⏱️ TL;DR
Judge.me is ending support outside of Shopify (including WooCommerce, Squarespace, Square, BigCommerce, and Duda) on a staged timeline through January 31, 2026. After each sunset date, access to Judge.me functionality and data is removed, so merchants must export reviews (and manually download any videos) beforehand. If you migrate to Shopify, imported reviews won’t be “verified” and won’t flow into your Google Shopping product ratings feed. Use the checklist below to preserve on‑site trust signals, search snippets, and ad performance—and see how Shapo can keep your social proof visible across any website.
What exactly is changing?
Judge.me announced that it will focus exclusively on Shopify, sunsetting its apps for WooCommerce, Square, Squarespace, BigCommerce, and Duda. The company’s rationale: concentrate technical and support resources on deeper integrations and long‑term product development on Shopify.
Sunset timeline
| Platform | Last day of access |
|---|---|
| WooCommerce | October 31, 2025 |
| Square | October 31, 2025 |
| Squarespace | October 31, 2025 |
| BigCommerce | January 12, 2026 |
| Duda | January 31, 2026 |
After these dates, all Judge.me functionality and data access are permanently removed. Export your reviews and Q&A in advance; videos are not included in exports and must be downloaded manually.
What isn’t changing: If you’re on Shopify, your Judge.me app remains active and supported.
The hidden impact (and why it matters)
1) On‑site trust & conversion
When the app sunsets on a non‑Shopify platform, review widgets, star ratings, and UGC blocks stop rendering—removing essential trust signals from PDPs, category pages, and landing pages. Expect conversion drag until you implement an alternative.
2) SEO & search appearance
If review markup disappears with the widgets, you can lose rich results (stars in organic SERPs). And if you migrate WooCommerce/BigCommerce reviews into Judge.me on Shopify, those imported reviews are not “verified,” which also means they won’t appear in your Google Shopping product ratings feed. Plan to re‑establish review markup and product‑ratings feeds via your new stack.
3) Ads & Google Shopping
Product star ratings in Shopping rely on an eligible product ratings feed. Post‑migration to Shopify, imported cross‑platform reviews won’t feed into Shopping. You’ll need to rebuild eligibility with first‑party review collection on Shopify or a provider that supports a compliant feed.
4) CRM, email & SMS automations
Judge.me can fire review events into Klaviyo and Omnisend (e.g., new review submitted). When the app is no longer installed on your non‑Shopify store, those events stop—which can silently break flows like post‑purchase review requests, loyalty triggers, and segmentation based on review activity. Audit and retarget those automations to your replacement review source.
What to do now: a practical checklist
1) Export everything early
Download reviews and Q&A well before your sunset date, and manually download videos (exports exclude them). Keep a local archive and a backup in your data warehouse or drive.
2) Decide your path by store:
- If you’re moving the affected store to Shopify:
Re‑install Judge.me on Shopify and import the exported reviews, but note, they won’t be verified and won’t enter your Google Shopping product ratings feed. Continue collecting new verified reviews on Shopify to rebuild Shopping eligibility. - If you’re staying on WooCommerce / Squarespace / Square / BigCommerce / Duda:
Choose a reviews provider that natively supports your platform, or surface your existing proof independently of Judge.me using a review/testimonial widget solution like Shapo (details below). (Choosing a new provider depends on your platform and ad/search requirements.)
3) Preserve on‑site trust immediately (no code rebuilds required)
Use Shapo to keep your social proof visible across any website:
- Import your Judge.me reviews into Shapo (API token based), with optional auto‑sync every 24h while access remains available. (Shapo Help Center)
- Publish Badge and List widgets anywhere (Shopify themes, WordPress, Webflow, landing pages) to restore star ratings + counts and selected testimonials.
- Where eligible, enable schema markup for the reviews you display with Shapo to help re‑earn rich snippets. (Shapo supports aggregate rating schema in its review widgets; see help center guide.)
- If you also run real‑time social proof notifications, remember Judge.me → ProveSource works on Shopify; for sunsetted platforms, point your notifications to your new review source. (Judge.me)
4) Patch automations & journeys
- Swap Klaviyo/Omnisend triggers from Judge.me events to your new review source or to Shopify events (if you migrated). Then smoke‑test all flows.
