How to add Google reviews to Joomla

Quick answer

1. Copy the script tag from your widget's Embed dialog in VerifiedWidget.
2. In the administrator open Content → Site Modules, click New and pick Custom.
3. Switch the editor to None or CodeMirror, paste the script, pick a template position and menu assignment, and save.
4. Open the front end in a private window.

What you need

A Joomla administrator account, ideally a Super User. Joomla's user guide on adding a module reaches the list through Content → Site Modules. Joomla's help screens also list it under System → Manage → Site Modules. In Joomla 3 the same screen is Extensions → Modules (the old Module Manager).

Steps for Joomla

1. Choose a layout for a template position

   Joomla modules sit in template positions such as a sidebar or footer. A list layout suits a sidebar; a grid or carousel suits a wide bottom position. The badge layout is different: it floats in a corner of the screen, whatever position the module uses. Save the widget and copy the script.

2. Create the Custom module

   Go to Site Modules → New → Custom. Give it a title and set Show Title to Hide if you do not want a heading above the reviews.

3. Paste in a plain editor

   The default editor, TinyMCE, lists script as a prohibited element out of the box, so it removes the tag on save. Open your user menu (top right), choose Edit Profile, and on the Basic Settings tab set the editor to None or CodeMirror. Reopen the module and paste the script. Joomla says the global text filters still apply even with editor None.

4. Position it and assign pages

   Choose a template position. On the Menu Assignment tab, pick Only on the pages selected and tick the menu items that need reviews. The other choices are On all pages, No pages, and On all pages except those selected. Save and check each assigned page.

Joomla-specific problems

• The script vanishes after saving. Either TinyMCE removed it or your user group's text filter did. Joomla's HTML filter guide says Super Users have no filtering. Other admin groups use a default forbidden list, and Guest, Public and Registered get No HTML. Filters live in Global Configuration → Text Filters. Relaxing them is a security decision, so the simplest fix is to save the module as a Super User.
• The script disappeared weeks later. Someone reopened the module with TinyMCE and saved it. Joomla warns this strips the tag with no warning. Edit this module only with editor None or CodeMirror.
• Module shows on the wrong pages. Check Menu Assignment; the default may be all pages.
• The position does not exist. Position names come from your template, so look at the template's position list.
• Old page still shown. Clear Joomla's cache and any CDN cache.

Module or article?

A module is usually the more reliable place. You can reuse it, restrict it to certain menu items and edit it without touching article text. An article can also hold the script if its editor and filters allow it, but the visual editor makes that fragile. Footer or bottom-of-content positions are safest because they do not disturb navigation, and template positions often collapse differently on mobile, so check a phone.

Caching and duplicates

The Custom module has its own Caching setting on the Advanced tab, which follows the global cache by default. If you change the script and still see the old reviews, clear Joomla's cache. If the reviews appear twice on a page, look for a second module or an article that also holds the script. Joomla templates can use different styles for different menu items, so a position that exists on one page may be missing on another.

Frequently asked questions

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