Senja
Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Google review imports

If your imported Google reviews aren't syncing, show inconsistent dates, or display broken images, this article explains why it happens and what you can do about it.

This is applicable to any Senja plans: Free, Starter, and Pro.

For the import steps themselves, see Import testimonials from Google Reviews/Business.

Google reviews are not syncing

  • Sync failures: If your Google reviews are not syncing, try re-syncing your account from the import page. If the issue persists, contact support.

  • Business not found: Ensure you're using the correct business name and address as it appears on Google Maps.

Review dates are inconsistent

Some customers have noticed that the dates on their imported Google reviews appear to be incorrect, often showing the same day across different months.

Why this happens

We source Google review data through a third-party API provider. The date associated with a review is passed to us from this provider, and unfortunately, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. This can result in reviews showing incorrect or inconsistent dates, such as the same day repeated over several months.

The dates shown on Google reviews within our platform may not be accurate due to limitations with our API provider. We are aware of this issue and recommend hiding the dates on your widgets if you notice inconsistencies.

How to hide review dates

If you are concerned about the accuracy of the dates displayed on your reviews, you can choose to hide them in your widget:

  • Go to your Studio page: https://app.senja.io/studio

  • Navigate to the widget you want to edit

  • Click on the Design tab

  • Locate the toggle for Show Dates and turn it off

Hiding the dates on your reviews can prevent confusion for your customers and ensure a cleaner, more consistent look for your testimonials.

When you import Google reviews using Senja's auto import feature, some reviewer profile photos or review images may appear as broken image icons in your widgets. This happens when Google's servers return a 403 Forbidden error when the image is requested.

Why this happens

The 403 error is generated by Google, not by Senja. Several factors can cause Google to restrict access to review images:

  • Image permissions: The original image may have been made private by its owner or removed from Google's servers

  • Rate limiting: Google may temporarily restrict access to images to prevent excessive requests

  • Internal policies: Google's internal systems may block certain images based on their own content or security policies

This is a known limitation that affects many applications using Google's review data, not just Senja. Because it originates from Google's servers, Senja can't force Google to serve the images, prevent the 403 errors, or predict which images will be affected.

What to expect

  • Some images will display correctly while others appear broken

  • The pattern is not predictable, it varies by review and over time

  • The text of the reviews is not affected

  • Your widget continues to work normally

Alternative approaches

If consistent image display is important to you, consider these alternatives:

  • Collect testimonials directly: Collect testimonials from your customers with a Senja form. This gives you full control over the content and images.

  • Use multiple review sources: Import reviews from other platforms to reduce dependence on Google reviews alone.

  • Focus on review content: The most valuable part of any review is the written content. Consider designing your widgets to emphasize the review text rather than profile images.

Remember: This is a limitation of Google's image serving, not a problem with your Senja setup.

Still having trouble? Contact our support team with the Google business URL you're importing from and a screenshot of the issue.

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