How to Add Testimonials to BigCommerce in 5 Minutes

I’ve added testimonials to four BigCommerce stores in the last year, two using BigCommerce App Marketplace apps (Yotpo and Stamped) for full-featured ecommerce review-and-testimonial systems, and two using a combination of the Page Builder’s HTML Widget and a third-party testimonial widget for stores that wanted lighter-weight setups.

BigCommerce gives you more flexibility than most platforms thanks to its open Stencil theme system, but the right path depends on your plan tier, your store volume, and whether you want testimonials in addition to native product reviews.

Here’s what I learned. There are four real ways to add testimonials to a BigCommerce store in 2026.

The first decision is whether you want a full App Marketplace solution that handles both product reviews and testimonials together, a lightweight third-party widget for testimonials only, a custom Stencil theme edit for precise placement, or a manual approach for a handful of curated quotes.

I’ll walk through all four.

First: testimonials are different from BigCommerce native product reviews

This catches many BigCommerce merchants off guard. BigCommerce has two separate review-related systems:

• Native product reviews: a built-in feature in BigCommerce settings. Customers leave 1- to 5-star reviews and written feedback on product pages after purchase. Enable under Storefront > Product Reviews. For a deeper guide on improving these, see the sister post on adding customer reviews to BigCommerce.
• Testimonials: curated customer quotes you display on homepages, about pages, category pages, and near Add-to-Cart buttons. No native BigCommerce feature for these. You add testimonials manually with apps, the Page Builder, theme edits, or third-party embeds. This guide covers testimonials.

If you’re searching for “how to add product reviews and customer testimonials in BigCommerce” specifically, you want both: enable native product reviews via Storefront settings, then layer testimonials on top using one of the four methods below.

4 ways to add testimonials to BigCommerce (quick comparison)

The cheat sheet I wish I’d had on day one.

If you just want my pick: for most BigCommerce stores, install Yotpo or Stamped from the App Marketplace (Method 1) for a full reviews + testimonials system on product pages, then layer a third-party widget via Page Builder (Method 2) for homepage and category-page social proof. Together, they cover the whole store without overlap.

Quick note: Stencil themes, Page Builder, and plan tiers

Three BigCommerce realities worth knowing before installing anything:

• Stencil theme system: the modern BigCommerce theme framework. Theme files use Handlebars templates (.html files). Method 3 (theme edit) only applies if you’re comfortable editing these directly.
• Page Builder: BigCommerce’s visual drag-and-drop editor. The HTML Widget (used in Method 2) lets you paste embed code without touching theme files. Works on every plan and every Stencil theme.
• Plan tiers: the Page Builder, HTML Widget, and App Marketplace all work on Standard ($39/mo), Plus, Pro, and Enterprise plans. Some apps (Yotpo, Stamped) have free tiers plus paid plans that scale with order volume. B2B Edition stores have the same testimonial options as standard stores.

All four methods below work on every BigCommerce plan. Where compatibility matters, I’ll call it out.

Why add testimonials to BigCommerce at all?

Quick gut-check before you spend the time.

BigCommerce powers many mid-size and enterprise ecommerce stores where shoppers carefully compare before buying, especially for higher-AOV products.

Testimonial data show that 88% of people trust online testimonials as much as personal recommendations, and pages with testimonials can convert up to 34% better than pages without them.

Specific wins I’ve seen on BigCommerce stores:

• Higher add-to-cart rate on product pages. A specialty equipment store added a 3-testimonial carousel directly above the Add-to-Cart button. Add-to-cart climbed across the catalog with no other change.
• Lower bounce on category pages. Testimonials below the product grid give shoppers a reason to keep browsing rather than jump to a competitor.
• Lower cart abandonment on high-AOV orders. Testimonials near checkout reassure buyers about shipping, quality, and return policies right before payment, especially important on Plus and Pro plans, where abandoned-cart recovery is part of the workflow.
• Free social proof for B2B Edition stores. B2B buyers expect more proof. Testimonials from named customers and companies move the needle on quote requests.

Worth the hour. Let’s get into it.

Method 1: Install a BigCommerce App Marketplace app

If you want a full reviews-and-testimonials system that handles native product reviews AND testimonial display together, a BigCommerce App Marketplace app is the cleanest path.

These apps install with one click, automate post-purchase review request emails, and provide widgets for both product-page reviews and homepage testimonial sections.

