Review sources are the platforms where your customer already earns reviews. Connecting them brings those reviews into the dashboard automatically so you can reply, analyse performance, and display them in widgets.
The main thing to understand is that not every source offers the same level of functionality. Google and Facebook are the strongest. Most other sources are great for syncing and display, but more limited for replies and automation.
Where to connect sources
#Go to Connect -> Integrations -> Sources. From there you can connect Google, Facebook, Yelp, Trustpilot, and many more. Sources the customer's plan does not allow show an Upgrade badge; sources we have not shipped support for yet show a Coming soon badge.
This is a customer-side screen. Because you are in your agency account, you can reach it two ways: go to Business -> Customers -> Manage Customers and click Open dashboard on the customer: you go into their dashboard with nothing locked, even features their plan hides, and a bar at the top shows whose dashboard you are in (handy for done-for-you setups or granting access beyond a plan); or choose View as customer on the same page to see their dashboard exactly as they see it, with their plan's limits. If your sidebar shows the Agency / Customer switcher, the Customer tab plus the location switcher is a shortcut to the same place.
Understand the two Google connection methods
#Grant Access is the recommended option because it connects the Business Profile through the official Google sign-in flow. Public Access is faster to set up, but it is mainly a lighter connection for link generation and basic review visibility.
Steps and details · includes a table
Google deep linking needs one important clarification on mobile. The Google Maps app can open the business profile directly, but it cannot jump straight into the review form section automatically. That is still often the better mobile experience because customers are more likely to already be signed into the app than in a mobile browser.
- Desktop review links can open the Google review form directly
- Mobile deep links can open the Google Maps app, but not directly into the reviews section
- If mobile deep linking is off, the standard Google review URL still works fine and can take the customer to the review form in the browser
| Method | Best for | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Access | Production use and full control | Automatic syncing, direct replies, auto-respond, AI suggestions, feedback forms, Google performance metrics, and removed review detection |
| Public Access | Testing, demos, or when the customer cannot sign in yet | Review links, feedback forms, deep links, and more limited syncing without direct replies or auto-respond |
Use Google mobile deep linking when opening the app is more important than landing on the exact review form immediately. If the cleanest direct form URL matters more, the standard non-deep-link route is still a good default.
When the customer needs to sign in but will not log into the platform
#A common scenario is that the customer is happy for you to manage everything but is not going to sign in to the dashboard themselves. They still need to be the one who signs into Google or Facebook so the connection is real.
Steps and details
For that case you can send a Customer Connect Link. The customer opens a single page with your logo and brand colours, signs in to their own Google or Facebook account, picks the right listing, and the connection completes on their behalf. They never see the dashboard. The end result is the same as Grant Access for Google and the same as a direct Facebook sign-in.
This is the cleanest path when the customer trusts you to operate the platform but does not want to deal with another login or password manager entry.
Facebook and the wider source mix
#Facebook also supports direct sign-in and is one of the few sources that supports syncing, direct replies, auto-respond, AI suggestions, and feedback form usage in one place.
Steps and details
Most other sources use a simpler path-based connection. You enter the profile path or URL, let the platform sync the reviews, and then use those reviews in dashboards, widgets, analytics, and reporting.
- Google Grant Access and Facebook are the only sources that support direct replies and auto-respond inside the platform
- Google and Facebook are also the only sources with mobile app deep linking
- Many other sources still support deep links on desktop and can still appear inside feedback forms if they have a public write-review page
Pick the right source strategy
#Steps and details · includes a table
| Source type | What it is good for | Limits to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Google Grant Access | The strongest all-round setup for most local businesses | Requires the customer to sign in with the right Google account |
| Google Public Access | Fast setup when sign-in is not possible yet | Limited syncing and no direct replies or auto-respond |
| Strong second source with replies and automations | Depends on page permissions and Facebook session health | |
| Path-based review platforms | Great for sync, widgets, reports, and review-source breadth | Usually no direct replies and no auto-respond |
| Job or booking-tied platforms | Useful for syncing proof from niche platforms | Often no public review URL, so they cannot be used in feedback forms |
Sync times and custom sources
#Paid plans usually sync every hour
Steps and details
- Lifetime deal plans usually sync every three hours
- Facebook syncs every twelve hours
- Quiet locations back off automatically: after several syncs with no new reviews the interval stretches, up to a maximum of six hours, and snaps back as soon as a new review appears
- Google locations connected with Grant Access are also checked for removed reviews once a week, and sooner when the Google review count drops. Removed reviews show in the
Removedtab on theReviewspage - Custom Sources are available for platforms that are not in the built-in list
Widgets need connected sources. If no sources are connected, there are no reviews to display.
Common source issues
#Auth needed usually means a Google or Facebook token has expired and needs to be re-authenticated
Steps and details
Failedusually points to a changed profile URL, a temporary platform issue, or an API limitLimit reachedmeans the customer plan needs a higherReview Source Limit- Some platforms such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zillow, G2, Checkatrade, and WebMD use bot protection, so short sync delays can happen from time to time