REST API Reference

PRO Feature – Requires BuddyPress Member Reviews Pro addon

Overview

The Member Reviews REST API provides programmatic access to review data, ratings, and moderation features. Build mobile apps, external dashboards, or headless WordPress sites with full review functionality.

Base URL: /wp-json/bupr/v1/

Authentication

The API supports three authentication methods:

Cookie Authentication

Use WordPress cookie authentication for logged-in sessions. Requires nonce for write operations.

Best for: Admin interfaces, same-origin requests

Setup: Include X-WP-Nonce header with REST API nonce

Application Passwords

Create application-specific passwords for API access without exposing main credentials.

Best for: Mobile apps, third-party integrations

Setup:

Go to Users → Profile
Scroll to Application Passwords
Enter app name and click Add New
Use Basic Auth with username and generated password

JWT/OAuth (Third-Party Plugins)

Install JWT or OAuth plugins for token-based authentication.

Best for: Multi-user applications, distributed systems

Setup: Install a JWT/OAuth plugin compatible with WordPress REST API

Endpoints

GET /reviews

List all reviews with filtering and pagination.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`page`	integer	1	Page number
`per_page`	integer	10	Reviews per page (max: 100)
`member_id`	integer	–	Filter by reviewed member ID
`author_id`	integer	–	Filter by review author ID
`status`	string	`approved`	Filter by status: `approved`, `pending`, `spam`
`verified`	boolean	–	Filter by verification status
`min_rating`	float	–	Minimum rating (1.0-5.0)
`date_start`	string	–	Start date (ISO 8601: `2024-01-01`)
`date_end`	string	–	End date (ISO 8601: `2024-12-31`)
`orderby`	string	`date`	Sort by: `date`, `rating`, `random`
`order`	string	`desc`	Sort direction: `asc`, `desc`

Example Request:

GET /wp-json/bupr/v1/reviews?member_id=5&verified=true&per_page=20
Authorization: Basic base64(username:app_password)

Example Response:

{
  "reviews": [
    {
      "id": 123,
      "member_id": 5,
      "member_name": "John Doe",
      "author_id": 42,
      "author_name": "Jane Smith",
      "rating": 4.5,
      "title": "Excellent collaboration",
      "content": "John was professional and delivered quality work.",
      "criteria": [
        {
          "label": "Communication",
          "type": "stars",
          "value": 5,
          "weight": 1.5
        },
        {
          "label": "Quality",
          "type": "stars",
          "value": 4,
          "weight": 2.0
        }
      ],
      "is_verified": true,
      "verification_type": "admin",
      "is_featured": false,
      "is_anonymous": false,
      "status": "approved",
      "date_created": "2024-01-15T10:30:00",
      "date_modified": "2024-01-15T10:30:00"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "total": 45,
    "pages": 3,
    "page": 1,
    "per_page": 20
  }
}

GET /reviews/{id}

Retrieve a single review with full details.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`id`	integer	Review ID (required)

Example Request:

GET /wp-json/bupr/v1/reviews/123
Authorization: Basic base64(username:app_password)

Example Response:

{
  "id": 123,
  "member_id": 5,
  "member_name": "John Doe",
  "rating": 4.5,
  "title": "Excellent collaboration",
  "content": "John was professional and delivered quality work on time.",
  "criteria": [
    {
      "label": "Communication",
      "type": "stars",
      "value": 5,
      "weight": 1.5
    }
  ],
  "is_verified": true,
  "verification_type": "admin",
  "is_featured": false,
  "is_anonymous": false,
  "status": "approved",
  "date_created": "2024-01-15T10:30:00",
  "date_modified": "2024-01-15T10:30:00"
}

POST /reviews

Create a new review.

Permissions: User must be logged in and have permission to review the target member.

Request Body:

{
  "member_id": 5,
  "rating": 4.5,
  "title": "Great experience",
  "content": "Highly professional and skilled.",
  "criteria": [
    {
      "label": "Communication",
      "value": 5
    },
    {
      "label": "Quality",
      "value": 4
    }
  ],
  "is_anonymous": false
}

Example Response:

{
  "id": 124,
  "status": "pending",
  "message": "Review submitted successfully. Awaiting approval."
}

PATCH /reviews/{id}

Update an existing review.

Permissions: Review author or administrator.

