You can add Google reviews to a WordPress site without a Google API key by using a plugin that reads the public reviews on your Google Business Profile, saves them in your WordPress database, and refreshes them on a schedule. WP Review Slider Pro does this with its Google Crawl method: paste your Place ID or type your business name and city, click Save & Test, and about 50 reviews per location download in under a minute, reviewer photos included. No Google Cloud project, no billing account, no key to restrict or rotate. The free WP Google Review Slider plugin works the same way for up to 40 reviews.
This guide covers why most tutorials send you to the Google Cloud Console, the three ways to skip it, and the exact steps to get a Google review slider or rating badge on your WordPress site today.
Why do most Google review plugins ask for an API key?
Google’s official way to read reviews is the Places API. To use it a plugin needs a key, and to get a key you need a Google Cloud project with a billing account attached, even if your usage stays inside the free monthly allowance. That is three or four screens of setup before a single review shows up, and the Place Details endpoint only returns five reviews per request (the five “most relevant” or the five newest). Many plugins stop there, which is why so many Google review widgets show the same handful of reviews.
If you ever do want a key, the setup is in How to Get a Google Places API Key for WordPress. For most small businesses it is simply not necessary.
Three ways to show Google reviews on WordPress without a key
| Method | How it works | Updates itself? | Where the reviews live | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copy and paste | Type your best reviews into a testimonial block or plugin | No | Your WordPress database | Free, but manual |
| Hosted widget (SaaS) | Connect your Business Profile on the vendor’s site, paste a script tag | Yes | The vendor’s servers; widget loads from their CDN on every page view | Monthly or yearly subscription, often capped by views |
| WordPress plugin with a crawl method | Plugin reads the public review page with your Place ID and stores the reviews locally | Yes, on the schedule you set | Your WordPress database | WP Review Slider Pro from $29/year; WP Google Review Slider free |
The third option is the one this guide walks through. It keeps the reviews on your own server (fast page loads, no third-party script, your data), it refreshes automatically, and it does not require a Google developer account.
Step by step: import Google reviews into WordPress with no API key
These steps use WP Review Slider Pro. The free WP Google Review Slider plugin has the same Google Crawl option with a 40-review limit and fewer templates.
1. Install the plugin
Start the free 7-day trial, download the plugin zip, and upload it under Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin. Activate it. A new WP Reviews Pro menu appears in your admin sidebar.
2. Add Google as a review source
Open Get Reviews and click Add Review Source Site. Click the Google tile. A small popup offers the download methods; choose Google Crawl. (The other two choices are Google Places API, which needs a key, and Review Funnel, which can fetch the full review list using credits.)
3. Enter your Place ID or business name
In the Place ID or Search Terms field, paste your Google Place ID (it starts with ChIJ) or type the business name and city the way you would search for it on Google. Service area businesses without a street address work fine with search terms. Not sure of your ID? See how to find your Google Place ID in 30 seconds.
Give the source a unique Place or Location Name. If you have several locations you will add each one as its own source, and the name is how you tell them apart later.
4. Pick the sort order and image options
Choose Newest or Most Relevant. Google does not always make the newest reviews available to a crawl, so the plugin falls back to Most Relevant when it has to. Leave Local Profile Images and Local Review Images set to Yes so reviewer avatars and any photos attached to reviews are saved to your media library instead of hot-linked from Google.
5. Save & Test, then download
Click Save & Test. The plugin confirms it can reach the listing. Run the download. The Google Crawl method brings in roughly 50 reviews per location with the reviewer name, star rating, date, text, and avatar. You can repeat this for up to 100 locations.
6. Turn on automatic updates
Back on the Get Reviews list, set Auto Update (days) for the source. The plugin uses the WordPress cron system to re-check Google on that interval and add new reviews. Nothing is fetched while a visitor loads a page; the work happens in the background.
7. Create a template and place the shortcode
Go to Templates → Add New Reviews Template. Pick one of the 15 styles (slider, masonry grid, list, or image-first cards), set colors and the date format, and use Filter Settings if you only want, say, 4-star and 5-star reviews or one location. Save, then click Shortcode and paste it into any page or post:
[wprevpro_usetemplate tid="1"]Want a compact star rating with your review count instead of, or as well as, the slider? Create a Badge and use its shortcode, [wprevpro_usebadge tid="1"], in your header, footer, or sidebar. Badges and sliders can also float in a corner of the screen. The Elementor, Divi, and block editors all accept the shortcode in a text or shortcode widget.
Try it on your own site
WP Review Slider Pro imports Google reviews with no API key, plus Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Airbnb, Amazon, WooCommerce, and 150+ other sources. Plans are $29, $59, or $149 per year for 1, 5, or 50 sites, or $99, $199, or $449 lifetime for the same site limits. Free 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What you get without a key, and what you don’t
| Google Crawl (no key) | Google Places API (your key) | Review Funnel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews per location | About 50 | 5 most relevant, 5 newest, or both (10) | Full public list |
| Setup needed | Place ID or business name | Google Cloud project, billing, key | Business URL, uses review credits |
| Reviewer photos | Yes, saved locally | Avatar only | Yes |
| Service area business | Yes, via search terms | Yes, with the service area option | Yes |
| Locations | Up to 100 per site | No fixed limit | Per funnel |
| Automatic updates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The crawl method covers the large majority of businesses. If you have hundreds of reviews and want every one on your site, the Review Funnel option in the same Google popup fetches the complete list. If you specifically want Google’s official endpoint, the Places API option is there too. All three can run side by side.
Free option: WP Google Review Slider
If Google is the only source you need and you are not ready for a paid plugin, WP Google Review Slider on WordPress.org is the free sibling of WP Review Slider Pro from the same developer. It uses the same Google Crawl method (up to 40 reviews per location) or the Places API, stores reviews in your database, supports multiple locations and service area businesses, and has 30,000+ active installs with a 4.9-star rating.
FAQ
Do I need to log in to my Google Business Profile?
No. The crawl method reads the reviews that are already public on your listing. You never connect a Google account to the plugin.
Will the reviews update automatically?
Yes. Set Auto Update (days) on the source and WordPress cron re-checks Google on that schedule. New reviews are added to your Review List and appear in any template that is not filtering them out.
Can I show reviews from several Google locations?
Yes. Add each location as a separate source (up to 100 with the crawl method). One template can show them all together, or you can filter a template to a single location for that location’s landing page.
Will this slow down my site?
No. Reviews are served from your own database like any other content. There is no call to Google or to a third-party widget server when a visitor loads the page, which is the main speed advantage over hosted review widgets.
Can I hide a review I don’t want shown?
Yes. Hide individual reviews on the Review List, or use template filters for minimum stars, length, keywords, language, or hand-picked reviews. Hiding a review on your site does not change anything on Google.
What if the download fails?
Check that the Place ID or search terms match the listing exactly and click Save & Test again. If the plugin reports an error crawling Google, the built-in Help Forum and the developer’s support will sort it out; Google changes its pages from time to time and the plugin is updated to follow.
For the complete picture of every method, including Elementor placement and schema markup, read How to Show Google Reviews on WordPress. Ready to go? Start your free trial of WP Review Slider Pro and have your Google reviews live in a few minutes, no API key required.
