SFR Book Review Showcase
Display Amazon book reviews with customizable layouts, affiliate tracking, OCR import, and analytics. Perfect for book bloggers and authors.
Consider an alternative
SFR Book Review Showcase shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites and was last updated 8 months ago, and scores 39/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.9 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where SFR Book Review Showcase stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| affiliate | >100 |
| amazon | >100 |
| author | >100 |
| book reviews | #38 |
| testimonials | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About SFR Book Review Showcase
From the official readme · v1.4.1Description
SFR Book Review Showcase makes it easy to display book reviews from Amazon on your WordPress site. Perfect for book bloggers, review sites, and authors who want to showcase reader feedback in a professional, customisable format.
Whether you’re building a book recommendation site, adding social proof to product pages, or creating a curated reading library, this plugin gives you complete control over how reviews appear.
What Makes This Plugin Special:
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Book Library Management – Organize books with multiple formats (Kindle, Paperback, Hardback, Audible, Other), each with its own ASIN. Track all formats and review counts in one central location.
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Smart Import Options – Add reviews manually or use the built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition) helper to extract text directly from review screenshots. Save hours of manual typing.
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Flexible Display Options – Choose between grid or list layouts with full control over colours, typography, spacing, and shadows. Display reviews using shortcodes or the Gutenberg block editor.
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Powerful Filtering – Filter reviews by book title (shows all formats), specific ASIN, category, or featured status. Sort by date, rating, reviewer name, and more.
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Review Categories – Organize reviews into categories like Fiction, Non-fiction, Photography, Mystery, etc. for easy browsing and filtering.
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Built-in Analytics – Track views, clicks, and click-through rates (CTR) for each review. Identify your top-performing reviews and optimize your affiliate marketing strategy.
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Amazon Affiliate Integration – Automatically generate affiliate links with your Amazon Associates ID. Track clicks to measure the effectiveness of your review displays.
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Gutenberg Block Support – Use the “Book Reviews” block in the WordPress block editor with visual controls for all styling options. No coding required.
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Lightweight & Fast – All data is stored locally in your WordPress database. No external API calls that slow down your site. Only optional OCR feature connects to external service.
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Developer Friendly – Fully namespaced code prevents conflicts with other plugins. Clean, well-documented codebase following WordPress coding standards.
Upgrade to Pro for Advanced Features:
Looking for more power? SFR Book Review Showcase Pro includes:
- Advanced Analytics & Reporting – Enhanced analytics dashboards with scheduled email reports (weekly/monthly)
- CSV Import & Export – Bulk import reviews from CSV files or export your entire library
- KDP Sales Integration – Import and track KDP sales data alongside review performance
- Elementor Widget – Dedicated widget for Elementor page builder users
- Carousel Block – Display reviews in a beautiful carousel/slider format
- Advanced Affiliate Tracking – Enhanced click tracking and affiliate sales monitoring
- Premium Layout Templates – Additional professional layout options
Free Pro Trial (no credit card required)
This plugin is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon. Amazon is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc.
Why Use This Plugin?
- Increase conversions – Display authentic social proof to boost Amazon affiliate earnings
- Save time – Import reviews in seconds instead of manual copy-paste
- Build authority – Create a professional book recommendation site
- Easy import – Capture reviews manually or use the OCR helper to extract text from screenshots
- Flexible display – Grid or list layouts with full control over colours, spacing, and typography
- Smart organisation – Group reviews by category (Fiction, Non-fiction, Photography, etc.)
- Track performance – See which reviews get the most views and clicks
- No bloat – Lightweight, namespaced code that won’t conflict with other plugins
Key Features
- Book Library Management – Organize books with multiple formats (Kindle, Paperback, Hardback, Audible, Other), each with its own ASIN. View all formats and review counts in one place.
