Reviews Management Guide – GLIZ Booking Engine

Overview

The Reviews Management page is a comprehensive system for managing guest reviews, ratings, and feedback for your hotel properties. You can configure review settings, moderate reviews, and generate test reviews for testing purposes.

Purpose: Manage guest reviews, configure review system settings, moderate review submissions, and maintain review quality standards.

Accessing Reviews Management

1. Go to Gliz Booking Engine > Reviews
2. Choose from three main tabs:
   • Review Settings – Configure review system
   • Review Management – Moderate and manage reviews
   • Add Reviews (Testing) – Generate test reviews

Review Settings Tab

Review Storage Mode

Storage Options

• Local Storage: Store reviews in your main site database

  • Best for: Small to medium scale hotels
  • Benefits: Simple setup, all data in one place
  • Limitations: May slow down main site with many reviews

• External Storage: Store reviews on separate WordPress site

  • Best for: Large scale hotels with many reviews
  • Benefits: Better performance, scalability
  • Requirements: Separate WordPress site setup

External Site Configuration

• Reviews Site URL: Enter your external reviews site URL
• API Key: Secure key for communication between sites
• Generate New API Key: Create new API key when needed

Setup Instructions for External Site

1. Create new WordPress site at chosen subdomain
2. Install same Gliz Review System plugin
3. Use same API key on both sites
4. Set external site to “External Mode”

Review Display Settings

Initial Reviews Display

• Number of Reviews: How many reviews to show initially (1-50)
• Load More: Additional reviews loaded via button
• Default: 10 reviews shown initially

Category Ratings

• Hide Category Ratings: Option to hide category ratings section
• When Enabled: Category ratings won’t display on room pages
• When Disabled: Category ratings show normally

Review Rating Categories

Category Guidelines

Suggested Categories:

• Cleanliness – Overall cleanliness and hygiene
• Accuracy – How well listing matches reality
• Check-in Process – Ease of arrival and check-in
• Location – Neighborhood quality and accessibility
• Value – Price vs. quality ratio
• Communication – Host responsiveness and helpfulness

Adding Categories

• Add Category Button: Add new rating categories
• Category Name: Enter descriptive category name
• Remove Button: Remove unwanted categories
• Minimum Required: At least 3 categories needed

Category Management

• Custom Categories: Add your own rating categories
• Category Examples: WiFi Quality, Amenities, Noise Level
• Required Minimum: 3 categories for system to function

Review Validation Settings

Word Count Requirements

• Minimum Word Count: Required words in review comments (1-500)
• Maximum Word Count: Maximum words allowed (50-2000)
• Default Minimum: 20 words
• Default Maximum: 1000 words

Validation Benefits

• Quality Control: Ensures meaningful reviews
• Spam Prevention: Prevents very short or very long reviews
• Guest Guidance: Helps guests write appropriate reviews

Custom Success Messages

Success Title

• Default: “Review Submitted Successfully!”
• Customizable: Change title shown after submission
• Purpose: Brand the success message

Success Message

• Default: “Thank you for your review. It will be visible after approval.”
• Customizable: Change main success message
• Purpose: Set expectations for review approval

System Status

Current Mode Display

• Local Storage: Shows “Local Storage” status
• External Storage: Shows “External Storage” status
• Status Badge: Color-coded status indicator

External Site Status

• Connection Check: Tests connection to external site
• Connected: Green badge when working
• Connection Failed: Red badge with error details
• Error Messages: Shows specific connection issues

Database Tables

• Ready: Green badge when tables exist
• Tables Need Creation: Yellow warning when tables missing
• Automatic Creation: Tables created automatically when needed

Review Management Tab

Filter Reviews

Status Filter

• All Reviews: Show all reviews regardless of status
• Pending: Reviews awaiting approval (shows count)
• Approved: Reviews that have been approved (shows count)
• Rejected: Reviews that have been rejected (shows count)
• Trash: Reviews moved to trash (shows count)

Property Filter

• All Properties: Show reviews from all properties
• Specific Property: Filter by individual property
• Property Dropdown: Lists all published properties
• Alphabetical Order: Properties listed alphabetically

Apply Filter

• Apply Filter Button: Apply selected filters
• Auto-Submit: Filters apply automatically when changed
• URL Persistence: Filter settings saved in URL

