Google Reviews

How to integrate Google Reviews with Webflow

Displaying Google reviews on your Webflow site builds credibility with potential customers by showing real feedback from people who have used your services. Reviews positioned near conversion points can influence purchase decisions and establish trust before visitors contact you or make a purchase.

You can integrate Google Reviews with Webflow for quick implementation without API configuration. Or, use third-party review widgets for automatic synchronization and visual customization. You can also build with Webflow and Google Business Profile API for complete control over data retrieval and display logic.

Review the Google Places API Policies before implementation. Google requires displaying all reviews or none when using official APIs without selective filtering by rating.

Embed Google Maps with reviews

You can embed Google Maps with reviews using Google's iframe embed. This is the primary non-API method for displaying reviews through map interactions.

Add a Google Maps embed element to any Webflow page without authentication, API keys, or custom code maintenance. This method works for businesses that want quick implementation without technical expertise.

Visitors click your map pin to access all reviews, ratings, photos, and business information. However, reviews are only visible when users interact with the embedded map by clicking on the business location marker. The embed updates automatically when customers post new reviews.

Follow the steps below for implementation:

1. Search for your business on Google Maps
2. Click the menu icon (≡) and select Share or embed map
3. Switch to the Embed a map tab
4. Copy the generated iframe code
5. In Webflow, drag an Embed element onto your page
6. Paste the iframe code into the Embed Code Editor
7. Adjust width and height attributes in the HTML as needed
8. Publish your site and test the map interaction

Reviews only appear when visitors interact with the map marker. This approach does not display review text or ratings directly on the page without user action.

Use third-party review widgets

Third-party widgets like Elfsight Google Reviews Widget provide automatic synchronization and visual customization without API configuration. These tools display review text, star ratings, reviewer names, and profile images directly on your page.

Some third-party widgets may offer selective filtering by rating (such as displaying only 5-star reviews), which contradicts Google's Terms of Service requiring display of all available reviews or none when using official APIs.

Connect widgets using your business name or Place ID. The widget provider handles API access, authentication, and data retrieval. Reviews update automatically as customers post new feedback, with most widget solutions providing near real-time synchronization.

Available customization options include grid, list, carousel, masonry, and slider displays. Custom colors for backgrounds, text, and accent elements. Sort by date or helpfulness (note that filtering to show only positive ratings violates Google's Terms of Service). Automatic adaptation to all screen sizes. Link visitors to your Google Business Profile for review submission.

Implementation process:

1. Create and customize your widget on the provider's platform
2. Copy the generated HTML and JavaScript code
3. In Webflow, add an Embed element where you want reviews displayed
4. Paste the widget code into the Embed Code Editor
5. Publish your site to activate the widget

Widget dashboard changes reflect immediately without republishing your Webflow site. This method typically involves ongoing subscription costs but removes the need for technical maintenance or custom code implementation. Note that Embed elements have a 10,000 character limit, which may restrict some widget implementations.

Build with Webflow and Google Business Profile API

Direct API integration provides complete control over data retrieval, display logic, and update frequency. However, the Google Places API Place Details endpoint returns a maximum of 5 reviews only and does not support pagination.

For access to all reviews, use the Google Business Profile API, which requires formal approval as detailed in the Google Business Profile API prerequisites. Approval prerequisites include a verified Google Business Profile account (60+ days old) and an active website. Approval can take several weeks and may be denied. Default quota is 300 requests per minute.

This method requires OAuth 2.0 authentication setup, error handling, and ongoing maintenance. Choose this path when you need custom filtering logic, integration with existing backend systems, specific data processing requirements, or programmatic review response capabilities. Be prepared to manage separate authentication flows for both Google and Webflow, implement proper token refresh logic, and monitor API rate limits as specified in Google's documentation.

Retrieve review data from Google

The Google Business Profile API reviews endpoint returns comprehensive review data including text, ratings, reviewer information, and timestamps.

Endpoint structure:

GET https://mybusiness.googleapis.com/v4/{parent}/reviews

Where {parent} = accounts/{accountId}/locations/{locationId}

Authentication setup:

1. Create a project in Google Cloud Console
2. Enable the Google Business Profile API
3. Create OAuth 2.0 credentials
4. Request scope https://www.googleapis.com/auth/business.manage or https://www.googleapis.com/auth/plus.business.manage
5. Implement OAuth flow to obtain access tokens
6. Include tokens in request headers with format Authorization: Bearer {token}

Response data includes review ID (unique identifier for deduplication), star rating (ONE through FIVE enum values), comment text, reviewer display name and profile photo URL, create time and update time (RFC3339 format), and review reply content (if business responded).

Reference the Google Business Profile API review resource documentation for complete field specifications.

Alternative approach: The Google Places API Place Details endpoint provides simpler authentication with API keys instead of OAuth but returns a maximum of 5 reviews only. Use the fields=reviews parameter to retrieve only review data and reduce billing costs.

Store reviews in Webflow CMS

The Webflow CMS API creates and updates collection items programmatically. Store reviews in a dedicated collection with fields matching your Google data structure.

Primary endpoints include GET /sites/{site_id}/collections to list collections, POST /collections/{collection_id}/items to create items, PATCH /collections/{collection_id}/items/{item_id} to update items, DELETE /collections/{collection_id}/items/{item_id} to delete items, GET /collections/{collection_id}/items to get items, GET /collections/{collection_id}/items/{item_id} to get single items, and PUT /collections/{collection_id}/items/{item_id} to update items (full).

Authentication steps:

1. Generate an API token from your Webflow site settings
2. Include in request headers with format Authorization: Bearer {token}
3. Send JSON-formatted data in the request body

Recommended field mapping:

Sync reviews automatically

Implement scheduled jobs that fetch new reviews from Google Business Profile and create corresponding Webflow CMS collection items. This keeps your site updated without manual intervention.

Implementation strategy:

1. Query Google API for reviews created after your last sync timestamp
2. Check existing Webflow collection items using reviewId to prevent duplicates
3. Create new collection items for reviews not yet stored
4. Update modified reviews using PATCH endpoint
5. Store the latest sync timestamp for next iteration

Implementation notes: Use the updateTime field from Google's API response for tracking modifications. The reviewId field serves as the unique identifier for deduplication. Implement server-side caching with ETag-based conditional requests to optimize quota usage within Google Places API limits.

Note that Webflow CMS collections have a maximum of 10,000 items per collection, so implement time-based filtering (such as last 12 months) if you anticipate exceeding this threshold.

Code structure considerations include implementing exponential backoff for API errors, storing API tokens securely (environment variables, not hardcoded), logging sync operations for troubleshooting, handling null values (some reviews lack text comments), and converting Google's enum star ratings (ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE) to integers (1-5) for Webflow.

Refer to Webflow's REST API introduction for request formatting and error handling patterns.

What you can build

Integrating Google reviews with Webflow enables social proof displays that build visitor trust and influence purchase decisions. However, Google's display policies require showing all reviews or none without selective filtering by rating.

• Homepage trust builder: Display your most recent reviews in a carousel above the fold with star ratings, customer names, and profile photos to show visitors real experiences before they explore services (sorting by date is permitted, but you must display all available reviews without hiding negative feedback)
• Service page testimonials: Display all reviews on service-specific pages with sorting by date or relevance while directing visitors to your full Google Business Profile for complete review history
• Location-specific showcases: Create separate review sections for each business location using place-specific API calls to demonstrate local credibility in each market you serve
• Review response dashboard: Build an internal page listing all reviews with response status indicators to track which feedback needs business replies through Webflow CMS by syncing Google reviews, storing review data in a collection, and displaying items with custom status fields