- Dedicated admin area with dashboard, paginated
WP_List_Table, add/edit form, book library, categories manager, analytics, and settings - Shortcode and dynamic Gutenberg block with grid/list layouts, customisable colours, typography, spacing, and “Load more” pagination
- Filter reviews by book title to show all formats of a book, or filter by specific ASIN or category
- Review categories for quick grouping (e.g. Fiction, Puzzle Books, Photography)
- OCR-based importer powered by OCR.space to pull text from screenshots in a guided workflow
- Amazon helpers for ASIN storage per format, associate IDs for affiliate links, and outbound click tracking
- Analytics summary (views vs clicks, CTR, top performers) stored locally in custom database tables
- Fully namespaced PHP classes (
SFRBRS_), functions (sfrbrs_), CSS, and JS handles to prevent conflicts
Upgrade to Pro
The Pro version unlocks powerful features for serious book bloggers and affiliate marketers:
- Advanced Analytics & Reporting – Enhanced dashboards with scheduled email reports
- CSV Import & Export – Bulk operations to save hours of manual work
- KDP Sales Integration – Track book sales alongside review performance
- Elementor Widget – Native Elementor integration for drag-and-drop page building
- Carousel Block – Beautiful carousel/slider display option
- Advanced Affiliate Tracking – Enhanced click tracking and sales monitoring
- Premium Layout Templates – Additional professional design options
Free Pro Trial (no credit card required)
Shortcode & Block Usage
[sfr_book_reviews]
Supported attributes (camelCase or kebab-case):
layout(grid|list, default grid)limit(1-50, default 6)featured(true|false)asin(single ASIN)book(book title – shows reviews for all formats of the book)category(comma-separated slugs)orderby(review_date, star_rating, reviewer_name, asin, status, created_at)order(ASC|DESC, default DESC)cardBackground,cardTextColor,accentColor(hex colours)shadow(true|false, enables card drop shadow)gap,padding(pixels)titleFontSize,bodyFontSize,reviewTextFontSize(pixels)showCategories(true|false, shows category badges, default false)
Examples:
[sfr_book_reviews featured="true" category="fiction"][sfr_book_reviews asin="B09EXAMPLE" layout="list" limit="3"][sfr_book_reviews book="The Great Gatsby" layout="grid"][sfr_book_reviews shadow="false" cardBackground="#f8fafc" accentColor="#F97316"][sfr_book_reviews category="fiction,mystery" featured="true" layout="grid" limit="9" shadow="true" accentColor="#DC2626"]
External services
This plugin connects to external services to provide certain features:
OCR.space API
The plugin uses OCR.space’s API (powered by Tesseract OCR) to extract text from review screenshots when using the OCR import feature. This service is only used when you explicitly choose to import a review via the OCR helper workflow.
What data is sent:
* Base64-encoded image data (screenshots you upload through the WordPress media library)
* Image metadata (MIME type, language preference)
When data is sent:
* Only when you use the OCR import feature in the admin area
* Images are sent immediately when you click “Extract Text” during the OCR import process
* No data is sent automatically or in the background
Service provider:
* OCR.space (https://ocr.space/)
* Terms of Service: https://ocr.space/ocrapi/TermsOfService
* Privacy Policy: https://ocr.space/ocrapi/PrivacyPolicy
Note: The plugin uses OCR.space’s free API tier by default. You can optionally configure your own API key in the plugin settings if you have an OCR.space account.
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to
wp-content/plugins/or install via Plugins → Add New - Activate the plugin from the Plugins screen
- Visit Book Reviews → Settings to configure:
- Amazon Associates ID (for affiliate commissions)
- Default styling (colors, layouts)
- OCR preferences (optional)
- Add books to your Book Library with multiple formats (Kindle, Paperback, Hardback, Audible, Other) and their ASINs
- Add reviews under Book Reviews → All Reviews or import via the OCR helper, linking them to books and formats
- Use the shortcode or Gutenberg block to display reviews anywhere on your site
Frequently asked questions
Is this compliant with Amazon’s terms of service?
Reviews are displayed as quotes with proper attribution and link back to Amazon. Always ensure your use complies with Amazon’s current Associate Programme Operating Agreement and your local regulations.
Will this slow down my site?
No. Reviews are stored in your database and served locally. The only external calls are optional (OCR imports), which don’t affect front-end performance. The plugin does not make API calls to Amazon.
How are reviews stored?
Reviews are stored in the custom wp_sfrbrs_book_reviews database table within your WordPress installation. CSV and JSON export functionality is planned for a future release.
Does the plugin load translations?
Yes. When distributed via WordPress.org, translations load automatically. For manual installs, place .mo files in the languages/ directory.
Can I filter by category or ASIN?
Yes. Use the category attribute with comma-separated slugs (e.g. category="fiction,mystery") or target a specific book with asin="B09EXAMPLE" on the shortcode or Gutenberg block.
Do I need an OCR.space account?
