Embed TripAdvisor Reviews in WordPress: No API Needed

If you run a hotel, restaurant, or tour business, you already know how much TripAdvisor reviews can impact your bookings. They build trust, boost visibility, and can be the difference between a casual visitor to your website and a paying customer.

When I first tried displaying TripAdvisor reviews on a WordPress website, I realized how time-consuming it can be. Manually copying and pasting the testimonials looked messy, and most built-in widgets didn’t fit well with my site’s design.

After testing several methods and plugins, I finally found a solution that works well: Smash Balloon’s Reviews Feed Pro. It automatically pulls in your latest customer reviews, keeps them up to date, and blends perfectly with your site’s design.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to embed TripAdvisor reviews in WordPress without writing any code, so you can highlight your best feedback and attract more customers.

Why Embed TripAdvisor Reviews in WordPress?

Positive TripAdvisor reviews can convince people to choose your hotel, restaurant, or tour company over your competitors. And showing these reviews directly on your WordPress website allows visitors to see real guest experiences without visiting a third-party site.

This helps build trust right away.

People can read genuine feedback from your past guests, which makes them more confident about choosing your business. When travelers or diners see positive reviews, they’re more likely to book a stay, make a reservation, or join a tour.

Here are some key reasons to add TripAdvisor reviews to your WordPress site:

• Keep visitors on your siteEmbedding TripAdvisor reviews on your site lets visitors read them without leaving, potentially increasing direct bookings.
• Enhance local SEO —Regular review updates provide fresh content, improving your site’s visibility in local search results.
• Reduce marketing workload — Reviews function as automated testimonials, eliminating the need for manual creation.
• Get more bookings and sales — Good reviews can sway potential customers to select your business.

From conversations with tour operators, displaying customer reviews on their websites often improves conversion rates, as visitors see tangible evidence of positive experiences.

Now, let’s start embedding TripAdvisor reviews on your WordPress website.

Here’s a summary of the topics covered in this guide:

Step 1: Install and Activate Smash Balloon’s Reviews Feed Pro

In this how-to, I’m using the Smash Balloon Reviews Feed plugin. It’s the top WordPress plugin for importing product reviews from different sources, like TripAdvisor.

The team at CanadaCreate rigorously evaluated the plugin within live WordPress environments. Read our comprehensive Smash Balloon review for further information.

This plugin excels by offering a choice of connection methods to TripAdvisor. You could use TripAdvisor’s API. However, the simpler method requires no code or API keys; just a link to your TripAdvisor page.

We will use the streamlined approach in this guide for a quick setup.

First, register for Reviews Feed Pro on the Smash Balloon website. The plugin imports reviews from platforms like TripAdvisor and displays them attractively on your WordPress site.

On the Smash Balloon site, select ‘Get Started Now,’ pick a subscription, and complete registration.

Once you buy the plugin, save the Reviews Feed Pro file to your computer. Or, copy the license key to a secure place.

Next, go to Plugins » Add New Plugin within your WordPress admin panel to begin the installation and activation process.

On the next screen, you can use the ‘Upload Plugin’ button to add the Reviews Feed Pro zip file.

Alternatively, the search function can quickly locate the Reviews Feed plugin. Select ‘Install Now’ and then ‘Activate’ from the search results.

If you need help, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, a ‘Reviews Feed’ menu item will appear in your WordPress dashboard, serving as the central hub for managing and customizing your review feeds.

Next, navigate to Reviews Feed » Settings.

In the ‘General’ settings, input your license key and select ‘Install Pro’ to authenticate it, granting access to all the advanced functionalities of Reviews Feed Pro.

Step 2: Create a TripAdvisor Review Feed

Now, you’re ready to configure your TripAdvisor review feed.

Begin by going to Reviews Feed » All Feeds within your WordPress admin area. Then, select ‘Add New’ to initiate the creation of your initial feed.

This action will launch a feed creation wizard, guiding you through each step of the configuration.

Then, select ‘Add Source’ and pick ‘TripAdvisor’ from the provided list of platforms. This will instruct the plugin to specifically retrieve reviews from TripAdvisor.

Click ‘Next’ to continue to the connection settings.

The plugin will then ask for your TripAdvisor page URL.

You can simply paste the URL of your business’s TripAdvisor page into the field provided. This is how the plugin knows which reviews to fetch. Just make sure you have the full URL to your page.

