Allowing customers to review products before they have actually received and evaluated them can severely damage store credibility. Shoppers whose orders are still pending payment, in processing, or in transit may leave premature negative ratings due to postal carrier delays or billing issues rather than product quality.
ReviewX solves this with the Eligibility for send reviews feature, allowing store managers to strictly tie review submission permissions to specific WooCommerce order statuses (such as Completed).
Protect Your Ratings from Premature Feedback
Restricting reviews to “Completed” orders ensures customers evaluate the physical product only after it has been delivered, unboxed, and tested. This simple safeguard prevents premature 1-star shipping reviews from lowering your product ratings.
How Order Status Eligibility Operates
When a shopper visits your product page or clicks a review reminder link, ReviewX performs an automated validation check:
- Order Record Query: ReviewX retrieves the shopper’s past orders containing the product ID using WooCommerce customer lookup APIs.
- Status Matching: The plugin verifies whether at least one order matches the configured eligibility criteria (e.g.,
wc-completed). - Form Rendering or Restriction:
- If the order matches the required status, the review submission form unlocks with verified purchaser status.
- If the customer’s order is still
Processing,On-hold, orPending payment, the form displays a polite notice informing them that reviews can only be submitted once their order is completed.
- Cancelled/Refunded Protection: Customers whose orders were cancelled or refunded are permanently blocked from submitting verified reviews.
Step-by-Step Guide: Configuring Order Status Eligibility
Step 1: Open Review Settings
From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to ReviewX → Reviews and click the Review settings tab at the top.
Step 2: Check Purchaser Gating
Under the first question, Who can send reviews on your shop?, select Only verified owners if you want to strictly restrict reviews to buyers with qualifying orders.
Step 3: Select Order Eligibility Status
Locate the dropdown field labeled Eligibility for send reviews (marked with Badge 1 in the screenshot above). Choose the appropriate order status:
- Completed: (Recommended) Customers can only submit reviews after their order has been fulfilled and marked complete.
- Processing: Permits reviews immediately after payment is confirmed, before physical delivery.
- Custom Delivery Statuses: If you use order tracking plugins (e.g., Shipment Tracking or Order Status Manager) that create a
Deliveredstatus, you can select that status here.
Step 4: Save Settings
Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to apply the eligibility rule across your entire store.
Aligning Eligibility with Automated Review Reminders
To deliver a seamless customer experience, ensure your Review Reminder Emails align with your eligibility status:
Pro Strategy: The Golden Delivery Window
In ReviewX → Review Reminders, set your reminder trigger to Order Completed and add an appropriate delivery delay (e.g., 5 to 7 days). This gives the customer ample time to receive and experience the item, while ensuring their order is already marked “Completed” when they click the email link.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a customer has multiple orders with different statuses?
If a customer purchased the product twice and one order is Completed while a newer order is Processing, ReviewX grants eligibility based on the completed purchase.
Can guest purchasers submit reviews if order eligibility is enabled?
Yes. Guest buyers enter their billing email address during submission. ReviewX checks WooCommerce orders matching that email address to verify order status.
Does this setting apply to Custom Post Types?
Yes. For custom post types integrated with WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, or LifterLMS, ReviewX enforces the corresponding transaction completion status.
