Reviews Module Guide

Build trust and boost sales with customer reviews on your product pages.

What is the Reviews Module?

The Reviews Module helps you collect, display, and manage customer product reviews. Think of it as adding a "customer voice" section to each product - where shoppers can see what others think before buying.

Why reviews matter:

• Build trust - 95% of shoppers read reviews before purchasing
• Increase sales - Products with reviews convert 270% better
• Improve SEO - Reviews add fresh content and keywords
• Get feedback - Learn what customers love (and what needs work)

What You Can Do

With the Reviews Module, you can:

✅ Automatically request reviews from customers after purchase ✅ Display star ratings on product pages ✅ Moderate reviews with AI (filter spam and inappropriate content) ✅ Show verified buyer badges so shoppers know reviews are real ✅ Import existing reviews from other platforms ✅ Respond to reviews and engage with customers ✅ Track review metrics (collection rate, average rating)

How It Works (Simple Explanation)

Step 1: Customer buys a product Step 2: 7 days later, they get an email: "How was your purchase?" Step 3: Customer clicks link and writes a review Step 4: AI checks if review is appropriate Step 5: Review appears on your product page automatically

That's it! Everything happens automatically once you set it up.

Deploying the Reviews Module

Quick Start (3 Minutes)

Option 1: Via AI Chat (Easiest)

1. Open Chat tab in Synton AI
2. Type:

   Add a review system to my store
   

3. AI asks for confirmation - type yes
4. Wait 30 seconds while it installs
5. Done! Reviews are now live on your product pages

Option 2: Via Dashboard

1. Go to Dashboard → Modules
2. Find "Reviews" in the list
3. Click Deploy
4. Choose auto-install
5. Click Confirm

That's it! The module is now active.

What Just Happened?

When you deploy the Reviews module:

1. Code added to your theme - A small section appears on product pages showing reviews
2. Email system activated - Customers automatically get review requests after purchases
3. Database created - A place to store all your reviews
4. Dashboard page created - Where you manage reviews

Your customers won't see anything different yet - reviews will appear as customers start submitting them.

First-Time Setup

After deployment, let's customize your review system.

Access Configuration

Method 1: Via AI

Open reviews module settings

Method 2: Via Dashboard

• Dashboard → Click "Reviews" → Configure

Essential Settings to Configure

1. Review Request Timing

What this means: When should customers get the email asking for a review?

Go to: Configuration → Behavior → Request Timing

Recommended settings:

• Wait time: 7 days after delivery
• Send time: 10:00 AM (customer's timezone)
• Reminder: Send one reminder after 7 days if no review

Why these settings?

• 7 days gives customers time to use the product
• 10 AM is when people check email
• One reminder is polite but not annoying

2. Email Template

What this means: What does the review request email say?

Go to: Configuration → Content → Email Template

Default template:

Hi {customer_name},

How are you enjoying your {product_name}?

We'd love to hear your feedback! Your review helps other shoppers make informed decisions.

[Write Your Review]

Thanks,
{shop_name}

Customization tips:

• Use your brand voice (formal or casual)
• Keep it short and friendly
• Mention incentives if you offer them ("Get 10% off your next order!")

Edit the template:

Tell the AI: Customize my review request email to be more casual and friendly

3. Display Settings

What this means: How reviews look on your product pages.

Go to: Configuration → Display

Key settings:

• Star color: Choose your brand color (default: gold)
• Reviews per page: Show 5 or 10 at a time
• Sort by: Most recent or highest rated first
• Show verified badge: Yes (builds trust)

Preview your changes: Every time you change a setting, click Preview to see how it looks on your store.

4. Moderation Settings

What this means: Should all reviews appear immediately, or do you want to check them first?

Go to: Configuration → Moderation

Options:

Auto-publish (Recommended for beginners):

• ✅ Reviews appear immediately after AI moderation
• ✅ AI filters spam and inappropriate content
• ✅ You can still edit or remove reviews later
• ❌ Occasional spam might slip through

Manual approval:

• ✅ You approve every review before it appears
• ✅ Complete control over what's published
• ❌ Requires your time to review each submission
• ❌ Reviews take longer to appear

Start with auto-publish. You can always change to manual approval later if needed.

