FAQ – ReviewVault – WordPress Reviews Plugin

ReviewVault FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

ReviewVault is built for one simple reason: you should be able to own your reputation on your own website. Reviews live on other platforms at the mercy of policy changes, account suspensions, closed listings, and shifting verification rules. ReviewVault gives you a central library of reviews you control, plus flexible ways to display them across your site.

Below are the most common questions customers ask before installing, and the practical answers you can copy onto your website.

What is ReviewVault?

ReviewVault is a WordPress plugin that helps you store, organise, and display customer reviews on your own website. It’s designed for small businesses that want reliable social proof without depending solely on third-party platforms.

You can collect new reviews via a submission page, import existing reviews, and show them on your website using shortcodes such as:

Review Submission (collect new reviews)
All Reviews (full library view)
Review Carousel (rotating reviews)
Review Badge (compact trust badge)

Does ReviewVault guarantee more stars in Google or better rankings?

No. Nobody can honestly guarantee Google star ratings, rich results, or ranking improvements. ReviewVault helps you present reviews clearly on your website and supports better site structure and discoverability, but search visibility depends on many external factors outside any plugin’s control.

What ReviewVault can help with is:

Giving Google more crawlable, structured content on your website
Creating consistent internal pages where reviews are grouped and displayed
Improving user trust signals (which can improve conversion rates)

Why shouldn’t I keep all my reviews only on Google or Facebook?

Because platforms can change the rules overnight. Trade sites and travel sites can close accounts, change display policies, hide reviews behind logins, or remove content after disputes. Google Business Profiles can also be suspended, merged, or disabled.

ReviewVault is your “insurance policy”:

You keep your own copy of review content
You can show it on your website even if third-party platforms change

How does the Review Submission page work?

The submission page is a simple way to collect new reviews directly on your website. You can use it as:

A “Leave a review” link in emails and SMS messages
A QR code destination on invoices, vans, business cards, or reception desks
A follow-up link after a job is completed

You control the fields you collect (typically name, location, service type, rating, and written feedback).

Are reviews submitted through the website “Verified”?

ReviewVault supports a Verified label for reviews. In your demo setup, imported dummy reviews can be marked verified automatically. For real businesses, “Verified” should mean you have a process to confirm the customer relationship (for example, cross-checking against a job record, invoice, booking reference, or internal system).

Best practice is to use “Verified” as a trust marker only when it’s backed by a consistent internal policy.

What is the “All Reviews” page and who is it for?

The All Reviews page is designed as your full review library. It shows:

Average rating
Total review count
A ratings distribution chart
A source breakdown
The full list of reviews

This is ideal for:

A main “Reviews” page linked in your navigation
A trust hub that you can send prospective customers to
Sales pages where visitors want to read more than just a few quotes

What is the Review Carousel best used for?

The carousel is perfect for high-impact placements where you want reviews visible without taking over the entire page.

Common placements include:

Homepage sections
Service pages (roofing, boilers, cleaning, etc.)
Landing pages for Google Ads
Footer trust sections

The carousel rotates through reviews automatically and is designed to be responsive, so it adapts to smaller screen sizes.

What is the Review Badge and where should I put it?

The badge is a compact trust marker you can place:

Near your main call-to-action
In the header or above a contact form
On landing pages where space is tight
On product or booking pages

It’s designed to reassure visitors quickly by showing your average rating and review count, with supporting trust icons (for example Google, Facebook, Trade, Verified, and a UK marker).

Can I show review sources like Google and Facebook?

Yes. ReviewVault supports displaying sources and source icons in your demo layouts. If you import reviews with correct source values (Google, Facebook, trade sites, travel sites), ReviewVault can display the mix and show the breakdown in badges and summary sections.

If a source has zero reviews, it’s best not to display it. The demo setup supports hiding zero-count sources so the output stays clean.

Can I import my existing reviews?

Yes. ReviewVault supports importing reviews via CSV. This is ideal if you already have review data in spreadsheets, exports, or from previous systems.

A good import file typically includes:

Title / headline
Content (written review text)
Rating
Reviewer name
Date
Source
Verified status (if applicable)

If your importer requires specific column names (like content), you can rename the CSV headers or map them during import.

Will the plugin slow down my website?

ReviewVault is designed to be lightweight. Like any plugin that outputs rich content (carousels, charts, long lists), performance depends on:

How many reviews you display on a single page
Your hosting quality
Caching (LiteSpeed, WP Rocket, server cache, etc.)

Best practice:

Use the badge and carousel on most pages
Use the full All Reviews library on one dedicated page
Cache pages where possible

Can I customise the design?

Yes. ReviewVault supports themed layouts (like the LED-style dark display shown in your demo). It also respects responsive layout rules so it works on mobile and desktop.

If your WordPress theme is applying conflicting styles (muted text on dark backgrounds), ReviewVault can enforce readable colours in its own theme mode so review text remains high-contrast and legible.

Does ReviewVault work with page builders?

Generally yes. Most page builders allow shortcodes and block embeds. You can place ReviewVault shortcodes in:

Gutenberg blocks
Elementor shortcode widgets
Divi text modules
Classic editor pages

If a builder adds global typography styles, ReviewVault’s theme CSS can be tuned to avoid inheritance issues.

Can I use ReviewVault for different business types?

Yes. ReviewVault is useful for:

Trades (roofers, plumbers, electricians, cleaners)
Hospitality and travel (hotels, cottages, villas)
Local services (CCTV, landscapers, garages)
B2B services (forklift hire, fabrication, industrial work)

The key is having reviews organised by service/location so you can display relevant proof where it matters most.

What pages should I have on my website to get the most from ReviewVault?

A strong setup typically includes:

Homepage with badge + carousel
Reviews page (All Reviews library)
Leave a review (Submission page)
Guide/Download page explaining how your review process works
Service pages that include a carousel or selected reviews relevant to that service

This structure turns reviews into a “sales arm” rather than a passive widget.

What’s the biggest mistake people make with reviews?

Relying on a single platform. Businesses often assume Google, Facebook, trade sites, or travel sites will always keep their reviews visible and accessible. But the internet doesn’t work like that. Platforms change policies, listings get suspended, and access can disappear when you need it most.

ReviewVault fixes that by keeping your review content under your control.

How do I get started quickly?

The fastest path:

Install WordPress
Install ReviewVault
Create your pages (Submission, All Reviews, Carousel demo, Badge demo)
Import existing reviews
Add the badge and carousel to key pages
Share the submission link with customers

If you want a “demo-ready” install, you can load dummy reviews and a demo theme so everything is working immediately.