WordPress plugin case study
Custom Google Reviews plugin for Whitby Log Cabins
A streamlined, on-brand reviews section that gives prospective guests immediate access to recent customer feedback.
Project overview
Social proof without the compromises of a generic widget
Whitby Log Cabins needed a reliable way to display recent Google reviews directly on its WordPress website. Reviews are an important source of trust for prospective guests, but the available third-party plugins were overly complex, introduced unnecessary branding or did not provide enough control over presentation and accessibility.
A bespoke WordPress plugin was developed to create a focused reviews section tailored specifically to the website and its visual identity.
- Review source
- Google Places API
- Display
- Slider or grid
- Integration
- WordPress shortcode
- Dependencies
- None
The challenge
Showing the newest reviews despite API limitations
Google’s Places API returns a maximum of five reviews. The newer API also selects reviews by relevance rather than publication date, so sorting the response inside WordPress cannot guarantee that the latest reviews were included in the first place.
- Request Google’s genuinely newest available reviews
- Present reviews in chronological order
- Protect the Google API key
- Work cleanly as a WordPress must-use plugin
- Remain responsive and accessible
- Fall back gracefully when chronological review access is unavailable
- Avoid unnecessary external scripts and plugin dependencies
The solution
Chronological reviews with a transparent fallback
The plugin connects WordPress to the Google Places API using the property’s Place ID. It requests reviews using Google’s chronological reviews_sort=newest option, then verifies and orders the returned reviews by publication timestamp.
Places API (New) remains available as a compatibility fallback. An administrator connection test reports whether Google is supplying the newest reviews or relevance-selected results, making the limitation clear rather than silently presenting a different order.
A straightforward shortcode places the section anywhere on the site, with options for its heading, review limit, minimum rating, header visibility and layout.
[whitby_google_reviews title="Guest reviews" limit="5" min_rating="4" show_header="yes" layout="slider"]
Key features
Designed around guests, administrators and the website itself
- Newest Google reviews displayed first
- Responsive slider for desktop, tablet and mobile
- Optional grid layout
- Configurable heading and minimum star rating
- Business rating and total review count
- Links to view all reviews and leave a new review
- Reviewer names, profile photographs, ratings and review dates
- Accessible keyboard navigation and descriptive labels
- Secure server-side API requests
- Automatic compatibility fallback
- Administrator connection testing and diagnostic messages
- Lightweight, dependency-free JavaScript and CSS
- Must-use plugin support
Security and performance
A protected API key and a focused payload
The Google API key is used exclusively for server-to-server requests and never appears in the website’s HTML or JavaScript. It can be stored in WordPress settings or defined securely in the site configuration file.
Only the required fields are requested from Google. The slider script loads only when multiple reviews are available, reducing unnecessary processing and limiting the feature’s effect on page performance.
Accessibility
Useful feedback for every visitor
The slider supports keyboard interaction, its controls have descriptive labels and ratings include screen-reader-friendly text instead of relying on star graphics alone.
The layout displays three reviews on desktop, two on tablets and one on smaller mobile screens, keeping the content readable and controls usable at every size.
The outcome
Purpose-built social proof with no unwanted branding
Whitby Log Cabins now has a review display that integrates naturally with the website’s design while giving prospective guests immediate access to recent customer feedback.
The custom approach offers more control than a generic review widget, stays lightweight and accounts for Google’s API limitations transparently. The result is a secure, accessible and maintainable feature designed around the needs of the business.
Delivery summary
- Presentation
- On-brand and responsive
- Review order
- Newest-first with fallback
- API access
- Secure server-side requests
- Maintenance
- Must-use WordPress plugin
Need a custom WordPress integration?
Replace a restrictive third-party widget with a secure, lightweight feature designed around your website and customers.