- Update Review Request and UGC capture sequences so you keep collecting fresh verified reviews tied to orders.
5) Protect SEO & ads
- Re‑implement review structured data with your new widgets and test in Rich Results Test and Merchant Center diagnostics.
- Re‑establish your Product Ratings feed with a supported partner for Shopping stars on eligible products.
Using Shapo to “freeze” and future‑proof your social proof
Shapo is built to collect, aggregate, and display reviews/testimonials from 20+ sources. Shapo also helps you keep your reviews visible anywhere with a simple embed, even if you later change your e‑commerce stack. That makes it an effective “continuity layer” for merchants affected by platform sunsets.
3 ways to deploy Shapo fast
- Import your Judge.me reviews now
Connect with your Judge.me private token and pull in your best reviews. You can also enable auto‑sync (runs daily) until your sunsetting date, so new incoming reviews are captured before access ends. After the sunset, your imported reviews remain in Shapo and continue to display via your widgets. (Shapo Help Center) - Restore visible trust with lightweight widgets
Drop in Shapo’s Badge Widget (aggregate stars + count) for instant credibility on product and landing pages, then layer in a List Widget to showcase detailed quotes, photos, or videos. Both are mobile‑friendly and customizable to your brand. - Keep or rebuild rich snippets
Shapo supports aggregate rating schema for the reviews you embed, which can help eligible pages regain stars in search. Use Shapo’s schema guidance to add the JSON‑LD snippet to your site (CMS/LP builder). (Eligibility and display are controlled by search engine policies.)
Showcase authentic feedback and win more trust
Join Shapo now to showcase real reviews and watch your trust and sales grow!
Example plan by store type
WooCommerce store (sunsets Oct 31, 2025):
Week 1–2
- Export Judge.me reviews + Q&A; manually download videos. (Judge.me)
- Import to Shapo; publish Badge/List widgets on PDPs and top LPs. (Shapo Help Center)
- Repoint Klaviyo/Omnisend flows to the new review source. (Judge.me)
Week 3–4
- Rebuild structured data and validate.
- Choose your long‑term WooCommerce review app (if you need verified product reviews + Shopping feed) and begin collecting fresh reviews.
BigCommerce store (sunsets Jan 12, 2026):
- Same as above, with a longer runway. If migrating to Shopify, remember that imported reviews into Judge.me won’t be verified or eligible for Google Shopping product ratings; plan to collect new verified reviews on Shopify post‑launch.
FAQs
Is Judge.me disappearing altogether?
No. Judge.me continues on Shopify. The sunset only affects WooCommerce, Square, Squarespace, BigCommerce, and Duda.
What happens to my data if I miss the deadline?
After your platform’s sunset date, access to all Judge.me functionality and data is permanently removed. Export early.
Can I just import my old reviews to Judge.me on Shopify and keep Shopping stars?
Not with those imported reviews. Judge.me states imported cross‑platform reviews won’t be verified and won’t appear in your Google Shopping product ratings feed. You’ll need to collect new verified reviews tied to Shopify orders for Shopping eligibility.
We use notifications/social proof. Will those break?
If your notifications rely on Judge.me events on a sunsetted platform, then yes, the events stop when the app is gone. Judge.me → ProveSource continues to work on Shopify; otherwise point your notifications to your new review source.
Does Shapo replace a reviews app?
Shapo displays and amplifies your social proof across any website and supports review import/aggregation from many sources (including Judge.me). If you require verified product‑review collection that feeds Google Shopping, you’ll also want a reviews solution that provides a compliant product ratings feed for your platform. Use Shapo alongside that to unify and showcase proof everywhere.
Final word
Vendor sunsets happen. What matters is continuity—keeping trust visible, search‑ready, and conversion‑positive while you re‑platform or re‑tool. Export your data now, re‑establish verified collection where needed, and let Shapo keep your best proof front‑and‑center everywhere you sell.
Resources:
Official Judge.me sunset announcement and timeline; data‑export instructions and video caveat. (Judge.me)
Migration to Shopify: imported reviews not verified and not eligible for Google Shopping product ratings. (Judge.me)
Klaviyo/Omnisend event integrations (for automation patching). (Judge.me)
Shapo: Judge.me import, integrations, widgets, and schema guidance. (Shapo Help Center)
