safely. It also explains how store owners can guide customers correctly. A smooth review process increases review volume and quality. It also reduces customer confusion and failed submissions. WooCommerce reviews usually appear on the product page under Reviews.

Most themes show a Reviews tab beside the Description tab. Some themes show reviews lower on the product page. The process is simple, but settings can block reviews sometimes. You must ensure reviews are enabled and moderation rules are correct. You must also ensure customers can find the review form easily.

Step 1: Open the product page and locate the Reviews area

The customer must be on the correct product page first. Reviews are always linked to a product, not the shop page. The customer should scroll to the Reviews section or open the Reviews tab.

Store Frontend → Shop Page → Click Product → Scroll to Reviews
Or Product Page → Reviews Tab → Review Form

  • Open the exact product page you want to review. Reviews attach to the product, not to the store generally.
  • Click the Reviews tab if your theme uses product tabs. Tabs hide review forms until users open the Reviews area.
  • Scroll down until you see the review form fields. Some themes place reviews below related products sections.

Step 2: Confirm the customer can leave a review on your store

Some stores allow reviews from anyone with an email address. Some stores allow reviews only from customers who purchased. Some stores require login before posting a review. The customer must meet those rules first.

Product Page → Reviews Tab → See Review Form
Or Product Page → Login Prompt → Log In → Return to Reviews

  • Check if the store requires login before reviewing. Login reduces spam and ties reviews to real accounts.
  • Check if the store requires a verified purchase for reviews. Verified purchase rules improve trust and reduce fake reviews.
  • Follow any prompt shown on the product page before posting. Prompts can block the form until requirements are met.

Step 3: Select a star rating if ratings are enabled

Most stores use star ratings because they help comparisons. WooCommerce shows a star selector inside the review form. Some stores also require selecting stars before submission.

Product Page → Reviews Tab → Rating Stars → Select Stars

  • Choose a star rating that matches your experience. Ratings help other buyers judge product quality quickly.
  • Use one to five stars and keep rating honest. Honest ratings help the store improve product quality.
  • If rating is required, you cannot submit without it. Required ratings keep review data structured and consistent.

Step 4: Write the review text with clear and helpful details

Review text is the most valuable part for shoppers. A good review includes experience, usage, and expectations. It should be short, clear, and specific. It should avoid personal data and private details.

Product Page → Reviews Tab → Review Text Box → Type Review

  • Write what you liked and what you did not like clearly. Balanced reviews help buyers set correct expectations.
  • Mention fit, quality, packaging, and delivery experience briefly. These details answer the most common buyer questions.
  • Avoid private details like phone numbers and addresses always. Privacy protection keeps your account and store safe.

Step 5: Enter name and email if the form asks

WooCommerce review forms often ask for name and email. This helps identify reviewers and reduce spam submissions. Email is usually not displayed publicly on the site. Name is usually shown on the published review.

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Product Page → Reviews Tab → Name Field → Email Field

  • Enter your name as you want it shown publicly. The name appears beside the review on product pages.
  • Enter your email so the store can validate submission. Email helps reduce spam and manage moderation workflows.
  • Use the same email you used for purchase when possible. This supports verified owner matching on some stores.

Step 6: Submit the review and understand moderation behavior

After submission, WooCommerce may publish the review immediately. It may also hold it for moderation approval. This depends on store settings inside discussion settings. Customers should not resubmit repeatedly if it is pending.

Product Page → Reviews Tab → Submit Button → Review Submitted Notice

  • Click submit once and wait for the confirmation message. Double clicks can cause duplicate reviews sometimes.
  • If moderation is enabled, your review may show as pending. Pending reviews appear after approval by the store admin.
  • Check again later or watch email if the store notifies you. Some stores send confirmation or moderation updates.

Step 7: Edit or update a review if your theme supports it

Some themes or plugins allow review edits by the user. WooCommerce usually does not support review editing for customers. Store owners can edit or respond to reviews from admin. If editing is needed, customers can contact support.

