Google reviews WordPress short-code

Adds shortcode google_reviews google_places_id="" google_places_api_key="" (place inside brackets) that fetches business reviews from Google Places API, caches them for 24 hours.

Uses an open-source WooCommerce native CSS rule to display the star ratings.

add_shortcode( 'google_reviews', function( $atts ) {

	// Settings
	$default_atts = [ 'google_places_id' => '', 'google_places_api_key' => '' ];
	$atts = shortcode_atts( $default_atts, $atts, 'google_reviews' );

	// Check Cache
	$transient = 'ccom_g_reviews_' . substr( $atts['google_places_id'], -5 );
	$reviews = get_transient( $transient );
	$reviews = maybe_unserialize( $reviews );

	// Fetch Reviews
	if( ! $reviews ) {
		$url = sprintf(
			'https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/details/json?placeid=%s&key=%s',
			$atts['google_places_id'], $atts['google_places_api_key']
		);
		$response = wp_remote_get( $url );
		$response['body'] = json_decode( $response['body'] );
		if( empty( $response['body']->result->reviews ) ) { return; }
		$reviews = $response['body']->result->reviews;
		set_transient( $transient, $reviews, 86400 );
	}

	// Output
	shuffle( $reviews );
	ob_start();
	?>
	<ul class="google_reviews">

		<?php foreach( $reviews as $row ) { ?>
		<li>
			<img class="alignleft"
				alt="Avatar for <?php echo $row->author_name; ?>"
				src="<?php echo $row->profile_photo_url; ?>" />
			<a href="<?php echo $row->author_url; ?>" target="_blank">
				<?php echo $row->author_name; ?>
			</a>
			<small>
				<?php echo $row->relative_time_description; ?>
				on <?php echo date( 'm/d/Y', $row->time ); ?>
			</small>
			<div class="star-rating" role="img"
				aria-label="Rated <?php echo $row->rating; ?> out of 5 stars">
				<span style="width: <?php echo ( $row->rating / 5 ) * 100; ?>%">
					Rated
					<strong class="rating">
						<?php echo $row->rating; ?>
					</strong>
					out of 5
				</span>
			</div>
			<p><?php echo $row->text; ?></p>
		</li>
		<?php } ?>

	</ul>
	<?php

	$output = ob_get_clean();

	return $output;

} );

Instructions for Google reviews WordPress short-code

  1. Log into a staging or locally hosted clone of your site.
  2. Install and activate Code Snippets plugin.
  3. WP Admin > Snippets > Add New
  4. Copy and paste the code from the section above.
  5. Check to ensure formatting came over properly.
  6. Customize the code as desired.
  7. Add a meaningful title.
  8. Select whether to run on front-end or back-end (or both).
  9. Click “Save and Activate”.
  10. Test your site to ensure it works.
  11. Disable if any problems, or recover.
  12. Repeat for live environment.

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License

All code snippets are licensed GPLv2 (or later) matching WordPress licensing.

Except when otherwise stated in writing the copyright holders and/or other parties provide the program as-is without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

Disclaimer of warranty
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