About this plugin
reviews. Once your site is connected you get your own review page on the service, and this plugin gives you a shortcode and a widget for sending customers there.
Set up in under five minutes
This plugin was built to be quick to install and simple to use. There is no setup wizard, no onboarding sequence, and no long list of options to work through. Getting a free API key takes about a minute, and pasting it into the settings screen configures the plugin for you.
From installing the plugin to having a working “Leave a Review” link on your site is a five minute job.
There is one settings screen with one field that matters. Everything else on it is there to tell you what is already working. The shortcode and the widget need no configuration of their own: once your key is saved, drop either one in place and it points at your review page.
The plugin is a client for the What They Say review service, which is operated by the author of this plugin. A free account on that service is required in order to obtain an API key. See the “External services” section below for full details of what is sent and when.
How this is different from an on-site reviews plugin
Most WordPress review and testimonial plugins store reviews in your own database and render them on your own site. That is useful, but it means the business being reviewed also controls the reviews, and a visitor has no way to tell whether anything was edited or quietly removed.
This plugin does not store or display reviews on your site at all. Customers leave reviews on your business page on the What They Say review service, where they are held independently of your WordPress installation:
- Reviews live outside your site, so you cannot silently edit or delete them, and your visitors can see that
- Your review page is a public URL that anyone can visit, share, or link to without going through your site
- Reviews left after a purchase can carry a “Verified” tag, which is applied by the service rather than by the site owner
- Removing this plugin, or losing the site entirely, does not take your reviews with it
If what you want is on-site testimonials under your own control, an on-site reviews plugin is a better fit. This plugin is for businesses that want reviews a customer has reason to trust because the business does not control them.
Features
- One settings screen and one required field, so there is nothing to configure beyond your API key
- API key verification, which configures the plugin automatically
- Your review page address, shown on the settings screen and ready to copy
- [wtsrev_review_button] shortcode with configurable text, CSS class and link target
- A “Review Link Button” widget for sidebars and widget areas, which works as soon as your key is saved and has nothing to configure
- A suggested privacy policy section, added to the WordPress privacy tools
- A link to create a free account, for site owners who do not have one yet
- A one-click disconnect, which clears the key from your site and leaves your reviews untouched
How it works
- Create a free account on the What They Say review service to get your API key.
- Enter the API key on the plugin settings screen to connect your site.
- Add the shortcode or widget wherever you want a “Leave a Review” link.
- Customers leave reviews on your page on the What They Say review service.
- Read and reply to those reviews on your dashboard on the service.
Everything in this plugin works on a free account
Nothing in this plugin is locked, metered, restricted by plan, or disabled after a trial. There is no paid tier of this plugin. Review collection itself is unlimited.
Additional features of the hosted service, such as replying to reviews and your review management dashboard, are provided by the service rather than by this plugin.
Optional paid add-on
reviews. It is a distinct plugin with its own code, and none of its code is contained in this plugin. It lets you conveniently send review invitation emails directly from your WooCommerce order screen with the push of a button to collect “Verified” tagged reviews, and adds a live ratings widget and email notifications when new reviews arrive.
This plugin does not require it, does not download it, and is fully functional without it.
External services
reviews) and does not function without it.
That service is owned and operated by the author of this plugin. This plugin is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any other review platform or company.
Endpoint contacted
- https://whattheysay.reviews/api/verify-key.php – to validate your API key and retrieve your review page URL and account type.
When the plugin contacts the service
- When you save your API key on the settings screen, to validate it.
- When you open the plugin settings screen, to refresh your review page URL and account type. This is throttled to at most once per hour.
- Once per day via WP-Cron, to re-validate the stored API key.
No request is made at all until you have entered an API key.
Data sent to the service
- Your API key and your site URL. That is all.
This plugin does not send any visitor or customer data to the service. Reviews are submitted by your customers directly on the service’s own review page, not through your site.
The service’s terms and privacy policy apply to data it receives:
- Terms of service: https://whattheysay.reviews/terms-of-service/
- Privacy policy: https://whattheysay.reviews/privacy-policy/