Customer Account Page → Support Contact Page
Or Admin Dashboard → Comments → Edit Review

  • Contact store support if you need to correct a review. Stores can update reviews through comment moderation tools.
  • Do not post multiple reviews to fix one mistake. Multiple reviews can confuse buyers and reduce trust.
  • Ask the store to reply publicly instead of editing sometimes. A store reply can clarify issues without changing content.

How to Turn off Product Reviews in WooCommerce?

This section explains how to disable WooCommerce product reviews safely. You can disable reviews store wide or per product. You can also disable ratings while keeping reviews enabled. Choose the option that matches your store policy and goals.

Option A: Disable reviews store wide using WooCommerce settings

This turns off reviews across your entire store quickly. It is the cleanest method when you want no reviews anywhere.

WordPress Dashboard → WooCommerce → Settings → Products → General

  • Uncheck the option that enables reviews on products. This disables review forms and review tabs across products.
  • Save changes and clear cache if you use caching plugins. Caches can keep showing old tabs and forms.
  • Open a product page and confirm the Reviews tab is gone. This validates that your store wide disable worked correctly.

Option B: Disable reviews on a single product only

This keeps reviews enabled for the store but disables them for one item. It is useful for limited offers, services, or custom products.

WordPress Dashboard → Products → All Products → Edit Product → Discussion

  • Open the product editor and find Discussion settings. WooCommerce uses WordPress comment controls per product.
  • Uncheck the option that allows reviews or comments. This removes the review form for that product only.
  • Update the product and confirm the frontend review area is hidden. This ensures the product level setting is applied correctly.

Option C: Disable star ratings but keep review text enabled

Some stores want written reviews but no star system. WooCommerce allows rating settings to be controlled separately. This is useful when ratings cause unfair averages.

WordPress Dashboard → WooCommerce → Settings → Products → General

  • Disable product ratings option inside product settings. Review text can remain while stars are removed.
  • Save changes and check review form fields for changes. The rating selector should disappear from the form.
  • Confirm product page rating summary is no longer displayed. This ensures star visuals are removed across templates.

What are the Top 3 Best Product Review Plugins for WooCommerce?

Default WooCommerce product reviews are clean and stable for most stores. But many stores want advanced features for higher conversions. Some want photo reviews and video reviews for stronger proof. Some want review reminders and automated follow ups by email. Some want Q and A style review sections for common questions. Some want rich snippets and better star display control for SEO.

A good plugin can deliver these features without heavy custom code. You should still keep the setup simple and avoid too many add ons. You should also test performance because review plugins can load extra scripts.

Choose a plugin that matches your store size and review goals. The three plugins below are popular choices for advanced review needs. Each one supports different review workflows and store types.

1. Customer Reviews for WooCommerce

Customer Reviews for WooCommerce is a feature rich review enhancement plugin. It focuses on verified reviews and better trust signals. It also supports review reminders and structured review forms. It can also support photos and voting features in many setups. It is a strong option when you want reviews to work harder. It is also helpful when you want more reviews consistently over time.

Key features

  • Automated review reminder emails after purchase. Reminders increase review volume without manual chasing tasks.
  • Verified buyer badges and anti spam review checks. Verified signals increase trust and reduce fake reviews risk.
  • Photo reviews and improved review form experience. Photos build stronger proof for apparel and visual products.
  • Review sorting and helpful vote style interactions. Sorting helps buyers find the most useful reviews faster.
  • Better review display widgets and shortcodes for placement. You can show review blocks on home and category pages.

Pros

  • Great for stores that need more reviews consistently. Reminder flows drive more review submissions over time.
  • Improves review trust using verified owner signals. Trust signals can improve conversion on product pages.
  • Adds useful moderation tools and spam protection options. Cleaner reviews reduce damage from spam attacks.

