How to Migrate Product Reviews to Shopify Without Losing Them
To migrate reviews to Shopify, install a product review app on your Shopify store, export your existing reviews from your old platform or app and import them into the new app, usually with a CSV file matched to your products. Many migration services can also move reviews as part of a full store migration, provided the right review app is installed on Shopify.
Reviews are some of the hardest-earned content in any store. Planning the move carefully keeps ratings, photos and replies attached to the right products, so customers keep seeing the social proof you’ve built.
How Product Reviews Work on Shopify
On Shopify, product reviews live in review apps rather than in the store’s core product data. That means you choose a review app first, and the migration brings your reviews into that app, which then displays them on your product pages.
Each review app has its own import method and file format. Most connect reviews to products by product ID, handle or URL, so your products need to exist on Shopify before you import reviews.
Some details may change in the move. Verified buyer badges, for example, may not carry over, because the app can’t confirm the original purchase from imported data.
How to Migrate Reviews to Shopify
There are three common ways to move reviews. The right one depends on where your reviews are now and how many you have.
| Method | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review app import | Upload a CSV in the app’s template, or use its built-in importer for other review apps | Most stores, especially when switching review apps | Each app has its own columns and rules |
| Migration service | Moves reviews alongside products, customers and orders during a full store migration | Moving a whole store from another platform | Usually needs a specific review app installed on Shopify |
| Manual entry | Recreate reviews one by one | A handful of reviews | Slow, and original dates may be lost |
Migration services support reviews in different ways. LitExtension lists reviews among the data it can migrate into Shopify, while Cart2Cart supports reviews for certain review apps by default and asks you to contact support for others, so confirm which review app each service works with before you start.
How to Migrate Reviews Step by Step
Reviews depend on products, so they should be one of the last things you import. Follow this order for the cleanest result:
- Choose your review app. Pick a Shopify review app that supports imports and the features you need, such as photo reviews or replies.
- Migrate products first. Import your products, keeping the same handles or IDs you’ll use to match reviews.
- Export your reviews. Download reviews from your old platform or review app as a CSV, including ratings, text, dates, names and product references.
- Format the file. Match the columns to your new app’s template and add product IDs, handles or URLs for each review.
- Test a small batch. Import a few reviews and check they appear on the right products with the right details.
- Import everything. Upload the full file and review the app’s import report for failed rows.
- Display the reviews. Add the app’s review widgets and star ratings to your product pages and collections.
- Spot-check the storefront. Compare review counts and average ratings with your old store for your top products.
Prepare Your Review File
A well-prepared file prevents most import errors. Review apps use different column names, but most ask for similar information, as in this example based on Judge.me’s import template:
| Field | What it holds | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Review body | The review text | Required; star-only reviews may be skipped |
| Rating | A score from 1 to 5 | Whole numbers only |
| Title | A short headline | Optional |
| Review date | When the review was written | Use the exact date format your app specifies |
| Reviewer name and email | Who wrote the review | Imports generally don’t email reviewers |
| Product ID, handle or URL | Which product the review belongs to | Product IDs are often the most reliable match |
| Photo URLs | Links to review images | Images must be publicly accessible |
| Reply and status | Your public reply and whether the review is published | Imported reviews may publish by default |
Check your app’s documentation for its exact limits. Judge.me, for example, caps review text at 5,000 characters, accepts up to five pictures per review and publishes imported reviews unless you mark their status otherwise.
Switching Review Apps on Shopify
The same process applies when you change review apps within Shopify. Shopify’s checklist for moving off its Product Reviews app follows five steps: install a new review app, export your reviews, import them using the new app’s process, confirm they appear on your store and then uninstall the old app.
Shopify links to import guides for review apps including Judge.me, Loox, Okendo, Stamped.io and Yotpo. Many review apps also offer direct importers for popular competitors, which can save you from reformatting the file yourself.
Keep the old app installed until the new one is fully set up. Removing it too early can leave product pages without reviews while you fix import problems.
Common Review Import Problems
Most failed imports come down to a few issues. Check for these when rows fail or reviews land in the wrong place:
- Product not found. Product IDs or handles in the file don’t match your Shopify catalog, often because handles changed during the migration.
- Wrong date format. Dates don’t match the format your app expects, so reviews fail or show the wrong date.
- Invalid ratings. Ratings include decimals, words or blanks instead of whole numbers from 1 to 5.
- Encoding problems. Hidden characters or non-UTF-8 files break columns; re-saving the file from a spreadsheet as a standard CSV often fixes this.
- Broken photo links. Images hosted on the old store disappear when it closes, so import photos before shutting it down.
- Unexpected publishing. Reviews you’d hidden on the old platform appear live because imported reviews publish by default.
Keep Your Reviews Genuine
Only migrate reviews that real customers wrote about your products. Some apps can import reviews from marketplaces or supplier listings, but publishing reviews that aren’t about your actual products can mislead shoppers and may break consumer protection rules on fake or misleading reviews.
Keep the original dates and wording when you import, and avoid filtering out every negative review. An honest mix of ratings builds more trust than a page of flawless five-star reviews.
Conclusion
To migrate reviews to Shopify successfully, choose your review app, import products first and format your review file to match the app’s template before importing. Testing a small batch and checking your top products afterward keeps ratings, photos and replies attached to the right items. We hope this guide helps you migrate reviews to Shopify without losing the trust you’ve built.