Understanding the Reviews Dashboard

Access: Dashboard → Reviews

Main Dashboard View

Overview Stats (Top of Page):

Total Reviews: 47
Average Rating: 4.6 ⭐
Collection Rate: 18%
Pending: 3

What these mean:

• Total Reviews: How many you've collected
• Average Rating: Your overall star rating (higher is better!)
• Collection Rate: Percentage of customers who leave reviews (15-20% is good)
• Pending: Reviews waiting for approval (if manual moderation enabled)

Recent Reviews Section

Shows your latest reviews:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Amazing quality!"
Posted by: Sarah J. (Verified Buyer)
Product: Bamboo Water Bottle
Date: Jan 18, 2026

[Approve] [Edit] [Delete] [Reply]

Actions you can take:

• Approve: Publish the review (manual moderation only)
• Edit: Fix typos or inappropriate language
• Delete: Remove spam or policy violations
• Reply: Respond to the customer publicly

Filter Reviews

Find specific reviews:

• By rating: 5-star, 4-star, etc.
• By product: See all reviews for one product
• By status: Pending, approved, rejected
• By date: This month, last month, custom range
• Search: Type keywords to find reviews

Example:

Filter: 1-star reviews from last month

Shows negative reviews you should address.

Managing Reviews

Approving Reviews (Manual Moderation)

If you enabled manual approval:

1. New reviews appear in Pending section
2. Click the review to read it
3. Check if it follows your guidelines
4. Click Approve or Reject

Approve if:

• ✅ Review is genuine and helpful
• ✅ Language is appropriate
• ✅ It's about the actual product

Reject if:

• ❌ Spam or fake review
• ❌ Contains profanity or hate speech
• ❌ About shipping/service (not the product itself)
• ❌ Competitors advertising their products

Responding to Reviews

Build customer relationships by responding:

For positive reviews:

Thank you so much for your kind words, Sarah! We're thrilled you're loving your Bamboo Water Bottle. 🌱

For negative reviews:

We're sorry to hear about your experience, John. We'd love to make this right. Please email us at support@yourstore.com with your order number, and we'll send a replacement right away.

Tips for responding:

• Be genuine and personal
• Address the customer by name
• Thank them for feedback
• Offer solutions for problems
• Keep it brief and professional

Editing Reviews

Sometimes you need to edit a review:

Valid reasons to edit:

• Fix obvious typos
• Remove personal information (phone numbers, emails)
• Remove profanity while keeping the feedback
• Correct product name mistakes

What NOT to edit:

• Don't change negative reviews to positive
• Don't remove criticism
• Don't alter the meaning

How to edit:

1. Find the review
2. Click Edit
3. Make changes
4. Click Save
5. (Optional) Add note: "Edited by store owner to remove personal information"

Deleting Reviews

When to delete:

• Spam or fake reviews
• Violates review guidelines
• About the wrong product
• Contains illegal content

How to delete:

1. Find the review
2. Click Delete
3. Select reason (helps AI learn)
4. Confirm deletion

⚠️ Warning: Deleted reviews cannot be recovered.

Encouraging More Reviews

Getting more reviews takes strategy. Here's how:

1. Timing is Everything

Best times to request reviews:

• ✅ 7-10 days after delivery (product has been used)
• ✅ After customer confirms satisfaction (support ticket closed)
• ❌ Too soon (1-2 days - product barely used)
• ❌ Too late (30+ days - customer forgot)

2. Make It Easy

Reduce friction:

• One-click email links
• Pre-fill customer name
• Mobile-friendly review forms
• Short and simple (no long surveys)

Example request:

Rate your product: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(Click stars, add optional comment, done!)

3. Incentivize (Optional)

Ethical incentives:

• ✅ "Get 10% off your next order" (for any review, not just positive)
• ✅ "Enter to win a $100 gift card"
• ✅ Loyalty points for reviews
• ❌ "Leave 5 stars for a discount" (against most platforms' policies)

Set up via AI:

Give customers 10% off their next order when they leave a review

4. Highlight Reviews

Show you value feedback:

• Feature review of the month on homepage
• Share reviews on social media (with permission)
• Send "thank you" emails to reviewers
• Create a "top reviewers" program

5. Ask at the Right Place

Where to request reviews:

• ✅ Post-purchase email (automated)
• ✅ Order confirmation page
• ✅ Packaging inserts
• ❌ Before purchase (too early)
• ❌ In unrelated emails (feels pushy)

Importing Existing Reviews

Already have reviews on another platform? Import them!

