Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about BuddyPress Member Reviews.

General

Can members review themselves?

No. The plugin prevents self-reviews by default. Members can only review other members on the site.

Can I limit who can be reviewed?

Yes. Go to Settings → BuddyPress Member Reviews → General Settings and select specific user roles in the “User roles allowed to get reviewed” option.

Example:

Enable only: Subscriber, Contributor
Result: Only users with these roles will have the Reviews tab

Can I limit who can write reviews?

Yes. In General Settings, select user roles in the “User roles allowed to review” option.

Example:

Enable only: Customer, Subscriber
Result: Only these roles can submit reviews

Is BuddyPress Member Reviews compatible with BuddyBoss?

Yes. The plugin fully supports BuddyBoss Platform. It automatically detects BuddyBoss and adapts its hooks and styling. Specifically:

  • Profile header ratings use BuddyBoss-specific hooks
  • Member directory integration adapts to BuddyBoss layout
  • Font Awesome icons are not loaded separately (BuddyBoss includes its own)
  • Minimum BuddyBoss Platform version required: check plugin requirements

No special configuration is needed — just activate both plugins.

Does it work with Multisite?

Yes. You can network activate the plugin or activate it per site. Settings are stored per site.

Reviews

How do I approve reviews?

Reviews appear as Pending by default (if auto-approval is disabled).

To approve:

1. Go to Reviews → All Reviews in WordPress admin
2. Find the pending review
3. Click Quick Edit → Change status to "Published"
4. Click Update

Or edit the review and click Publish.

Can members edit their reviews?

Yes, if you enable it. Go to Settings → BuddyPress Member Reviews → General Settings and enable “Allow members to edit reviews”.

Members can then edit their own reviews from the member profile page.

Can members delete their reviews?

No. Only administrators can delete reviews to prevent abuse. Members can edit their reviews if that setting is enabled.

What happens to ratings when a review is deleted?

The aggregate rating is automatically recalculated when a review is deleted. The member’s rating and review count update immediately.

Can I require admin approval for all reviews?

Yes. In General Settings, disable “Auto-approve reviews”. All reviews will be pending until you publish them.

Can I require both text and star rating?

By default, reviews require either a star rating OR written text (at least one). There is no built-in setting to require both. If you need to enforce both, you can add custom JavaScript validation:

add_action( 'wp_footer', function() {
    if ( ! bp_is_user() ) return;
    ?>
    <script>
    jQuery(document).on('click', '#bupr_save_review', function(e) {
        var hasRating = jQuery.inArray("0", jQuery('input[name="star_rating[]"]').map(function(){ return jQuery(this).val(); }).get()) === -1;
        var hasText = jQuery.trim(jQuery('#bupr_review_desc').val()) !== '';
        if (!hasRating || !hasText) {
            e.preventDefault();
            alert('Please provide both a star rating and written review.');
        }
    });
    </script>
    <?php
} );

How do I backup or export review data?

Reviews are stored as a WordPress custom post type, so you can use standard WordPress export:

  1. Go to Tools > Export
  2. Select Reviews from the dropdown
  3. Click Download Export File

This creates an XML file you can import on another site via Tools > Import. For database-level backup, the review data is in the wpposts table (where posttype = 'review') and wp_postmeta table.

Can I change the rating scale (e.g., 10 stars instead of 5)?

The plugin uses a fixed 5-star rating scale. This cannot be changed via settings or filters. The 5-star scale is an industry standard that users instantly understand.

Ratings

How is the aggregate rating calculated?

The aggregate rating is the average of all review averages.

Calculation:

Step 1: Calculate each review's average
Review 1: (Quality:5 + Communication:4 + Service:5) / 3 = 4.67
Review 2: (Quality:4 + Communication:5 + Service:4) / 3 = 4.33

Step 2: Calculate member aggregate
Aggregate: (4.67 + 4.33) / 2 = 4.5

Example with different criteria counts:

Review 1: (Quality:5 + Communication:4) / 2 = 4.5
Review 2: (Quality:4 + Communication:5 + Service:5) / 3 = 4.67
Aggregate: (4.5 + 4.67) / 2 = 4.58

Each review contributes equally regardless of criteria count.