For example, here’s what it might look like:

After entering your URL, click ‘Finish’ to establish the connection.

The plugin will test the connection and confirm that it can access your TripAdvisor reviews.

Once the connection is successful, you can click ‘Next’ to move on to the design and customization options.

This will take you to the Reviews Feed visual editor, where you’ll make your reviews look exactly how you want them on your WordPress site.

Step 3: Customize Your TripAdvisor Reviews Feed

With your TripAdvisor connection established, you can now customize how your reviews will look on your hotel, restaurant, or travel website.

On the next screen, Reviews Feed Pro will prompt you to select a template.

Here, I’ll use the default one, but you can choose the one that fits your style best. Click the ‘Next’ button to continue.

Next, you’ll see the visual feed customizer.

The customizer gives you a live preview, so you can see changes as you make them.

From here, you can start customizing your TripAdvisor reviews feed by choosing a template design. Simply click on the ‘Layout’ tab, and you’ll see three options:

• Default – This layout presents your TripAdvisor reviews in a stacked format, generally suitable for many websites.
• Masonry – This option arranges your reviews into multiple columns, creating a more visually interesting grid layout.
• Carousel – This option showcases your reviews in a sliding format, ideal for emphasizing select reviews within a constrained area.

I opted for the Carousel layout, but the optimal choice depends on your website’s aesthetic.

While customizing, you can modify display settings, such as the quantity of reviews displayed and the extent of each review shown on different devices (mobile, tablet, and desktop).

For the number of reviews to display, I recommend showing at least 6-8 reviews per page to give visitors a good sense of your customer satisfaction.

This visual editor offers extensive customization options, including:

• Header options – Show or hide the heading, include the ‘Write a Review’ button, and display the average rating for your hotel, restaurant, or travel services.
• Post style – Select the display method for your reviews, using either individual boxes or a standard list format.
• Load more button – Add a custom call-to-action (CTA) when loading more reviews.

Within each setting, you have the ability to personalize colors, spacing, and other visual aspects to harmonize with your website’s design.

You may also want to explore the ‘Settings’ page, where filtering options are available.

This section enables you to manage the reviews displayed on your site. For example, you might choose to feature only 4-star and 5-star reviews to emphasize positive customer experiences.

You are also able to filter reviews by keywords; show or hide reviews with the terms you specify.

The live preview updates as you adjust settings, allowing easier experimentation to find the ideal configuration for your website.

A moderation feature gives you complete control. When activated, you approve or hide reviews prior to display.

After setup, click ‘Save’ to store your adjustments. Your review feed can now be embedded on your site.

Step 4: Embed TripAdvisor Reviews in WordPress

Now, you can show your TripAdvisor reviews on your travel, hotel, or restaurant website.

Reviews Feed Pro lets you showcase reviews on pages or in widget areas, such as your footer or sidebar.

Let’s examine both options.

Embed TripAdvisor Reviews on a WordPress Page

To add reviews to a specific page, start in the visual feed customizer by clicking the ‘Embed’ button.

This opens the embedding choices; select where the reviews will appear.

In the popup, you can select ‘Add to a Page’ and choose the WordPress page where you want your reviews to display.

This could be a testimonials page, your about page, or your homepage.

Click ‘Add’ at the bottom of the popup to continue.

This will take you to the WordPress block editor.

Simply click the plus (+) icon and add a new Reviews Feed block wherever you prefer.

If you manage several review feeds, specify the one for the current page.

On the right-hand panel, simply click to expand the dropdown menu and choose the TripAdvisor reviews feed.

The Reviews Feed block will automatically populate the content editor with TripAdvisor reviews.

Reposition the block to place the reviews as needed within the content.

Preview the page before publishing to verify the TripAdvisor reviews feed is correctly embedded.

If the preview is satisfactory, click ‘Update’ to save and publish the page. Visitors will then see your TripAdvisor reviews.

Embed TripAdvisor Review Widget in the WordPress Sidebar or Footer

For a site-wide display, you can start by clicking the ‘Embed’ button inside the Reviews Feed.

Your theme must support widgets for this method to function.

In the resulting popup, select ‘Add to a Widget’ from the provided choices.

You will be redirected to the WordPress widget settings page.

In your desired widget area (e.g., a sidebar), click the plus (+) icon and search for the Reviews Feed block.

Add the Reviews Feed block to show your TripAdvisor reviews.

