MuRu Reviews 1.0.0 Released: Show Google Reviews on Your Joomla Site in Modules, Articles and SP Page Builder
MuRu Reviews 1.0.0 is the first release of our Joomla reviews extension. Connect your Google Business Profile once, and your best reviews appear in modules, articles, full pages and SP Page Builder layouts, cached and kept fresh automatically. Free covers Google reviews end to end. Pro adds your own custom reviews, more layouts and smart filters.
Quick answer
MuRu Reviews fetches your Google reviews on your own server, caches them, and displays them through a module, a {murureviews} shortcode, a full-page menu item or an SP Page Builder addon. All of them read the same data, so they never disagree. Setup takes about five minutes with a Google Place ID and API key.
In this release
- Why reviews on your own site matter
- Show Google reviews anywhere
- 5-minute setup
- Layouts for every spot
- Show what matters: filters
- Pro: your own reviews, more layouts
- Simple admin, fast and private
- More review sources
- Pro license fixes
- Quick start checklist
- Frequently asked questions
Free and Pro
Google reviews, the Cards, List and Basic carousel layouts, the module, shortcode, menu page and SP Page Builder addon are in Free. Custom reviews, the Masonry, Testimonial and Badge layouts, keyword search and per-source filtering require an active Pro license.
Why Reviews on Your Own Website Matter
Most customers read reviews before choosing a business, but reviews sitting on Google do not help the visitors who are already on your website. MuRu Reviews brings that social proof to your own pages. It is fast because reviews are cached, always up to date, and styled to match your template with no coding.
Show Google Reviews Anywhere
One setup feeds every display. Change a setting once and your module, shortcode, menu page and page-builder addon all follow.
Module position
Place reviews in any template position, such as a sidebar or footer.
Shortcode in articles
Drop {murureviews} into any article where you want reviews to appear.
Full-page menu item
Give reviews their own page in your site menu.
SP Page Builder addon
Add the MuRu Reviews addon to any SP Page Builder layout.
5-Minute Setup
- Paste your Google Place ID and API key. A Place ID finder and setup links are built into the settings.
- Pick your layout and the number of reviews to show.
- Click Refresh Now.
Your average rating, total review count and reviews appear straight away.
Layouts for Every Spot
- Free: Cards, List and a Basic carousel.
- Pro: Masonry, Testimonial and Badge.
- Accurate stars: a 4.8 rating shows four full stars plus a partial one. Your exact score is kept for screen readers and search engines.
Show What Matters: Filters
Minimum-rating and review-count controls work everywhere, and 0 means show everything. Pro adds keyword search and per-source filtering.
Pro: Your Own Reviews and More Layouts
- Custom reviews: paste your own testimonials as JSON (a sample file is included). They merge with Google reviews under one combined score.
- Extra layouts: Masonry, Testimonial and Badge.
- Smart filters: keyword search and per-source filtering.
Simple Admin, Fast and Private
- Clean admin: a Dashboard with status, score, cache and one-click refresh, plus a Settings page with General options and a License tab, all in familiar Joomla styling.
- Fast: reviews are fetched on your server and cached, so visitors never wait on Google.
- Private: no visitor data goes to Google.
- Never a broken page: clear, friendly messages explain every state (not configured yet, no texts returned, filters too narrow) instead of blank areas or errors.
More Review Sources
Not active yet
Settings already lists Trustpilot, JED, Facebook, Tripadvisor, Yelp, G2 and Capterra. They are not working in 1.0.0. Each is planned to switch on in a future update, without a reinstall or new setup.
Pro License Fixes
The release also includes fixes for Pro license activation:
- Valid keys are no longer rejected. Activation previously used a store route that did not exist and misread the reply as a rejection, which locked Pro features. It now uses the shared store activation route, and only an explicit rejection from the server marks a key invalid. Unreachable servers and other non-JSON replies stay "unknown".
- Already hit the false rejection? Install this build and activate again, or delete
administrator/components/com_murureviews/helpers/data/license-status.php. - Correct header: Pro installs now read "MuRu Reviews (Pro)" instead of "(Free)".
- License details: the License tab shows the expiry date (or Lifetime), licensed product and last checked time. Re-activate once to populate them on earlier installs.
Quick Start Checklist
Quick reference
- Install MuRu Reviews and open its Dashboard.
- Enter your Google Place ID and API key in Settings.
- Choose a layout, review count and minimum rating.
- Click Refresh Now to load your reviews.
- Add a module, the
{murureviews}shortcode, a menu item or the SP Page Builder addon. - For Pro, activate your license in the License tab and add custom reviews if you want them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google review display free?
Yes. Free covers Google reviews end to end, including the module, shortcode, menu page and SP Page Builder addon.
What do I need to connect Google?
A Google Place ID and an API key. The settings page includes a Place ID finder and setup links.
Will it slow down my site?
No. Reviews are fetched on your server and cached, so visitors never wait on Google.
Can I show my own testimonials?
Yes, with Pro. Paste them as JSON and they merge with Google reviews under one combined score.
Can I use Trustpilot, Yelp or other sources?
Not yet. They are listed in Settings and planned for a future update.
Your best reviews are already written. MuRu Reviews puts them where your visitors are actually deciding.
MuRu Reviews 1.0.0
Show Google reviews in modules, articles, pages and SP Page Builder layouts. Free to start, with Pro for custom reviews and more layouts.
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