Popular options in 2026:

• Yotpo. The most popular all-in-one reviews-and-testimonials app on BigCommerce. Photo and video reviews, schema markup for rich snippets, syndicated review display, and dedicated widgets for testimonial sections.
• Stamped. Strong on both product reviews and curated testimonials. Good for stores that want a single tool for collection and display.
• Okendo. Premium BigCommerce reviews and UGC are popular with growth-stage brands. Visual reviews with photo and video, plus testimonial-style display widgets.
• EmbedSocial Testimonials. Focuses on aggregating testimonials from Google, Facebook, and other platforms into one widget for your BigCommerce store.
• Trustpilot. Verified third-party reviews from Trustpilot, displayed as testimonials on your store.

Steps:

1. In your BigCommerce admin, go to Apps > Marketplace.
2. Search by name (Yotpo, Stamped, Okendo) or by keyword (“testimonials,” “reviews”).
3. Click Install and authorize the app to access your store.
4. Inside the app, configure post-purchase review request emails, widget design, and which pages display testimonials.
5. Most apps automatically add a widget or block to your storefront. For testimonial-only display, use the app’s dedicated testimonial widget on your homepage.
6. Test on a product page and homepage. Adjust placement using Page Builder if needed.

Honest take: App Marketplace apps deliver the most BigCommerce-native experience and bundle reviews + testimonials in one tool. The trade-off is that you’re locking into one vendor’s pricing model and release cycle. Most premium apps charge monthly fees that scale with order volume, so a Pro plan store using Yotpo can easily spend $200-500/month.

Good for: BigCommerce stores that want a single tool to manage both native product reviews and testimonials, with automated post-purchase email collection.

Method 2: Page Builder HTML Widget + third-party widget (my recommended path)

This is what I use on most BigCommerce client stores that want testimonials specifically (not bundled with full review systems) or want video testimonials and multi-platform aggregation.

You generate a widget code in a testimonial tool, then drop it into BigCommerce’s HTML Widget via the Page Builder.

The benefit over Method 1: portability and lighter cost. The embed code works on any future platform you migrate to, and free third-party tools cost nothing to start.

You also avoid bundling reviews and testimonials with a single app vendor, giving you flexibility to switch one tool without affecting the other.

Popular options in 2026:

• WiserReview. Free plan up to 10 testimonials, $9/month paid. Photo and video testimonials, multi-platform aggregation, and AI moderation.
• Senja. Free tier, strong on video testimonials and Wall of Love layouts.
• Testimonial.to. Strong on video testimonials with one-click recording links.
• Shapo. Free plan with 10 testimonials. 20+ import sources.
• Famewall. Testimonial-focused with a simple collection flow.

For this walkthrough, I’ll use WiserReview, which I built. Free plan covers up to 10 testimonials and unlimited site embeds. Paid plans start at $9 per month or $6.75 per month if you go yearly.

Embedding the testimonial widget in BigCommerce

Once you have your embed code, here’s how to drop it into BigCommerce using Page Builder.

1. Log in to your BigCommerce admin.
2. Go to Storefront > My Themes. Click Customize on your active theme to open Page Builder.
3. Open the page where you want testimonials (homepage, category page, or a custom page).
4. From the left sidebar, drag the HTML widget onto your page at the position you want.
5. Click the HTML widget to open its editor.
6. Paste your WiserReview embed code into the HTML field.
7. Click Save in the widget editor.
8. Preview the page on desktop and mobile using Page Builder’s preview toggle.
9. Click Publish to push the change live.

For product-page testimonials (which Page Builder doesn’t customize natively on every theme), use a Stencil theme edit (Method 3) or check whether your theme supports a Custom Layout area on product pages.

Most modern Stencil themes (Cornerstone, Supermarket, Roots) have at least one HTML-friendly area on product pages.

Make sure the embed URL starts withhttps://, since BigCommerce blocks HTTP iframes as mixed content on published stores.

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Method 3: Stencil theme file edit (for developers)

If you have developer access and want precise placement that the Page Builder doesn’t expose, you can edit your Stencil theme’s Handlebars templates directly.

This gives you full control over where testimonials appear in the product page, category page, or any storefront template.

Steps:

1. Download your active theme from Storefront > My Themes > Advanced > Download current theme.
2. Unzip the theme files locally.
3. Open the template you want to edit. For product pages, that’s typically templates/components/products/product-view.html.
4. Locate the section where you want the testimonial widget to appear (often below {{{snippet 'product-details'}}} or near the Add-to-Cart partial.
5. Paste your widget embed code (HTML, JavaScript) at that position.
6. Save the file.
7. Zip the modified theme directory and re-upload via Storefront > My Themes > Upload theme.
8. Apply the new theme and publish.

Tip: BigCommerce supports child themes via the Stencil CLI for developer workflows.