Reviews Table

Table Columns

• Checkbox: Select reviews for bulk actions
• Guest: Guest name and email address
• Property: Property name with edit link
• Rating: Star rating display with numeric value
• Comment: Truncated comment with “View Full” button
• Date: Review submission date
• Status: Current review status with icons
• Featured: Featured status with star icons
• Actions: Available action buttons

Review Information

• Guest Details: Name and email displayed
• Property Link: Click to edit property
• Rating Display: 5-star system with decimal value
• Comment Preview: First 20 words with “View Full” button
• Date Format: Month, day, year format
• Status Icons: Visual status indicators

Status Indicators

• Approved: Green checkmark icon
• Rejected: Red X icon
• Pending: Blue clock icon
• Trash: Gray trash icon

Featured Status

• Featured: Green filled star icon
• Not Featured: Red empty star icon
• Star Icons: Visual featured status indicators

Individual Review Actions

Pending Reviews

• Approve Button: Approve review for display
• Reject Button: Reject review
• Delete Button: Permanently delete review

Rejected Reviews

• Approve Button: Approve previously rejected review
• Delete Button: Permanently delete review

Approved Reviews

• Reject Button: Reject previously approved review
• Delete Button: Permanently delete review

Delete Confirmation

• Confirmation Dialog: “Are you sure you want to delete this review?”
• Permanent Action: Cannot be undone
• Safety Measure: Prevents accidental deletion

Bulk Actions

Bulk Action Options

• Approve: Approve all selected reviews
• Reject: Reject all selected reviews
• Move to Trash: Move reviews to trash
• Delete Permanently: Permanently delete reviews

Bulk Action Process

1. Select Reviews: Check boxes for reviews to modify
2. Choose Action: Select bulk action from dropdown
3. Apply: Click “Apply” button to execute
4. Confirmation: Action applied to all selected reviews

Pagination

Pagination Display

• Page Information: “Showing page X of Y”
• Previous Button: Go to previous page
• Page Numbers: Click specific page numbers
• Next Button: Go to next page
• Current Page: Highlighted in blue

Pagination Features

• 20 Reviews Per Page: Default pagination size
• Page Range: Shows 2 pages before and after current
• URL Persistence: Page number saved in URL
• Filter Preservation: Pagination maintains active filters

Review Modal

Modal Features

• Full Review Display: Shows complete review details
• Close Button: X button to close modal
• Review Details: All review information displayed
• Action Buttons: Available actions for the review

Modal Content

• Guest Information: Full guest details
• Property Information: Complete property details
• Rating Breakdown: Overall and category ratings
• Full Comment: Complete review text
• Review Date: Submission date and time
• Status Information: Current review status
• Featured Status: Whether review is featured

Add Reviews (Testing) Tab

Generate Test Reviews

Purpose

• Testing: Create realistic reviews for testing
• Development: Test review display and functionality
• Demo: Show review system to clients
• Quality Assurance: Test review moderation features

Property Selection

• Property Dropdown: Choose property to generate reviews for
• All Properties: Lists all published properties
• Required Field: Must select a property
• Alphabetical Order: Properties listed alphabetically

Review Count

• Number of Reviews: How many test reviews to generate
• Range: 1-50 reviews
• Default: 5 reviews
• Number Input: Easy number selection

Category Ratings

• Include Category Ratings: Checkbox to include category ratings
• When Checked: Each review includes category ratings
• When Unchecked: Only overall rating included
• Default: Checked (includes category ratings)

Review Status

• Approved: Reviews created as approved
• Pending: Reviews created as pending
• Random: Mix of approved and pending
• Default: Approved status

Generate Button

• Generate Reviews: Create test reviews
• Processing: Shows progress during generation
• Success Message: Confirms successful generation
• Error Handling: Shows errors if generation fails

Test Review Features

Realistic Data

• Guest Names: Realistic guest names
• Email Addresses: Valid email format
• Review Comments: Meaningful review text
• Ratings: Random but realistic ratings
• Dates: Recent submission dates

Category Ratings

• Multiple Categories: Ratings for all configured categories
• Realistic Scores: Appropriate ratings for each category
• Varied Ratings: Different scores across categories
• Overall Rating: Calculated from category ratings

Review Content

• Varied Comments: Different types of review comments
• Appropriate Length: Meets word count requirements
• Realistic Language: Natural review language
• Property-Specific: Comments relevant to property type

