Altus Google Review Link Generator — Free WordPress Plugin

A free Google review link generator for small businesses: paste your Google Place ID and get a one-click review link plus a scannable, brand-coloured QR code — ready for receipts, counters, packaging, emails and signatures, with no account needed.

⬇️ Download now: get the latest release zip from the Releases page → WordPress → Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin → Install Now → Activate → add the shortcode [altus_review_link_generator] to any page.

Keywords people search for: google review link generator, free google review link, google review QR code generator, get more google reviews, google business profile review link, review link wordpress plugin, QR code for google reviews, how to get google reviews, small business review link, printable google review QR code.

What it does

Most happy customers never leave a Google review — not because they don't want to, but because leaving one is work. They have to find your listing, tap through to reviews, find the button, and write something, all on their phone in a spare moment that never comes. Every review you never asked for is one a competitor is collecting instead.

Altus Google Review Link Generator removes the friction. A visitor pastes their Google Place ID — or an existing g.page review short link — and instantly gets a one-click link that opens Google's "write a review" box directly, a backup Maps link, and a QR code they can colour-match to their branding and download as a printable PNG. No account, no signup, and — in this open-source version — no email gate: everything is shown on screen, free.

Who it is for

• Small-business owners who want more Google reviews without paying for a review platform or learning anything technical.
• Restaurants, cafés, salons, trades and clinics — any business where a happy customer is standing right in front of you and a QR code by the till turns that moment into a review.
• Freelancers, web designers and agencies who want a free, embeddable review-link tool for their own site or a client's site.

The problem it solves

Reviews decide who local customers choose: the star rating and review count sit right in Google's local results, before your website, before your prices. Yet most small businesses collect reviews passively — a hopeful line on the website, or nothing at all — so their public rating skews toward the unhappy minority who were motivated enough to hunt for the review form. Paid review tools charge a monthly fee for what is, at heart, one link and one QR code. This plugin gives you both, free, on your own WordPress site, with no data leaving the visitor's browser.

Features — and why each one matters

One-click review link

• Direct review dialog link — built as Google's universal search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=… URL. Why it matters: it opens the "write a review" box immediately, skipping the search-and-tap journey that loses most would-be reviewers.

Three ways to input

• Google Place ID — paste the ID from Google's Place ID Finder. Why it matters: it is the one identifier every Google listing already has, and the tool walks you through finding it in about 60 seconds.
• Full review URL — paste a complete search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=… URL and the tool extracts the Place ID for you. Why it matters: nobody should have to trim a URL by hand before a tool will accept it.
• g.page short link — paste an existing g.page/r/… review link from your Google Business Profile and the tool normalises it to its canonical /review form. Why it matters: businesses Google already issued a short link to can tidy it up instead of starting over.

Backup Maps link

• Maps listing link — a google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query_place_id=… link alongside the review link. Why it matters: some customers prefer to browse your listing first; giving them the listing link as well as the review link means no one bounces because the direct link felt too pushy.

Brand-colour QR code

• Scannable QR code, rendered in the browser — customers point their phone camera at it and land straight on your review page. Why it matters: a QR code by the till, on a receipt or on packaging catches customers at the exact moment they are happiest — no typing, no searching.
• Custom code and background colours — pick colours to match your branding, with a one-click reset. Why it matters: a QR code that looks like part of your brand gets printed and displayed; a default black square gets forgotten in a drawer.
• Download as PNG — a clean, printable image. Why it matters: print runs need a real file, not a screenshot — receipts, flyers, table tents, packaging stickers and shop signage all work from the PNG. (Test-scan it with your own phone before a big print run, and keep the white quiet zone intact so scanners read it easily.)

Copy buttons and honest validation

• Copy review link / copy Maps link — one click each, with confirmation. Why it matters: the link is useless sitting on a page — it belongs in follow-up emails, text messages, email signatures and social posts, and copying should take one second.
• Plain-English input validation — pasted business names, ordinary URLs and short junk tokens are rejected with a clear message instead of producing a broken link. Why it matters: a broken review link is worse than no link — the customer taps, nothing works, and the review is lost for good.
• 60-second Place ID finder guide — built into the tool, linking to Google's official Place ID Finder. Why it matters: the only thing standing between most owners and their review link is not knowing where the ID lives.

