My way of adding Google reviews to Elementor (2026)

I’ve added Google reviews to six Elementor sites in the last year, on free Elementor, Elementor Pro, Elementor + Ultimate Addons, and a couple of fresh installs on WordPress 6.7 block themes. The steps differ more than any of the guides I read up front.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you upfront: Elementor itself doesn’t have a native Google Reviews widget.

Not in free Elementor, not in Elementor Pro. Every path needs either a WordPress plugin or a third-party embed. So once you know that, the question becomes “which path fits my site?”

Below are the four real ways to do this in 2026, ranked by how fast you ship and how much control you keep over design, page speed, and the API key headache.

4 ways to add Google reviews to Elementor (quick comparison)

Before the steps, the cheat sheet I wish I’d had on day one.

If you just want my pick: a WordPress reviews plugin with a built-in Elementor widget. That’s where you get the fastest setup, no API headaches, and a native drag-and-drop in the Elementor editor.

Quick note: Does Elementor have a native Google reviews widget?

No. Not free, not Pro. Elementor Pro adds dozens of widgets (Forms, Posts, Slides, Price List), but a Google reviews widget isn’t one of them.

The closest you’ll get inside the Elementor ecosystem is the Business Reviews widget in Ultimate Addons for Elementor (a third-party addon by Brainstorm Force), which pulls reviews from Google and Yelp via API keys. We’ll cover that as Method 3 below.

For everything else, you’ll need either a dedicated WordPress reviews plugin or an embed snippet pasted into Elementor’s HTML widget.

Why add Google reviews to Elementor at all?

Quick gut check before you spend time.

Elementor sites tend to be design-heavy and conversion-focused, including landing pages, service pages, and ecommerce stores. The polish gets visitors in the door, but trust is what closes them.

Google review data shows 74% of consumers trust a business more after reading positive reviews, and 97% read them before deciding to buy.

Specific wins I’ve seen on Elementor sites:

• Higher form-fill rate on service pages. A consulting firm I worked with added a 5-review widget above the contact form. Form submissions went up across the whole site; no other change.
• Better local SEO. Reviews embedded with proper schema markup support local search and help Google understand what your business actually does.
• Star ratings in search results. If your plugin or widget outputs schema.org AggregateRating markup, your pages can earn star ratings in Google search, which can lift organic CTR.
• Free social proof that updates itself. Set the widget once. New 5-star reviews appear automatically.

So yes, worth the hour. Let’s get into it.

Method 1: Use a WordPress reviews plugin (easiest end-to-end)

If you want something live in 10 minutes without touching code or wrangling API keys, install a WordPress reviews plugin that has a native Elementor widget.

The big update in 2025: most popular reviews plugins (Smash Balloon Reviews Feed, Plugins for Google Reviews) no longer require a Google API key for the basic setup.

You just paste your business name or Place ID, and the plugin handles the rest.

Popular options in 2026:

• Smash Balloon Reviews Feed. Free tier covers basic Google reviews. Pro plan adds star-rating filtering, multiple review sources, and the visual customizer.
• Plugins for Google Reviews (formerly Trustindex). Free tier and dedicated Elementor widget.
• WP Social Ninja. The Lite version is free and includes an Elementor widget that pulls reviews from Google, Facebook, Yelp, and Trustpilot into a single feed.

Steps (using a plugin with a native Elementor widget):

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New. Search for the plugin and install it.
2. Activate it. Most plugins drop a menu item in the sidebar (for example, “Reviews Feed” or “Social Ninja”).
3. Open the plugin and create a new Google reviews feed. Enter your Google Business Profile name or Place ID. Reviews start pulling in.
4. Customize the layout in the plugin’s visual editor (grid, carousel, list).
5. Open the Elementor editor on the page where you want the reviews.
6. In the left widget panel, search for the plugin’s widget name (e.g., “Reviews Feed” or “Smash Balloon”). Drag it into the section you want.
7. In the widget settings, pick the feed you just created. Save and publish.

Honest take: this is the lowest-friction method for non-technical users. The trade-off is that you’re now relying on a plugin for a specific job, which adds one more thing to keep up to date. Pick a plugin from a reputable developer with a 1M+ install base so it stays maintained.

Good for: WordPress site owners who want the fastest setup with the fewest API headaches.

Method 2: HTML widget + embed code (my recommended path)

This is what I use on most Elementor sites because it doesn’t lock me into any one plugin. You generate a widget code in a review tool, then paste it into Elementor’s built-in HTML widget. The widget pulls reviews live from Google in real time, with full design control.

The benefit over Method 1: you don’t have to maintain a plugin. The embed code is portable, so if you ever move off Elementor or off WordPress entirely, the same widget works on the next site without rebuilding.

For this walkthrough, I’ll use WiserReview’s Google review widget, which is what I built. Free plan covers up to 10 reviews. Paid plans start at $9 per month or $6.75 per month if you go yearly.

Embedding the widget in Elementor

Once you have your embed code, here’s how to drop it into Elementor.

1. Open the page you want in WordPress, then click Edit with Elementor.
2. In the Elementor sidebar, search for HTML. Drag the HTML widget into the section where you want the reviews.
3. Paste your WiserReview embed code into the HTML Code field on the right.
4. Click outside the widget. The reviews render in the live preview.
5. Adjust spacing and alignment using the standard Elementor margin and padding controls.
6. Click Update.

One detail that trips people up: don’t confuse the HTML widget (good, accepts raw code and iframes) with the Shortcode widget (only accepts WordPress shortcodes). If you paste an embed snippet into the Shortcode widget, nothing renders. Use the HTML widget for raw embed code.

Make sure the embed URL starts withhttps://, since modern browsers block HTTP iframes as mixed content.