Review System Functions

Review Moderation

Approval Process

• Pending Reviews: New reviews start as pending
• Admin Approval: Reviews need admin approval
• Approval Button: One-click approval
• Status Change: Changes from pending to approved

Rejection Process

• Reject Button: Reject inappropriate reviews
• Status Change: Changes to rejected status
• Hidden from Public: Rejected reviews not displayed
• Reversible: Can approve rejected reviews later

Featured Reviews

• Mark as Featured: Highlight important reviews
• Featured Display: Featured reviews shown prominently
• Star Icon: Visual indicator for featured status
• Toggle Feature: Can add/remove featured status

Review Display

Public Display

• Approved Only: Only approved reviews shown publicly
• Rating Display: Star ratings and numeric values
• Comment Display: Full review comments
• Guest Names: Guest names shown (privacy settings)

Category Ratings

• Multiple Categories: Ratings for different aspects
• Average Ratings: Calculated averages per category
• Overall Rating: Combined rating score
• Rating Breakdown: Detailed rating display

Review Ordering

• Date Order: Most recent reviews first
• Featured First: Featured reviews shown first
• Rating Order: Can sort by rating
• Custom Order: Admin can set custom order

Review Validation

Word Count Validation

• Minimum Words: Enforced minimum word count
• Maximum Words: Enforced maximum word count
• Real-time Validation: Validates as user types
• Error Messages: Clear validation messages

Content Validation

• Spam Detection: Basic spam prevention
• Inappropriate Content: Content filtering
• Required Fields: All required fields validated
• Format Validation: Email and other format validation

Review Statistics

Review Counts

• Total Reviews: Count of all reviews
• Approved Reviews: Count of approved reviews
• Pending Reviews: Count of pending reviews
• Rejected Reviews: Count of rejected reviews

Rating Statistics

• Average Rating: Overall average rating
• Category Averages: Average ratings per category
• Rating Distribution: Breakdown of rating scores
• Trend Analysis: Rating trends over time

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Reviews Not Displaying

• Check Status: Ensure reviews are approved
• Check Settings: Verify display settings
• Check Categories: Ensure categories are configured
• Check Database: Verify database tables exist

External Site Issues

• Check URL: Verify external site URL is correct
• Check API Key: Ensure API key matches on both sites
• Check Connection: Test connection to external site
• Check Permissions: Verify site permissions

Review Generation Issues

• Check Property: Ensure property is selected
• Check Count: Verify review count is valid
• Check Categories: Ensure categories are configured
• Check Database: Verify database tables exist

Bulk Action Issues

• Check Selection: Ensure reviews are selected
• Check Action: Verify bulk action is selected
• Check Permissions: Verify admin permissions
• Check Database: Verify database connection

Getting Help

Error Messages

• Read Messages: Check error messages carefully
• Take Screenshots: Capture error screenshots
• Note Steps: Record steps that caused error

Support Options

• Check Logs: Look for error logs
• Test Settings: Verify all settings are correct
• Contact Support: Reach out for technical help

Best Practices

Review Management

Regular Moderation

• Daily Check: Review pending reviews daily
• Quick Approval: Approve good reviews quickly
• Quality Control: Reject inappropriate reviews
• Featured Reviews: Mark excellent reviews as featured

Review Quality

• Encourage Detailed Reviews: Ask for specific feedback
• Respond to Reviews: Reply to guest reviews
• Monitor Trends: Watch for rating trends
• Address Issues: Fix problems mentioned in reviews

Review Settings

• Appropriate Categories: Choose relevant rating categories
• Reasonable Word Limits: Set appropriate word counts
• Clear Messages: Write clear success messages
• Regular Updates: Update settings as needed

System Maintenance

Regular Backups

• Database Backups: Backup review database regularly
• Settings Backups: Save review settings
• Test Restores: Verify backup integrity

Performance Monitoring

• Review Count: Monitor total review count
• Response Times: Check system performance
• Database Size: Monitor database growth
• External Site: Monitor external site performance

Security

• API Key Security: Keep API keys secure
• Regular Updates: Update plugin regularly
• Access Control: Limit admin access
• Spam Prevention: Monitor for spam reviews

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This guide helps you manage your hotel’s review system effectively. For technical support, contact your system administrator.