How it works

1. Add the shortcode [altus_review_link_generator] to a page.
2. A visitor enters their business name (optional — it just labels the QR download) and pastes their Google Place ID, a full review URL, or a g.page short link.
3. The plugin builds the one-click review link and the backup Maps link entirely in the visitor's browser and renders the QR code on the spot.
4. The visitor customises the QR colours if they like, copies either link, downloads the QR PNG, and starts over any time.

Everything happens in the browser. No account, no email address, no data sent anywhere.

Installation (2 minutes, from the release zip)

1. Download the latest altus-review-link-generator-v1.0.0.zip from the Releases page.
2. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin, choose the zip, click Install Now, then Activate.
3. Create or edit a page and add the shortcode: [altus_review_link_generator]
4. Publish the page. Done — visitors can generate their review link and QR code from it.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Review Link Generator really free? Yes. Generating your review link and QR code, copying them and downloading the QR image are all free, with no account needed.

Where do I find my Google Place ID? Google gives every business listing a unique Place ID. Open Google's official Place ID Finder (linked in the tool), search your business name, click your listing, and copy the Place ID shown. It takes about a minute. If Google already gave you a short g.page/r/… review link, paste that instead.

Is it okay to ask customers for Google reviews? Yes — Google allows businesses to ask customers for reviews. What is not allowed is paying for reviews, offering incentives in exchange, or posting fake ones. A simple, honest ask with a one-click link is exactly how Google wants it done.

Can I put the QR code on printed materials? That is exactly what it is for. The download is a PNG that prints cleanly on receipts, flyers, table tents, packaging stickers or shop signage. Test it with your own phone before printing a big run, and keep the quiet zone (the white border) intact so scanners read it easily.

Will asking everyone for reviews hurt me if someone leaves a bad one? No — and review-gating (steering happy customers to Google and unhappy ones elsewhere) violates Google's rules. Ask everyone the same way, and respond graciously to critical reviews: future customers read your replies as closely as the reviews.

Are my Place ID or business details sent or stored anywhere? No. In this open-source version, generation happens entirely in the visitor's browser. There is no server endpoint, no database table, no email and no file write.

Honest limits

• The tool builds links and QR codes; it cannot make customers write reviews, and it cannot change or remove reviews on Google.
• A QR code only works if customers can see it — a code in a drawer helps nobody. Put it where happy customers actually are.
• Google occasionally changes its review URLs; the link formats used here are Google's documented universal formats, but if Google changes them, the plugin will need an update.
• This plugin is a link builder, not a review-management platform: it does not track, collect or display your reviews.

Changelog

1.0.0

First public release (stripped open-source version). Place ID, full review-URL and g.page input; one-click review link; backup Maps link; brand-colour QR code with PNG download; copy buttons; 60-second Place ID finder guide. Email gate, lead storage and email sending removed — the full result is shown on screen. Small fix vs the Altus original: the shortcode now returns its output properly instead of relying on the output buffer flushing at the end of the page.

What data does this tool handle?

This GitHub version contains NO lead capture, NO email sending, and NO data storage — results are shown on screen only. The version hosted on altuswebsolutions.com may offer email delivery; this open-source version does not. The visitor's Place ID, business name and generated links never leave their browser: there is no server endpoint in this version, no database table is created, no file is written on the server, and nothing is transmitted to any external service. The generated links point to Google's own review and Maps pages, which the visitor opens themselves by clicking.

Disclaimer

This software is provided free of charge, "as is", WITHOUT warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The authors are NOT liable for any loss, damage or cost arising from the use of this software, including but not limited to lost reviews, lost business, or printing costs. Always back up your WordPress site before installing any plugin, and test new plugins on a staging site where possible. Google's review policies and link formats may change; it is your responsibility to use the generated links in line with Google's current rules (never pay for, incentivise or fake reviews).

Licence

GPLv2 or later. See LICENSE.