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Running an online store is an exciting journey, but it can be full of challenges, especially when the reviews that can drive conversions aren’t displaying on your product pages.
If you’re using BigCommerce, whether for a native or third-party review system, the absence of reviews on your site can lead to a frustrating experience for both you and your customers.
In this post, we’ll dive into why your BigCommerce customer reviews might not be showing and offer step-by-step fixes to get them working correctly. From issues with built-in review systems to third-party app configurations, we’ll cover it all.
How reviews work in BigCommerce
Before diving into troubleshooting, it’s essential to understand how reviews are set up and managed in BigCommerce.
Built-in review system
BigCommerce includes a native review system in all plans.
This allows your customers to leave product ratings and written feedback directly on the product page.
To enable the built-in review system, go to Settings > Comments in your BigCommerce admin and enable the “Product Reviews” feature.
Reviews submitted will initially be marked as “Pending” until you approve them.
Third-party review apps and widgets
Many BigCommerce store owners eventually migrate to specialized third-party review platforms for more advanced features.
These apps, such as WiserReview, Yotpo, and Stamped.io, offer additional benefits, including automated review requests, photo/video submissions, and rich snippet integration for SEO.
Integrating third-party review apps typically requires adding JavaScript to your theme’s files and disabling BigCommerce’s native review system.
All your reviews in one place
Collect reviews, manage every response, and display them where they matter most.
7 Common reasons reviews aren’t showing
If your reviews aren’t displaying, the issue could lie in several places.
Here are the seven most common reasons why reviews aren’t showing on BigCommerce product pages:
1. The reviews feature is not enabled
The most obvious reason is that the review feature hasn’t been activated in your BigCommerce settings.
If you haven’t turned it on, there’s nothing for customers to see.
Go to Advanced Settings > Comments and ensure the “Product Reviews” box is checked.
If you’re using a third-party app, make sure the native review system is disabled to avoid conflicts.
2. Theme or template doesn’t include review widget
Even with the review feature enabled, your theme may not have the necessary code to display the reviews.
The review widget must be placed within the product page template files (typically product-view.html or ProductDetails.html).
This is especially common when custom themes or heavily modified templates are used.
3. Script or widget not loaded correctly (for 3rd-party apps)
Third-party apps like Yotpo, WiserReview, or Judge.me rely on JavaScript to display the review widget.
If the JavaScript library isn’t correctly installed via BigCommerce’s Script Manager or if the widget’s code contains errors, reviews will fail to load.
This could be due to issues like missing API keys, incorrect script placement, or JavaScript conflicts with other apps.
4. Caching or storefront settings causing delay
BigCommerce uses Content Delivery Networks (CDN) to cache files and speed up your site.
This caching can prevent updates from appearing immediately. For example, if you approve new reviews or add a review widget, the cached version of your page may still display the old content.
Additionally, browser caching can cause visitors to see outdated pages. Perform a hard refresh (Ctrl + F5 or Cmd + Shift + R) to see the latest changes.
5. Incompatible app or disabled plan
Not all review apps work seamlessly with every BigCommerce plan or configuration.
Some apps have specific requirements, and using incompatible apps or themes can cause the review feature to display incorrectly.
If you’re using a third-party app, ensure it’s compatible with your BigCommerce version.
6. Approval or moderation pending
By default, BigCommerce’s native review system requires you to approve submitted reviews manually.
Until they are approved, they won’t be visible on the product page.
You can automatically approve reviews by enabling Auto Approve Reviews under Store Settings > Display.
7. Product or review display rules are misconfigured
BigCommerce has several settings that could prevent reviews from appearing as expected.
For example, you can enable “Only accept product reviews from past customers,” which means only verified buyers can leave reviews.
This can reduce the number of reviews shown on your site.
Also, review throttling settings under Store Settings > Miscellaneous can limit the number of reviews that appear within a specific time frame.
Troubleshoot conflicts
If your reviews still aren’t showing, troubleshoot any potential conflicts.
Look for JavaScript errors by inspecting the page in your browser (F12 or right-click > Inspect > Console).
If there are errors or conflicts with other apps, temporarily disable them one by one to identify the culprit.
All your reviews in one place
Collect reviews, manage every response, and display them where they matter most.Wrap up
Seeing reviews on your product pages is crucial for social proof and boosting conversions.
If your BigCommerce reviews aren’t showing, the problem is likely one of the seven common issues we’ve outlined.
By following the step-by-step fixes above, you should be able to resolve the issue and ensure reviews appear consistently across your site.
Remember, Products with at least 5 reviews have a 270% higher chance of being purchased than those with no reviews.
If you’ve tried all of the steps above and are still experiencing issues, reach out to BigCommerce support or the support team for your third-party review app for more assistance.
Frequently asked questions
Reviews won’t show if the built-in review system is disabled, the product settings block reviews, or your theme hides the review section.
This happens when product IDs don’t match, or the CSV has missing fields that prevent reviews from linking to the correct product.
Yes. Some apps override product templates or add custom code that removes the review box from product pages.
You may have moderation enabled. Reviews stay hidden until you approve them in the Comments section.
Yes. Some BigCommerce themes don’t show the review form or review list unless you enable them inside Theme Editor or switch to the default theme.
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