Request Body:

{
  "rating": 5.0,
  "title": "Updated title",
  "content": "Updated review content.",
  "criteria": [
    {
      "label": "Communication",
      "value": 5
    }
  ]
}

Example Response:

{
  "id": 123,
  "status": "updated",
  "message": "Review updated successfully."
}

DELETE /reviews/{id}

Delete a review permanently.

Permissions: Review author or administrator.

Example Response:

{
  "id": 123,
  "status": "deleted",
  "message": "Review deleted successfully."
}

GET /members/{id}/reviews

Get all reviews for a specific member.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`id`	integer	–	Member ID (required)
`page`	integer	1	Page number
`per_page`	integer	10	Reviews per page
`status`	string	`approved`	Filter by status

Example Response:

{
  "member_id": 5,
  "member_name": "John Doe",
  "reviews": [
    {
      "id": 123,
      "rating": 4.5,
      "title": "Excellent collaboration",
      "author_name": "Jane Smith",
      "date_created": "2024-01-15T10:30:00"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "total": 12,
    "pages": 3,
    "page": 1,
    "per_page": 5
  }
}

GET /members/{id}/rating

Get aggregate rating statistics for a member.

Example Response:

{
  "member_id": 5,
  "member_name": "John Doe",
  "aggregate_rating": 4.3,
  "total_reviews": 12,
  "verified_reviews": 8,
  "rating_distribution": {
    "5": 6,
    "4": 4,
    "3": 1,
    "2": 1,
    "1": 0
  },
  "criteria_averages": [
    {
      "label": "Communication",
      "average": 4.5
    },
    {
      "label": "Quality",
      "average": 4.2
    }
  ]
}

POST /reviews/{id}/verify

Verify a review (admin only).

Permissions: Administrator or moderator.

Example Response:

{
  "id": 123,
  "is_verified": true,
  "verification_type": "admin",
  "message": "Review verified successfully."
}

POST /reviews/{id}/approve

Approve a pending review (admin only).

Permissions: Administrator or moderator.

Example Response:

{
  "id": 123,
  "status": "approved",
  "message": "Review approved successfully."
}

POST /reviews/{id}/feature

Feature or unfeature a review (admin only).

Permissions: Administrator.

Example Response:

{
  "id": 123,
  "is_featured": true,
  "message": "Review featured successfully."
}

Response Format

All responses follow a consistent JSON structure:

Success Response:

{
  "data": {},
  "status": "success"
}

Error Response:

{
  "code": "error_code",
  "message": "Human-readable error message",
  "status": 400
}

Error Handling

Common error codes:

Code	Status	Description
`rest_forbidden`	401	Authentication required
`rest_forbidden_context`	403	Insufficient permissions
`rest_invalid_param`	400	Invalid request parameter
`bupr_review_not_found`	404	Review ID does not exist
`bupr_member_not_found`	404	Member ID does not exist
`bupr_cannot_review`	403	User cannot review this member
`bupr_already_reviewed`	409	User already reviewed this member
`bupr_invalid_rating`	400	Rating outside 1-5 range

Example Error Response:

{
  "code": "bupr_already_reviewed",
  "message": "You have already reviewed this member.",
  "data": {
    "status": 409,
    "existing_review_id": 123
  }
}

Rate Limiting

Default rate limits apply:

Authenticated users: 1000 requests/hour
Unauthenticated users: 100 requests/hour

Rate limit headers included in responses:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 995
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1642516800

Use Cases

Mobile App

Build native iOS/Android apps with review functionality:

Display member profiles with ratings
Submit new reviews from mobile
Push notifications for review approvals
Offline support with API caching

External Dashboard

Create custom analytics dashboards:

Aggregate rating trends over time
Export review data to CSV/Excel
Generate PDF reports
Integration with BI tools

Headless WordPress

Build decoupled frontends using React/Vue/Next.js:

Fetch reviews via API
Client-side filtering and sorting
Real-time updates via webhooks
Progressive web app support

Third-Party Integrations

Connect reviews to external platforms:

Sync reviews to CRM systems
Post reviews to social media
Email digest automation
Zapier/Make.com workflows

Technical Details

Implements WordPress REST API standards
Supports JSON and form-encoded requests
CORS enabled for cross-origin requests
Schema validation for all inputs
Respects WordPress privacy settings

Support

Need help with the REST API?

Check our Knowledge Base
Contact support at support@wbcomdesigns.com