What happens if I change the rating criteria?

Existing reviews preserve their original ratings. New reviews use the new criteria. The aggregate calculation uses available data from each review.

Example:

Old criteria: Quality, Communication
Existing Review 1: Quality:5, Communication:4
(Preserved)

New criteria: Quality, Communication, Speed
New Review 2: Quality:4, Communication:5, Speed:5

Both reviews calculate correctly in aggregate

Can I use different criteria for different member types? (Pro)

Yes, with BuddyPress Member Reviews Pro. The Flexible Criteria feature lets you assign different rating criteria based on member types.

Example:

Member Type: Freelancer
Criteria: Quality, Communication, Timeliness

Member Type: Company
Criteria: Professionalism, Support, Value

Display

How do I change the Reviews tab name?

Go to Settings → BuddyPress Member Reviews → Display Settings and change the “Tab Label” field.

Example:

Change "Reviews" to "Testimonials"

Or use code:

add_filter( 'bupr_review_tab_name', function( $name ) {
    return 'Testimonials';
} );

How do I change the star color?

Go to Display Settings and use the color picker for “Star Rating Color”.

Can I hide the Reviews tab for certain members?

Yes, use the filter hook:

add_filter( 'bupr_show_profile_review_tab', function( $show ) {
    // Hide for administrators
    if ( bp_is_user_member_of_group( array( 'administrator' ) ) ) {
        return false;
    }
    return $show;
} );

Or hide based on member type:

add_filter( 'bupr_show_profile_review_tab', function( $show ) {
    $member_type = bp_get_member_type( bp_displayed_user_id() );
    if ( $member_type === 'vendor' ) {
        return false; // No reviews for vendors
    }
    return $show;
} );

Can I embed the review form on a regular WordPress page?

The review form requires a BuddyPress member profile context to know which member is being reviewed. It cannot be embedded on arbitrary WordPress pages via shortcode. To display reviews on non-profile pages, use the [buprdisplaytopmembers] shortcode to show top-rated members, or the Pro [buprfeatured_testimonials] shortcode to showcase featured testimonials.

How do I change the Reviews tab position on the profile?

The tab position can be adjusted with a filter:

add_filter( 'bupr_show_profile_review_tab', '__return_true' );
// To change position, remove the default nav and re-add at desired position:
add_action( 'bp_setup_nav', function() {
    bp_core_remove_nav_item( 'reviews' );
    bp_core_new_nav_item( array(
        'name'                => __( 'Reviews', 'bp-member-reviews' ),
        'slug'                => 'reviews',
        'position'            => 30, // Change this number
        'screen_function'     => 'bupr_screen_reviews',
        'default_subnav_slug' => 'my-reviews',
    ) );
}, 100 );

How do I customize star size with CSS?

Add custom CSS to your theme or via Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS:

/* Change star size */
.bupr-star-rate .dashicons {
    font-size: 24px;
    width: 24px;
    height: 24px;
}
/* Change star spacing */
.bupr-star-rate .dashicons {
    margin-right: 2px;
}

How do I customize the review layout?

Use template overrides. Copy the template file from the plugin to your theme:

From:

wp-content/plugins/buddypress-member-review/templates/bupr-reviews-tab-template.php

To:

wp-content/themes/your-theme/buddypress-member-review/bupr-reviews-tab-template.php

See the Template Overrides guide for details.

Notifications

Why are email notifications not sending?

Check these items:

1. Setting enabled:
   Settings → BuddyPress Member Reviews → Notifications
   "Send email notifications" is checked

2. WordPress email works:
   Install WP Mail SMTP plugin
   Send test email

3. Server allows mail:
   Check with hosting provider
   Enable SMTP if needed

4. Check spam folder:
   Emails may be filtered as spam
   Add site email to contacts

5. Debug mode:
   Enable WP_DEBUG_LOG in wp-config.php
   Check wp-content/debug.log for errors

How do I customize notification emails?

Edit the email template in Settings → BuddyPress Member Reviews → Notifications.