Supported Sources

• Amazon reviews
• eBay reviews
• Judge.me
• Yotpo
• Loox
• Custom CSV file

How to Import

Via AI:

Import my reviews from [platform name]

Via Dashboard:

1. Reviews → Settings → Import
2. Select source platform
3. Upload file or connect account
4. Map fields (product ID, rating, review text, etc.)
5. Click Import
6. Wait for processing (can take 5-30 minutes for large imports)

What gets imported:

• Review text
• Star rating
• Customer name (anonymized if needed)
• Review date
• Product association

What doesn't import:

• Customer email addresses (privacy)
• Original platform's images (usually)
• Vote counts (likes/dislikes)

After Importing

Verify imports:

1. Check a few products to see reviews
2. Look for formatting issues
3. Verify correct products matched
4. Test that star ratings display correctly

If something's wrong:

Undo the review import and let's try again

Review Display Customization

Make reviews match your store's design.

Basic Styling

Colors:

• Star color (gold, blue, red, etc.)
• Background color
• Text color
• Button colors

Fonts:

• Match your theme's fonts
• Or choose custom fonts

Layout:

• List view (reviews stacked vertically)
• Grid view (reviews in columns)
• Compact view (shorter reviews)

Via AI:

Make my reviews section match my theme with blue stars and modern fonts

Advanced Customization

For developers or advanced users:

Reviews → Settings → Advanced → Custom CSS

/* Example: Make reviews stand out with a border */
.synton-review {
  border: 2px solid #2ecc71;
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 20px;
  margin-bottom: 20px;
}

/* Make star ratings larger */
.synton-stars {
  font-size: 24px;
}

Don't know CSS? Ask the AI:

Add a green border around each review and make stars bigger

Mobile Optimization

Reviews automatically work on mobile, but you can customize:

Mobile-specific settings:

• Smaller text size for mobile
• Stack reviews vertically (no columns)
• Show fewer reviews per page
• Larger tap targets for buttons

Test on mobile:

• Use your phone to view a product page
• Check if reviews are readable
• Test submitting a review on mobile
• Verify star ratings display correctly

Review Analytics

Track how reviews impact your business.

Key Metrics

Access: Reviews → Analytics

Collection Rate

Reviews ÷ Eligible Orders × 100
47 reviews ÷ 261 orders = 18%

What's good: 15-20% is average, 25%+ is excellent

Average Rating

Sum of all ratings ÷ Total reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars

What's good: 4.0+ is healthy, 4.5+ is excellent

Conversion Impact

Products with reviews vs. without
With reviews: 5.2% conversion
Without reviews: 1.9% conversion
Impact: +173% conversion

Review Distribution

5 stars: 65% (31 reviews)
4 stars: 25% (12 reviews)
3 stars: 6%  (3 reviews)
2 stars: 2%  (1 review)
1 star:  2%  (0 reviews)

What's normal: Most brands have 60-70% five-star reviews

Product-Level Analytics

See which products need more reviews:

Reviews → Analytics → By Product

Product              Reviews   Avg Rating   Views
Bamboo Water Bottle     24        4.8      1,247
Steel Tumbler           18        4.6        892
Glass Bottle            5         4.2        654  ← Needs more reviews!

Focus your review requests on products with:

• High views but few reviews
• New products (build trust quickly)
• Your best sellers (social proof)

Monthly Trends

Track review velocity:

Month          Reviews Collected   Avg Rating
January 2026        18               4.7
December 2025       15               4.5
November 2025       14               4.6

Improving trend = More customers leaving reviews over time

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Reviews Not Appearing on Product Pages

Check these:

1. Module is active

   Ask AI: Is my reviews module active?
   

2. Product has reviews

   • Go to Reviews dashboard
   • Search for the product
   • Verify reviews exist and are approved

3. Display settings

   • Reviews → Settings → Display
   • Make sure "Show reviews on product pages" is ON

4. Theme integration

   • Some themes need manual code placement
   • Try reinstalling: Reinstall the reviews module

5. Cache

   • Clear browser cache
   • Check in incognito mode
   • Wait 2-3 minutes for CDN

Still not showing?

