How to add Google reviews to Ghost

Quick answer

1. Copy the script tag from your widget's Embed dialog in VerifiedWidget.
2. Open the Ghost page or post, click + (or type /) and choose HTML.
3. Paste the script into the card.
4. Publish or update, then open the public URL.

What you need

Editor access to a Ghost site. Ghost documents the HTML card without naming a Ghost(Pro) tier; if it is missing, contact Ghost support. No theme editing is required.

Add reviews to a Ghost page

1. Pick a layout that suits a narrow column

   Ghost article columns are narrow. A list or carousel reads better than a wide grid. Save the widget and copy the script tag.

2. Choose the page

   An About page works well after your story and before a contact link. On a service article, place reviews after the paragraph explaining that service. Add a short heading that names them as business reviews, so readers do not take them as endorsing one article.

3. Insert an HTML card

   Click the + card menu or type / on a new line and choose HTML. Paste the script in the card. A Bookmark card or ordinary paragraph will not run it.

4. Publish and view as a visitor

   Publish or update and open the public URL signed out. If part of the post is members-only, test with the audience that should see the card.

Ghost-specific problems

• Reviews missing from the emailed newsletter. Email clients do not run JavaScript, so this is expected. Link readers to the web post, or add a static image with a link. Do not paste a second script into the email body.
• Two copies of the widget. If the same script is also in Settings → Advanced → Code Injection (Site Header or Site Footer), it runs on every page. Remove the Code Injection copy and keep the HTML card.
• Blank on the live post but fine in the editor. Check that the card's visibility setting includes the audience you are testing with, and that the post is published.
• Cards look squeezed. Use a narrower layout rather than shrinking the text; the theme width is set by the theme.

HTML card or Code Injection?

Ghost has three places that accept code. Only one puts reviews where you choose.

• HTML card: sits at an exact point in one post or page. Use this for reviews.
• Post code injection: found in the post settings menu in the editor. It applies to that one post or page. A script in its header loads in the page head, so the reviews end up at the very bottom of the page.
• Site code injection: Settings → Advanced → Code Injection, with Site Header and Site Footer boxes. Code there runs on every page. A review script there shows the widget at the bottom of every page.

Ghost's code injection help explains where each box puts its code.

Which Ghost pages benefit most

Ghost is often used for publications, but many small businesses run their whole site on it. For those, reviews help most on the About page, a services page and the page where members or customers sign up. A single review block on the sign-up page is usually enough, because that is the moment a visitor decides. In long articles, do not place the widget mid-text, where it breaks the reading flow. Put it at the end, just before a call to action. Use a named collection of the reviews that match the topic of the page and hide any that do not fit.

Frequently asked questions

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