Available placeholders:

[user-name]       - Name of person being reviewed
[reviewer-name]   - Name of person who left review
[review-link]     - Link to review on profile
[site-name]       - Your site name
[site-admin]      - Site administrator email

Example template:

Hi [user-name],

[reviewer-name] left you a review on [site-name]!

View your review: [review-link]

Can I disable BuddyPress notifications but keep email?

Yes. Go to Notifications Settings and uncheck “Enable BuddyPress notifications” while keeping “Send email notifications” checked.

Anonymous Reviews

What information is hidden for anonymous reviews?

When a review is submitted anonymously:

  • Reviewer name shows as “Anonymous Reviewer”
  • Reviewer avatar shows default avatar
  • Reviewer profile link is removed
  • Reviewer identity hidden from public view

Admins can still see the real reviewer in WordPress admin.

Can administrators see who wrote anonymous reviews?

Yes. In Reviews → All Reviews, administrators can see the actual author in the “Author” column.

Do anonymous reviews post to Activity stream?

If Activity posting is enabled, anonymous reviews will show the actual reviewer in the activity stream, not “Anonymous”.

Solution: Disable Activity posting for privacy:

Settings → BuddyPress Member Reviews → General Settings
Uncheck "Post to Activity Stream"

Or filter it:

add_filter( 'bupr_allow_activity_posting', function( $allow ) {
    global $bupr_review_id;
    $is_anonymous = get_post_meta( $bupr_review_id, 'bupr_anonymous_review_post', true );
    if ( $is_anonymous === 'yes' ) {
        return false; // Don't post anonymous reviews to activity
    }
    return $allow;
} );

BuddyPress Member Reviews Pro

What features does Pro add?

BuddyPress Member Reviews Pro includes:

Review Modes:

  • Free Mode: Any member can review anyone
  • Review Mode: Reviews by request only
  • Endorsement Mode: Skill endorsements only

Verification System:

  • Verified reviewer badges
  • Multiple verification types
  • Custom verification criteria

Flexible Rating Criteria:

  • Different criteria per member type
  • Conditional criteria display
  • Custom criteria management

Skill Endorsements:

  • Endorse specific skills
  • Skill tags on reviews
  • Skill-based filtering

REST API:

  • Full API access
  • Submit/retrieve reviews via API
  • Integration with external apps

Advanced Features:

  • Review requests with notifications
  • Review reminders
  • Bulk review management
  • Enhanced reporting

Do I need Pro for basic reviews?

No. The free version provides full review functionality:

  • Multi-criteria ratings
  • Anonymous reviews
  • Review moderation
  • Email notifications
  • Activity stream integration
  • Widgets and shortcodes

Pro adds advanced workflows and verification features.

Can I upgrade from free to Pro later?

Yes. Your existing reviews, ratings, and settings are preserved. The Pro addon works alongside the free plugin — do not deactivate the free version.

Upgrade process:

1. Keep the free plugin active
2. Download the Pro addon from your account
3. Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
4. Install and activate the Pro addon
5. Configure Pro features at Settings > Member Reviews > Pro Features tab
6. All existing data is preserved

Technical

What are the minimum requirements?

WordPress: 5.0 or higher
BuddyPress: 5.0 or higher (or BuddyBoss Platform)
PHP: 7.4 or higher
MySQL: 5.6 or higher

Does it work with page builders?

Yes. The plugin works with:

  • Elementor (use BuddyPress widgets)
  • Beaver Builder
  • Divi
  • WPBakery

Use the [buprdisplaytop_members] shortcode in page builders.

Does it support RTL languages?

Yes. The plugin is RTL-ready and includes .pot file for translations.

Can I translate the plugin?

Yes. Use Loco Translate plugin or edit the .po file in /languages/ directory.

Translation files:

buddypress-member-review.pot  - Template
buddypress-member-review-es_ES.po - Spanish example

Does it work with custom BuddyPress profiles?

Yes. The plugin hooks into standard BuddyPress profile tabs. Custom profile plugins that maintain BuddyPress structure will work.

Related Documentation

Last updated: February 13, 2026