About this plugin
PlaceCore Reviews connects your WordPress site to the Google Places API and displays your business rating and recent customer reviews. It is built for speed and reliability: all API requests run server-side, responses are cached in WordPress transients, and the front end only outputs escaped, validated HTML.
This plugin is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google LLC.
Three ways to display reviews:
- Gutenberg block — “PlaceCore Reviews” block with inspector controls for Place ID and review count.
- Classic widget — “PlaceCore Reviews” widget for any sidebar or footer.
- Shortcode — [placecore] or [placecore count="3" place_id="YOUR_ID"].
Features
- Server-side API calls. Your Google Places API key never appears in the browser.
- Cached responses. Reviews are stored in WordPress transients for 1 hour by default. No repeated API calls on every page load.
- Lightweight. No jQuery dependency. Plain CSS and JavaScript.
- Google-compliant. Displays author names, avatars, and links back to Google Maps as required by the Google Places API attribution guidelines.
External services
This plugin connects to the Google Places API to retrieve business ratings and customer reviews.
What is sent: Your Google Places API key (as an authorization header), the Place ID you configure in the settings, and the field mask requesting ratings and reviews.
When it is sent: Only when the plugin needs to fetch or refresh reviews. Responses are cached in WordPress transients for 1 hour by default, so the API is not called on every page load.
Who receives it: Google LLC. Requests are made server-side from your WordPress installation. No visitor data or personal information is sent.
Google Places API terms and policies:
com/maps-platform/terms
com/privacy
com/terms