DEV Community

Monowar Hossain
Monowar Hossain

Posted on Edited on Originally published at devmonowar.github.io

How to Add Customer Testimonials in WordPress: A Complete Guide to Advanced Testimonial

#webdev #wordpress #php #beginners

Summary

Social proof sells — but most WordPress testimonial plugins are either too basic (one boring layout) or bloated page-builder addons you don't need. I built Advanced Testimonial to be the focused middle ground: seven layouts, nine card styles, a front-end submission form, and Schema.org markup for star ratings in Google — all in one lightweight plugin.

Table of Contents

The Problem

Testimonials are one of the highest-converting elements you can add to a page — but most WordPress solutions force a trade-off. Basic plugins give you one static layout with no way to collect new reviews. All-in-one page-builder addon packs give you a testimonial widget buried inside 80 other widgets you'll never touch, adding weight to every page on your site.

The Solution

Advanced Testimonial is a dedicated plugin built only for testimonials: a proper post type with Groups, rich per-review fields (rating, company, verified badge, video), seven display layouts, and nine card styles you can mix and match. It ships with built-in Schema.org Review markup, so Google can show star ratings as rich snippets next to your search result.

Requirements

  • WordPress 6.5+
  • PHP 7.4+
  • No page builder required — works with the shortcode and block editor out of the box; an Elementor widget is included automatically if Elementor is active.

Step-by-Step Installation

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New and search for "Advanced Testimonial".
  2. Click Install Now, then Activate.
  3. A new Testimonials menu appears in your dashboard sidebar.
  4. Add your first testimonial, or open Testimonials → Settings → Tools and use the one-click starter demo to see it in action immediately.

WordPress Plugins → Add New page showing the Advanced Testimonial plugin in search results

Advanced Testimonial one-click Demo Library in WordPress admin with categories like Healthcare, Restaurant and Real Estate

Displaying Testimonials

Use the shortcode anywhere:

[advanced_testimonial layout="grid" columns="3" group="clients" limit="9" order="desc"]
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Or add the Advanced Testimonial block in the editor — it has the same controls with a live preview. Seven layouts are available: Grid, List, Card, Carousel, Marquee, Masonry, Spotlight. Pick any of nine card styles (Classic, Modern, Minimal, Bubble, Bold, Glass, Gradient, Outline, Retro) with the style attribute — mix a different style per block if you like.

Advanced Testimonial grid layout showing testimonial cards with star ratings and verified customer badges

Nine Advanced Testimonial card styles shown side by side — classic, modern, minimal, bubble, bold, glass, gradient, outline and retro

Collecting Testimonials From Visitors

Add [at_form title="Leave a review" group="clients"] to any page, and visitors can submit their own testimonial directly from your site. Submissions land as Pending so you review them before they go live, with built-in spam protection (nonce, honeypot, rate-limiting).

Front-end testimonial submission form where visitors can share their experience and star rating

WordPress admin Testimonials list showing a new visitor submission with Pending status

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Forgetting to group testimonials — if you plan to show different sets on different pages (e.g. per service or product), set up Groups first under Testimonials → Groups before adding reviews.
  • Not enabling the submission form's spam protection settings — the defaults are safe, but check Settings → Submission Form if you get unexpected spam.
  • Assuming Elementor is required — it isn't. The shortcode and block work on any theme.

FAQ

Do I need Elementor to use this plugin?
No. The shortcode and Gutenberg block work with any theme. If Elementor is active, a widget appears automatically.

Can testimonials include video?
Yes — paste a YouTube, Vimeo, or self-hosted MP4 URL on any testimonial; it opens in a lightbox on click.

Will it slow down my site?
No. CSS/JS load only on pages that actually display testimonials, with no jQuery.

Will my testimonials be deleted if I uninstall the plugin?
No, not by default — you have to explicitly opt in under Settings → Advanced first.

Conclusion

If you need real, manageable testimonials — not a giant addon pack — Advanced Testimonial gives you the layouts, styles, and a submission form to collect new reviews, without adding weight to pages that don't need it.

Try it: WordPress.org Plugin Page · GitHub Repository · Browse Demos

Related Articles

Written by Monowar Hossain — WordPress Developer specializing in Plugin Development, Elementor and ACF. Open Source Contributor.
GitHub · WordPress.org · LinkedIn

Top comments (0)