If you have a developer working on the store, ask them to use the Stencil CLI to push changes from the terminal instead of repeatedly uploading zips.

Honest take: theme edits give the most control but are fragile. Theme updates from BigCommerce can overwrite your changes if you’re using a default theme. Custom themes and child themes are the safer pattern.

Good for: developers, agencies, and stores needing precise control over product-page testimonial placement.

Method 4: Manual testimonials with Text or Image widgets

Sometimes you only need three glowing quotes on your About page. No app, no widget, no monthly cost. Two ways inside BigCommerce Page Builder.

Option A: Text Widget with quotes

Add a Text widget to your page. Paste a customer quote, style it with the customer’s name and company below.

Repeat for each testimonial. Use BigCommerce’s built-in typography settings for native styling.

• Why it works: Native BigCommerce styling, fast page load, full design control via Page Builder.
• Where it breaks: Updating testimonials means editing the page in Page Builder every time. No automated collection.

Option B: Image Widget with screenshots

Take a clean screenshot of a Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn review (including the reviewer’s name and platform branding) and place it via an Image widget in Page Builder.

• Why it works: Looks verifiably authentic since platform branding is visible.
• Where it breaks: Screenshots aren’t readable by Google or screen-readers, so you lose any SEO benefit. Image alt text helps accessibility, but not rich snippets.

Use these manual methods only for 3 to 5 evergreen testimonials per page. Above that, Methods 1, 2, or 3 win on every axis.

Best practices that actually move the needle

Five things I’ve tested across BigCommerce stores that consistently improve engagement and conversion.

1. Place testimonials near the conversion action. A testimonial directly above the Add-to-Cart button, near checkout, or above a contact form on B2B pages works harder than five testimonials scattered across the page. Use Page Builder’s section structure or Stencil template hooks to anchor testimonials where decisions happen.
2. Mix written and video testimonials. Video testimonials feel more authentic in 2026 and convert better, especially for high-AOV BigCommerce products. Even one short video testimonial alongside written quotes lifts trust.
3. Match testimonials to product category. Use category-specific testimonials on category pages. A testimonial about your industrial equipment line shouldn’t appear on a consumer-products category page. Use tags in WiserReview’s AI moderation or in your app’s category filters to surface the right ones.
4. Pair testimonials with native product reviews for full SERP coverage. The two systems complement each other. Native product reviews output schema markup for star ratings in Google search; testimonials build trust in the category and on the homepage. Run both for maximum impact.
5. Test on mobile. BigCommerce stores get heavy mobile traffic. Test testimonial widgets at the 375px breakpoint on a real phone before pushing live. Some sliders need tuning to avoid horizontal scroll.

Mistakes I see BigCommerce store owners make over and over

Three patterns worth avoiding:

Pasting embed code into a Text Widget instead of an HTML Widget. BigCommerce’s Text Widget strips iframe and script tags as a security measure. The widget saves but renders as plain text on the live page. Always use the HTML Widget from Page Builder for raw embed snippets.

Editing Stencil theme files directly without a child theme. Theme updates from BigCommerce can overwrite your custom code if you’re modifying a default theme directly. Use a child theme or duplicate the theme before editing, so updates don’t blow away your work.

Stacking too many widgets on the homepage. Each widget loads its own scripts and styles. Two or three testimonial widgets on the same page can noticeably slow load time, especially on mobile. Pick one display tool per page and commit to it.

Which method should you actually pick?

Short version:

• Pick a BigCommerce App Marketplace app (Yotpo, Stamped, Okendo) if you want a full reviews + testimonials system with automated post-purchase email collection, schema markup for rich snippets, and one tool managing everything. Free tiers available; paid plans scale with order volume.
• Pick Page Builder HTML Widget + third-party widget (like WiserReview) if you want testimonials specifically (separate from native product reviews), video testimonials, multi-platform aggregation, or a portable embed that survives a future platform change. Free plan covers 10 testimonials; paid plans are $9/month or $6.75/month annually.
• Pick the Stencil theme file edit if you’re a developer or agency and need precise product-page placement that Page Builder doesn’t expose.
• Pick the manual method if you have fewer than five testimonials and want to feature specific ones on a single page.

For most BigCommerce store owners I work with, the right answer combines two methods: a BigCommerce App Marketplace app (Yotpo or Stamped) for product-page reviews and post-purchase collection + a third-party widget via Page Builder for homepage and category-page testimonial display.

Together, they cover the whole store without overlap.

If you want to try the third-party widget path, the WiserReview free plan covers 10 testimonials and works on every BigCommerce plan (Standard, Plus, Pro, Enterprise, B2B Edition) and every Stencil theme. No credit card to start.