Cons

  • More features can mean more settings to configure. Misconfigured reminders can annoy customers if too frequent.
  • Photo review features can increase page load if not optimized. Image heavy reviews should be compressed and lazy loaded.
  • Some advanced features may require careful theme styling. Review layout may need minor CSS adjustments sometimes.

Download Link: Customer Reviews for WooCommerce

2. YITH WooCommerce Advanced Reviews

YITH WooCommerce Advanced Reviews enhances review display and review credibility. It adds structured review layouts and richer review fields. It can also support attachments and better sorting options. It is often used by stores that want a more premium review section. It is also used by stores that want better visual design for reviews.

Key features

  • Enhanced review layout with better styling and structure. Clean layouts make reviews easier to scan and read.
  • Add review summary boxes and rating breakdown displays. Summaries help buyers understand ratings quickly without scrolling.
  • Review sorting options and helpful voting features. Voting highlights the most helpful reviews for new buyers.
  • Attachment support for images based reviews in many setups. Images build trust and reduce uncertainty for buyers.
  • Advanced moderation and reporting tools for review management. Admin controls help maintain high quality review sections.

Pros

  • Strong for stores wanting a premium review experience. Better layout improves trust and reading comfort quickly.
  • Helpful review summaries improve buyer decision speed. Quick summaries reduce drop off on long product pages.
  • Good for products needing detailed review breakdowns. Breakdown helps when buyers compare multiple options fast.

Cons

  • Advanced layouts may require theme compatibility testing. Some themes may style reviews differently and need tweaks.
  • Extra scripts can affect performance on heavy traffic stores. You should enable caching and optimize assets carefully.
  • Maybe more than needed for small stores with few products. Basic WooCommerce reviews may be enough at an early stage.

Download Link: YITH WooCommerce Advanced Reviews

3. Judge.me Product Reviews for WooCommerce

Judge.me is a popular review platform plugin used for high volume stores. It focuses on collecting reviews automatically and displaying them well. It often supports photo and video reviews and rich snippets. It also supports import options and review request automation. It is helpful for stores that want a complete review system quickly. It can also support multi-channel review displays in some setups.

Key features

  • Automated review requests and follow up email workflows. Email automation drives review collection without manual work.
  • Photo and video reviews for stronger product proof. Media reviews increase trust and reduce buyer uncertainty.
  • Rich snippet support and structured review display widgets. Better snippets can improve click behavior from search.
  • Review import tools for stores migrating from other platforms. Importing preserves trust signals after store migration.
  • Customizable review widgets and dedicated review pages. You can show reviews across the site for more exposure.

Pros

  • Good for stores that need fast review growth at scale. Automation drives volume and improves social proof quickly.
  • Strong media review features for visual product categories. Visual proof increases conversion for many product types.
  • Review import helps protect store history during migration. Preserving reviews prevents trust loss after platform changes.

Cons

  • Some setups rely on external service workflows and syncing. External dependencies may feel less native to WordPress.
  • You must configure email timing carefully to avoid spam. Too many emails can reduce brand trust and engagement.
  • Heavy widgets should be tested for speed on mobile devices. Mobile performance affects SEO and conversion strongly.

Download Link: Judge.me Product Reviews for WooCommerce

Final Verdict

WooCommerce product reviews are one of the easiest trust builders for any store. They help buyers feel confident before spending money. They also reduce support questions and lower return risk over time. You should first enable WooCommerce reviews using the product settings area. You should then test review visibility on desktop and mobile screens.

After that, you should guide buyers to add product reviews to WooCommerce easily. A simple post purchase email can increase reviews consistently. If spam becomes an issue, tighten moderation rules immediately. If your store model needs privacy, you can disable WooCommerce product reviews store wide or per product.

You should disable reviews only when you have a strong reason. Reviews usually help conversion and SEO when managed well.

Have questions before starting with WooCommerce & WordPress? Get support here at WooHelpDesk.

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