If using multiple feeds, choose the specific review feed to display.

In the right panel, access the dropdown and select the correct TripAdvisor reviews feed.

The reviews will then be visible within the widget management area.

Once configured, select ‘Update’ to commit the widget settings.

The TripAdvisor feedback will be displayed in the footer or sidebar on all pages of your site, ensuring optimal exposure for customer opinions.

Here’s how the integration presents on our demonstration website:

How to Manage and Troubleshoot Your TripAdvisor Reviews Feed

Addressing any errors in your review feeds quickly is important. Here are some typical situations and straightforward advice to facilitate smooth review updates.

Reviews Feed Not Displaying

There are several potential explanations for why the reviews may not be visible.

Begin by verifying that the feed is set to ‘Published’ and confirm that you haven’t inadvertently implemented filters that are excluding every one of your reviews.

If the reviews remain invisible, navigate to Reviews Feed » Support and examine the System Information. Error logs are located at the conclusion of this section; consult these logs to determine if any problems are hindering the plugin’s capacity to retrieve your reviews.

New Reviews Not Appearing Immediately

If you’ve recently gained a positive review on TripAdvisor and it’s not immediately reflected on your website, there’s no need for concern.

To maintain your website’s performance speed, the plugin temporarily stores your reviews using a caching system.

For specific instructions, refer to our tutorial on how to clear the cache in WordPress.

Troubleshooting an Optional API Connection

Reviews Feed Pro leverages a direct URL method, but for developers, an API connection is available. If you opted for this advanced setup and your reviews vanish, examine your API credentials.

To resolve this, head to Reviews Feed » Settings and navigate to the TripAdvisor section to ensure your API keys are correct.

You can also update your API keys on that page if required.

It’s good practice to check your reviews feed regularly to confirm proper operation. TripAdvisor updates might impact plugin data connections.

If problems arise, contact the Smash Balloon support team. They can rapidly pinpoint obscure connection problems.

Bonus Tip: How to Show Your Google, Facebook, and Yelp Reviews in WordPress

While TripAdvisor reviews are valuable, showcasing reviews from other sites can substantially boost the trustworthiness of your hotel, restaurant, or travel company. A multi-source approach provides a more complete view.

Reviews Feed Pro allows you to integrate reviews from Google My Business, Facebook, and Yelp using the same plugin. The configuration process is similar to what you’ve already learned.

You could create distinct feeds for each platform and display them separately, or merge all reviews into a unified, rotating feed.

This works especially well because not everyone uses the same review site. Some people trust Google reviews most, while others rely on Facebook or Yelp when deciding where to go.

For a complete guide on setting up reviews from these other platforms, check out our detailed tutorial on how to show Google, Facebook, and Yelp reviews in WordPress.

Frequently Asked Questions About Showing TripAdvisor Reviews in WordPress

Here are the answers to a few common questions that I get about showing reviews in WordPress.

How do I extract reviews from TripAdvisor and add them to my WordPress site?

The easiest way is to use a plugin like Smash Balloon Reviews Feed. It automatically pulls your latest TripAdvisor reviews and displays them beautifully on your website (no need to copy and paste anything manually).

Does Tripadvisor have an API?

Yes. TripAdvisor offers an API that lets developers access business information and reviews directly. However, it’s mainly intended for approved partners and requires API credentials, which can be tricky to manage for most users.

Do I have to use the TripAdvisor API to show reviews?

No. With Reviews Feed Pro, for example, you don’t need to deal with complex API setups. You can simply connect your TripAdvisor page by URL, and the plugin will automatically fetch and display your reviews.

But if you prefer more control, you can still connect via API because the plugin supports both methods.

Keep Exploring: How to Add More Social Proof to Your WordPress Site

I hope this guide has helped you embed TripAdvisor reviews in WordPress.

However, adding TripAdvisor reviews is just one way to build trust and credibility with your potential clients. There are many other forms of social proof you can add to make your site even more persuasive and engaging.

Here are other guides you might find helpful:

• Social Media Cheat Sheet for WordPress
• How to Use User-Generated Content in WordPress to Grow Your Business
• How to Display All Your Subscriber Counts in WordPress
• How to Display Social Media Followers Count Text in WordPress
• How to Verify Your WordPress Site on Pinterest
• Best Social Proof Plugins for WordPress & WooCommerce

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.