The OCR import feature uses OCR.space’s free API tier.
What data does this plugin collect or share?
The plugin stores review data and view/click analytics locally in your WordPress database. When using the OCR import feature, screenshots are sent to OCR.space for text recognition. The plugin does not make API calls to Amazon—it only displays links to Amazon product pages that you manually enter. No personal data is collected from your site visitors.
Does it add cookies or external tracking?
No. All analytics data stays in your WordPress database and only records aggregate view and click counts. No cookies are set and no visitor data is sent to external services.
Can I customise the review layout?
Yes. Use the shortcode attributes or Gutenberg block controls to adjust colours, spacing, typography, card shadows, and more. You can also override styles with custom CSS if needed.
What happens if I deactivate the plugin?
Your review data remains in the database. Shortcodes will stop rendering. If you reactivate later, everything returns as it was. To remove everything when uninstalling, enable Book Reviews → Settings → Data Retention → Delete plugin data when uninstalling before deleting the plugin via the Plugins screen.
Can I export my reviews?
CSV and JSON export functionality is planned for a future release. Currently, reviews are stored in the wp_sfrbrs_book_reviews database table and can be accessed directly via database tools if needed.
Can I display reviews for my own Amazon books as well as books by other authors?
Yes! You can display Amazon reviews for any book – whether it’s your own book or books you recommend on your site.
Changelog
Hotfix: Removed debug logging that caused errors on live sites. All users on 1.4.0 should update immediately.
1.4.1
- Fix: Removed debug logging statements accidentally left in production code that caused file_put_contents errors on live sites
1.4.0
- Removed Freemius SDK – Rolled back to pre-Freemius codebase (1.2.2). Plugin now uses standard WordPress.org update checks. Upgrade to Pro via link in menu.
1.2.2
- Enhancement: Expanded shortcode reference documentation with comprehensive examples for use in posts, pages, page builders, and products (e.g. WooCommerce)
- Enhancement: Added quick access links to shortcode reference from all admin pages
- Enhancement: Improved shortcode reference table layout for better readability
1.2.1
- Fix: Added Pro version check to prevent block registration conflicts when Pro plugin is active
- Enhancement: Improved compatibility between Free and Pro versions
1.2.0 – 2025-01-05
Bug Fixes:
* Fixed title color not changing with card text color setting – title now properly inherits card text color
* Enhanced shadow visibility – improved shadow opacity and added layered shadow effect for better visibility on all background colors
* Fixed security warnings – properly escaped style attribute outputs in review card rendering
Improvements:
* Added help text to font size controls indicating changes won’t appear in preview but will work on frontend
* Improved CSS specificity for title color to ensure it overrides theme styles
* Fixed prepared SQL query warning in admin area by using esc_sql() for table names
* Enhanced code standards compliance for WordPress Plugin Check
1.1.1 – 2025-12-11
Code Standards & Plugin Check Compliance:
* Fixed all WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared errors by adding proper phpcs:ignore comments
* Fixed WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared warnings for table name interpolation
* Shortened upgrade notice for version 1.1.0 to comply with WordPress.org character limits
* Improved code documentation and phpcs:ignore comments throughout repository classes
Screenshots
For developers
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FAQ
SFR Book Review Showcase: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 11, 2026
Is SFR Book Review Showcase free?
Yes. SFR Book Review Showcase is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is SFR Book Review Showcase safe to use in 2026?
SFR Book Review Showcase shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites and was last updated 8 months ago, and scores 39/100 on our health check.
How many websites use SFR Book Review Showcase?
SFR Book Review Showcase is active on 20+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,047 times since it launched in November 2025. It was downloaded 69 times in the last 30 days.
Does SFR Book Review Showcase work with WordPress 7.1?
SFR Book Review Showcase is officially tested up to WordPress 6.9.10, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does SFR Book Review Showcase need?
SFR Book Review Showcase requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was SFR Book Review Showcase last updated?
The latest version, 1.4.1, was released on February 12, 2026 (8 months ago).
Who makes SFR Book Review Showcase?
SFR Book Review Showcase is developed and maintained by SupportFromRichard.
What are the best alternatives to SFR Book Review Showcase?
The most popular alternatives to SFR Book Review Showcase are Advanced Ads (100K+ installs), Pochipp (30K+ installs) and Meks Easy Ads Widget (10K+ installs).
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