Debug why reviews aren't appearing on my product pages

Customers Not Receiving Review Request Emails

Common causes:

1. Email timing hasn't arrived yet

   • Default is 7 days after delivery
   • Check order fulfillment date

2. Email service not configured

   • Settings → Integrations → Email
   • Verify email provider is connected

3. Customer opted out

   • Customer unsubscribed from marketing emails
   • Review requests respect opt-out preferences

4. Email in spam folder

   • Ask a test customer to check spam
   • Improve email deliverability (see below)

5. Order not eligible

   • Some order types don't trigger reviews (draft orders, POS orders)

Test email system:

Send me a test review request email

Low Review Collection Rate

If you're getting fewer than 10% of customers leaving reviews:

Checklist:

✅ Timing: Reviews requested 7-10 days after delivery? ✅ Email subject: Is it clear and compelling? ✅ Incentive: Offering any reward for reviews? ✅ One-click: Is review process super easy? ✅ Mobile-friendly: Can customers review on phone? ✅ Reminder: Sending one follow-up email?

Quick wins:

1. Better subject line:

   Update review request email subject to "Quick question about your {product_name}"
   

2. Add incentive:

   Offer 10% discount code to customers who leave reviews
   

3. Simplify form:

   Make review form shorter - just stars and optional comment
   

Spam or Fake Reviews

AI moderation catches most spam, but some slips through.

Identifying fake reviews:

• Generic language ("Great product!")
• Multiple reviews from same IP address
• Reviews posted seconds apart
• Review for wrong product
• Contains links to other sites

How to handle:

1. Delete spam immediately

   • Reviews → Find review → Delete → Reason: Spam

2. Report patterns to AI

   I'm seeing spam reviews from [pattern]. Help filter these automatically.
   

3. Enable stricter moderation

   • Reviews → Settings → Moderation → Manual Approval

4. Require verified purchase

   • Reviews → Settings → Only allow verified buyers

Negative Reviews

Every store gets them. Here's how to handle them professionally:

Step 1: Respond Quickly

Within 24 hours if possible

Step 2: Acknowledge and Apologize

Thank you for your feedback, [Name]. We're sorry we didn't meet your expectations.

Step 3: Offer a Solution

We'd love to make this right. Please email support@yourstore.com and we'll [replace/refund/fix] immediately.

Step 4: Take It Offline

Don't debate publicly. Move conversation to email/phone.

Step 5: Learn and Improve

If multiple people mention the same issue, fix the product or description.

Example response:

Hi John,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're truly sorry the bottle leaked - that's not the quality we stand for.

We'd like to send you a replacement right away, along with a return label for the defective one.

Please email me directly at sarah@yourstorecom with your order number, and I'll get this resolved today.

Best regards,
Sarah
Customer Experience Team

Should you delete negative reviews?

Delete if:

• ❌ Fake or spam
• ❌ Profanity or hate speech
• ❌ Violates review policy

Keep if:

• ✅ Genuine customer feedback (even if critical)
• ✅ Valid product concerns
• ✅ Shipping or service issues

Why keep legitimate negative reviews:

• Builds trust (all 5-stars looks fake)
• Shows you care about feedback
• Other customers read your responses
• Helps you improve products

Best Practices

DO's

✅ Respond to every review (positive and negative) ✅ Thank customers for taking time to review ✅ Use reviews in marketing (social media, ads) ✅ Feature top reviews on homepage ✅ Make review process easy (one click) ✅ Request reviews at right time (7-10 days post-purchase) ✅ Incentivize fairly (reward all reviews, not just positive) ✅ Learn from feedback (improve based on recurring themes)

DON'Ts

❌ Don't buy fake reviews (violates platform policies, damages trust) ❌ Don't delete negative reviews (unless spam/policy violation) ❌ Don't argue with customers publicly ❌ Don't edit reviews to change meaning ❌ Don't request only from happy customers (biased sample) ❌ Don't offer incentives for positive reviews only ❌ Don't spam review requests (one request + one reminder max)

Advanced Features

Photo Reviews

Allow customers to upload product photos:

Enable photo reviews:

Reviews → Settings → Photos → Enable photo uploads

Benefits:

• Visual proof of quality
• Higher engagement
• Better conversion (products with photo reviews convert 125% better)

Moderation:

• AI checks photos for inappropriate content
• You can approve/reject photo reviews separately

Review Widgets

Display reviews in multiple places:

Homepage widget:

Add latest reviews widget to my homepage

Collection pages:

Show average rating on collection pages

Cart page:

Display product reviews in the cart

Rich Snippets (SEO)

Reviews can appear in Google search results:

Enable rich snippets:

Reviews → Settings → SEO → Enable structured data

What you'll see:

Your Store Name - Bamboo Water Bottle
★★★★★ 4.8 rating (24 reviews) · In stock · $24.99

Benefits:

• Higher click-through rates
• Better visibility in search
• Builds trust before click

Automated Follow-up

Send additional emails based on review activity:

Thank you for positive review:

Customer leaves 5-star review
↓
Auto-send: "Thanks! Here's 15% off your next order"

Follow up on negative review:

Customer leaves 1-2 star review
↓
Auto-email to support team
↓
Support reaches out within 24 hours

Setup:

Set up automatic thank you emails for 5-star reviews with a discount code

Integration with Other Features

Reviews + Loyalty Program

Reward customers for leaving reviews:

Award 50 loyalty points for each review submitted

Configuration:

1. Reviews → Settings → Integrations → Loyalty
2. Set points per review
3. Specify minimum rating (optional: only reward 4-5 star reviews)

Reviews + Email Marketing

Use reviews in email campaigns:

Review digest emails:

Weekly email: "New customer reviews this week"

Feature reviews in newsletters:

Include top-rated products with reviews in promotional emails

Reviews + Social Proof Module

Display reviews as notifications:

"Sarah from California just left a 5-star review for Bamboo Water Bottle"

Setup:

Show review notifications using social proof module

FAQs

How much does the Reviews module cost?

Nothing. Reviews is included on every plan, including Free, with no per-module fee and no cap on how many modules you install.

The AI-powered parts of it — review moderation, AI-written responses — consume credits from your plan's monthly allowance. Collecting, displaying and emailing about reviews does not.

Can customers edit their reviews?

Yes! Customers can edit their own reviews for 30 days after posting. After 30 days, reviews are locked to prevent abuse.

Customer process:

1. Click "Edit review" link in confirmation email
2. Make changes
3. Resubmit

Can I export my reviews?

Yes! Export to CSV for backup or analysis.

How to export:

Export all my reviews to CSV

Or: Reviews → Settings → Export → Download CSV

How do I prevent fake reviews?

Built-in protections:

• AI spam detection
• Verified buyer badges (only real customers)
• IP address monitoring (prevents multiple reviews from same person)
• Email verification
• Review velocity limits (prevents rapid-fire fake reviews)

Additional options:

• Require verified purchase
• Enable manual moderation
• Limit reviews to one per product per customer

Will reviews slow down my site?

No! Reviews are loaded asynchronously, meaning:

• Your page loads normally
• Reviews appear half a second later
• No impact on page speed scores

What happens if I remove the module?

When you remove the Reviews module:

• Reviews stop displaying on product pages
• Review request emails stop sending
• Your reviews are archived for 30 days
• After 30 days, reviews are permanently deleted

To preserve reviews:

1. Export to CSV before removing
2. Or keep the module paused instead of removing

Can I customize the review form?

Yes! Customize questions and fields:

Default fields:

• Star rating (required)
• Review title (optional)
• Review text (optional)
• Name (required)
• Photo upload (optional)

Add custom questions:

Add a question to review form: "Would you recommend this product to a friend?"

Customize:

• Reviews → Settings → Form → Customize Fields

Getting Help

Quick questions:

Ask AI in chat: "How do I [task]?"

Configuration help:

Help me configure my review request emails

Technical issues:

• Email: support@synton.ai
• Live chat: Click chat icon in app
• Response time: Within 24 hours (usually faster)

Documentation:

• AI Chat Guide - Using the AI assistant
• Module Deployment - General module help
• Settings Guide - Integration settings

Next Steps

Now that you understand the Reviews module:

1. Deploy it if you haven't already:

   Add reviews to my store
   

2. Customize your emails to match your brand voice

3. Set up incentives to boost collection rate

4. Import existing reviews if you have them

5. Monitor your analytics weekly

6. Respond to reviews regularly

7. Consider other modules that work well with reviews:

   • Loyalty Module - Reward customers for reviews
   • Social Proof Module - Display reviews as notifications

Questions? Just ask the AI:

How can I get more customer reviews?
Show me my review analytics
Help me respond to a negative review

The Reviews module is one of the most powerful tools for building trust and increasing sales. Set it up once, and it works automatically forever! 🌟