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Setting up Dynamic Reviews in checkout

Show real product ratings and reviews in checkout — synced from Okendo, Yotpo, Judge.me, or Bazaarvoice, or via CSV

Dynamic Reviews displays real product reviews - stars, counts, and full review text - inside your checkout, next to each product. Social proof at the moment of purchase reduces hesitation and lifts conversion. You import reviews (by integration or CSV), pick a layout, then add the block to your Shopify checkout.
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Before you begin - connect your review platform (Direct Integration only)

Skip this if you're using CSV.

  1. In PDQ, go to Settings → Integrations.
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  2. Find your review platform and click it (Okendo, Yotpo, Judge.me, Bazaarvoice — REVIEWS.io and Trustpilot are coming soon).

  3. Click Connect (top right).

  4. Enter the platform's API key / App key. You'll find this in your review app's own admin, under its API / developer / integrations settings. PDQ's connect screen tells you exactly which key it needs.
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  5. Save - the integration is now active and selectable in the extension.

1. Create the extension

Go to Extensions → Add Extension → Dynamic Reviews. Give it an Internal Name (and optional Description), e.g. "Dynamic Reviews – Okendo."
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2. Choose your import method (Settings tab)

Direct Integration (recommended) - auto-syncs from your connected platform in real time (no maintenance, no stale data). Select your connected platform from the list. If none appears, connect it in Settings → Integrations first.
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CSV Upload - upload reviews manually.

  1. Click Download Template for the correctly formatted file.

  2. Fill in the required columns:

    • product_id - the product's Shopify product ID; it must match exactly, or that product won't get reviews.

    • product_name -display name.

    • review_star_rating - the individual review's rating (e.g. 4.5).

    • review_text - the written review.

    • reviewer_name - the reviewer's name.

    • average_rating - the product's overall average rating (drives the badge stars).

    • product_number_of_reviews - total review count for the product (drives the badge count).

  3. ⚠️ Only 1 row per product ID.

  4. Upload the file in the Upload File area. To change reviews later, edit and re-upload (Replace File).
    ​Tip: curate quality - include only clear, on-brand, higher-star reviews.

3. Set Review Rules (Settings tab)

  • Minimum Star Rating - only pull reviews at/above a rating (e.g. 4★). Applies to all layouts.

  • Fallback Settings - text shown for products with no reviews. Carousel & List only.

  • Reviews To Display - max reviews shown (default 3). Carousel & List only.

4. Choose a layout (Appearance tab)

  • Rating Badge (recommended) - stars + count under each product. Configure: Type (Stars / Number of Reviews / Both), Star Colour.

  • Review Carousel - standalone carousel. Configure: Navigation Style (Arrows / Scroll Bar), Title, Show Stars Rating (Top / Bottom / Don't Show), Review Content template ({review_text} {reviewer_name}), Design (star color, background, border, border width, corner radius, padding).

  • Review List - all reviews stacked. Configure: Title, Description Template ({review_text} {reviewer_name}), Design, Pagination (reviews per page).

5. Set display conditions (optional - Display Conditions tab)

Under "This extension will only appear if…" → Add Rule Group to limit it by product, cart value, or customer type. Leave empty to show to everyone.
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6. Save and add the block in Shopify

Copy the Dynamic Reviews Token (top of Settings).
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Then in Shopify: Settings → Checkout → Edit. Placement depends on your layout:
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  • Rating Badge - in Order summary, expand Cart → Items in cart, then Add block → PDQ Dynamic Reviews nested inside Items in cart. (It won't render if placed elsewhere.)
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  • Review Carousel / List - Add block → PDQ Dynamic Reviews as a standalone block where you want it (e.g. below the order summary).
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Paste the token into Dynamic Reviews Token and Save. (Optional: toggle Include block in Shop Pay; add an A/B test ID if testing.)
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Preview & publish

Use the Preview panel (Desktop/Mobile) and Preview In Shopify to check it live (hidden from customers). Changes are tracked under View Audit Logs.
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What the shopper sees

  • Rating Badge: a compact badge under each line item, e.g. ★★★★½ (128 reviews).

  • Carousel / List: a review block with the stars, review text, and reviewer name — showing only reviews at/above your minimum rating, capped at your max, with fallback text where a product has none.

Troubleshooting - reviews aren't showing

  • Rating Badge missing: the block is placed outside Items in cart - it must be nested inside it.

  • A product has no reviews: its product_id doesn't match the Shopify product ID (CSV), or the platform has no reviews for it. The Fallback text shows if configured.

  • Everything's filtered out: Minimum Star Rating is set too high.

  • Direct Integration blank: no platform is connected/selected - reconnect in Settings → Integrations.

Tips

  • Direct Integration = hands-off syncing; CSV needs manual updates.

  • Rating Badge is the highest-converting layout for most stores (inline, line-item social proof).

  • Set Minimum Star Rating to 4+ to protect the experience without manual curation.

Related: Adding a PDQ Extension to your Shopify checkout

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