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Method 3: Elementor Pro + Ultimate Addons Business Reviews widget

If you already pay for Elementor Pro and want to keep everything inside the Elementor ecosystem, the closest native option is the Business Reviews widget in Ultimate Addons for Elementor (UAE).

It pulls reviews from Google and Yelp and outputs schema.org markup so star ratings can show in search results.

The catch: this method requires API keys, which is the most technical path on this page.

Steps:

1. Install Elementor Pro if you haven’t already.
2. Install and activate the free Ultimate Addons for Elementor plugin from Brainstorm Force.
3. Get a Google Maps Platform API key from the Google Cloud Console. You’ll need to create a billing account, though Google’s free monthly credit covers most small sites.
4. Find your Google Place ID using Google’s Place ID Finder tool.
5. In WordPress, go to the UAE settings and paste your Google API key.
6. Open the Elementor editor. Drag the Business Reviews widget onto your page.
7. In the widget settings, paste your Place ID, set the minimum star rating to filter on, and toggle on schema markup.
8. Style the widget using the Style tab, then publish.

Honest take: this is the most “Elementor-native” feel of the four methods, but the API key setup is non-trivial for non-developers.

If you’re not already on Elementor Pro, the WordPress plugin route in Method 1 is a much faster path.

Good for: existing Elementor Pro users who care about schema markup and want to stay inside the Elementor widget ecosystem.

Method 4: Add Google reviews manually (free, but high-maintenance)

Sometimes you only need three glowing reviews on your About page. No live feed, no widget, no monthly cost. Two ways to do this inside Elementor.

Option A: Screenshot the reviews

Open your Google Business Profile, take a clean screenshot of each review (including the reviewer’s name and photo), and add them via Elementor’s Image widget.

• Why it works: Zero cost, no plugin, you pick exactly which reviews show.
• Where it breaks: Reviews never refresh automatically. Screenshots aren’t readable by Google or screen-readers, so you lose any SEO benefit. Image alt text helps with accessibility but not with rich snippets.

Option B: Copy review text into an Elementor Text Editor widget

Open a review on your Google Business Profile, copy the text and reviewer name, then paste into an Elementor Text Editor widget. Style it using the standard Typography and Color controls. Add a small “Source: Google Reviews” link below each one so visitors can verify.

• Why it works: Searchable, accessible, brand-matched styling, full Elementor design control.
• Where it breaks: Visitors can’t verify the review without the link. Some shoppers default to assuming hand-typed reviews are fake.

Use this method only for 3 to 5 evergreen reviews per page. Above that, the widget methods win on every axis.

Real Google review widget examples on live sites

Here are three setups I came across recently, each in a different category. Steal the layout ideas.

Best practices that actually move the needle

Five things I’ve tested across Elementor sites that consistently improve engagement and SEO.

Add review schema for rich snippets. If your plugin or widget outputs schema.org AggregateRating or Review markup, enable it. Google can then show star ratings next to your page in search results, lifting organic CTR. Validate using Google’s Rich Results Test after publishing.

Place reviews next to the conversion action. One widget directly above a “Book a Call” button or contact form works harder than five reviews scattered across the page. Use Elementor’s section structure to anchor reviews to the CTA.

Show recency, not just stars. A 4.8 average with the newest review from six months ago raises eyebrows. Filter your widget to display reviews from the last 60 to 90 days, where possible.

Test the mobile breakpoint. Elementor’s desktop preview can hide spacing bugs that only show on a 375px viewport. Toggle to mobile view in the editor, then test on an actual phone before publishing.

Watch page speed after install. Some plugins add 200-500ms to the load time. Run a before-and-after Lighthouse audit on the page where you embedded the widget, and pick a plugin or widget that loads asynchronously.

Also see: How to add Google reviews on a website in 5 minutes

Mistakes I see Elementor users make over and over

Three patterns worth avoiding:

Using the Shortcode widget instead of the HTML widget. The Shortcode widget only accepts WordPress shortcodes (the [example] kind). If you paste an iframe or JavaScript embed there, it’ll save but render as plain text. Always use the HTML widget for raw embed code, or the dedicated plugin widget if one is available.

Installing three review plugins at once. Each plugin loads its own scripts, fonts, and styles. Stacking them slows your site, hurts Lighthouse scores, and creates conflicts in the Elementor editor. Pick one plugin and commit.

Skipping the mobile preview. Some embed widgets look great on desktop but break on phones, either by overflowing their containers or by showing an internal scrollbar. Test on a real mobile device before going live, since Elementor’s mobile preview doesn’t always catch iframe sizing issues.

Also, check platform-specific: Add Google review widget for SITE123 in minutes

Which method should you actually pick?

Short version:

• Pick a WordPress reviews plugin if you want the fastest no-code setup and don’t want to deal with Google API keys. The 2025 update to plugins like Smash Balloon Reviews Feed removed the API key step for basic Google review feeds, which is a real workflow win.
• Pick the HTML widget embed route (like WiserReview) if you want full design control, plan to run multiple sites, care about photo and video reviews, or want a portable embed that survives a theme or builder change. Free plan covers 10 reviews. Paid is $9/month or $6.75/month annually.
• Pick the Elementor Pro + Ultimate Addons route only if you’re already on Pro and comfortable setting up a Google API key.
• Pick the manual method if you have fewer than five reviews and want to feature specific ones on a single page.

For most Elementor users I work with, the right answer is either the WordPress plugin route (no-code, fast) or the HTML widget embed (portable, full control). Both ship in under 15 minutes, and both deliver real-time reviews that match your Elementor design.

If you want to try the embed widget path, the WiserReview free plan covers 10 reviews and works on every Elementor site, free or Pro, with or without a block theme. No credit card to start.