Google reviews on Shopify
Shopify's app store solves this with a subscription: most Google reviews apps bill monthly, forever, for what is ultimately a block of HTML on your storefront. Zyff builds the same thing as an embed you own. Online Store 2.0 themes — Dawn and every theme built on it — ship a Custom Liquid section that takes raw HTML, so the widget goes in through the theme editor with no code access and no app install. Because there is no app, there is nothing with permissions on your store data, nothing in your app list, and nothing to uninstall later. Google reviews complement Shopify's product reviews rather than replacing them: product reviews speak to one item, your Google profile speaks to the business, which is why the strongest placement is usually the homepage or an about section rather than a product page.
Build and style the widget in the Google Reviews widget builder, then follow the Shopify steps below to put it on your site.
How to add Google reviews to Shopify
Build your widget
In Zyff's Google Reviews builder, find your business, choose a layout and style it to match your theme. Copy the embed code — a container div plus a script tag.
Open your theme editor
In Shopify admin go to Online Store > Themes, find your live theme and click Customize. Use the page dropdown at the top to pick the page you are adding reviews to, such as Home page or a product template.
Add a Custom Liquid section
In the left sidebar click Add section, then choose Custom Liquid. Drag it to where it should sit in the page order — for a homepage, just under the hero or above the footer both work well.
Paste the snippet and save
Paste the whole embed code into the Custom Liquid box. The theme editor preview may not run the script; click Save and then View your store to confirm it renders. Custom Liquid accepts plain HTML, so no Liquid tags need adding.
On a vintage theme, edit the code instead
If your theme predates Online Store 2.0 there is no Custom Liquid section. Go to Online Store > Themes > … > Edit code and paste the snippet into the relevant section or template file — for the homepage that is usually sections/ or templates/index.liquid — then save.
Shopify-specific things worth knowing
Custom Liquid needs an Online Store 2.0 theme
Dawn and every theme released since 2021 have it. If Add section does not list Custom Liquid, you are on a vintage theme and need the Edit code route instead — the snippet is identical, only the place you paste it changes.
Product description fields strip script tags
Pasting the embed into a product or page description in the rich-text editor will not work — Shopify sanitises that field and the script is removed on save. Use a Custom Liquid section, or the HTML view of a page in Online Store > Pages.
Checkout cannot take custom scripts
Shopify blocks arbitrary scripts on checkout pages for every plan except Shopify Plus, and even there it goes through checkout extensibility rather than a pasted snippet. Put social proof on the cart page or product page instead, which is where it changes a decision anyway.
Duplicate your theme before editing code
If you take the Edit code route on a vintage theme, duplicate the theme first and edit the copy. Theme file edits are not versioned, and a duplicate is the difference between a one-click rollback and reconstructing a template by hand.
It does not affect your app list or permissions
Nothing is installed, so no app holds a scope on your orders, customers or products, and there is no monthly charge attached to your Shopify invoice. Removing the widget is deleting the section.
Match the theme, then check a phone
Set the widget font to inherit so it picks up your theme's typeface, and use the builder's 390px preview before saving — Shopify storefronts skew heavily to mobile traffic, and a three-column review grid is the first thing to look cramped there.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Shopify app to show Google reviews?
No. The widget is an embed you paste into a Custom Liquid section, so nothing is installed on your store. That means no monthly app subscription, no app holding permissions on your store data, and nothing to uninstall if you change your mind — you delete the section.
Where should I put Google reviews on a Shopify store?
The homepage, usually just below the hero or above the footer, and a cart or about page. Google reviews are about the business rather than one product, so they do the most work where a visitor is deciding whether to trust the store at all. Product-level social proof is better served by Shopify's own product reviews.
Does it work with Dawn and other Online Store 2.0 themes?
Yes. Dawn and every theme built on Online Store 2.0 include the Custom Liquid section, which takes the snippet as-is with no code editing. Vintage themes work too, but you paste into a template file through Edit code rather than through the theme editor.
Can I add Google reviews to my Shopify checkout page?
No, and no third-party widget can. Shopify does not allow custom scripts on checkout outside Shopify Plus, where it goes through checkout extensibility rather than pasted code. Put the reviews on the cart page or product page instead.
Why does the widget not appear in the theme editor preview?
The theme editor preview does not always execute scripts inside a Custom Liquid section. Save the section, then click View your store and check the live page — that is the accurate test. If it is still missing there, confirm you pasted both the div and the script tag.
Will it slow my store or hurt my speed score?
It loads one small script after your page content rather than blocking it, and it does not add an app that runs server-side on every request. Shopify's speed score is measured on the storefront, so the honest comparison is against an installed reviews app, which typically costs more.