TrustShop stores its reviews in Shopify metafields, which means Merges can transfer them to the merged product automatically during a merge. No manual migration is needed - the reviews follow the product.
This page walks through what to check before merging, what happens during the merge, and how to verify reviews on the merged product afterwards.
Why TrustShop works smoothly with Merges
Review apps generally fall into two camps:
- Reviews stored in Shopify metafields (for example, TrustShop). Merges reads these metafields from the source products and writes them to the merged product during save.
- Reviews stored in the app's external database (for example, Judge.me). These require the review app's own tooling to move reviews between products.
TrustShop falls into the first camp, so merges with TrustShop reviews work without any extra steps.
Before merging
Make sure each of the following is true:
- TrustShop is installed in your Shopify admin and has been collecting reviews for the source products.
- TrustShop's metafield definitions are configured in Settings -> Metafields and metaobjects in your Shopify admin. TrustShop sets these up automatically when installed - but if you installed TrustShop after the source products were created, the app may need a sync to populate the definitions.
- Source product reviews are visible on the Shopify product admin page's metafield section. If a source product has no reviews in its metafields, there is nothing to transfer for that product.
If any of the above is not true, fix it before merging. Once the merge is saved, you cannot retroactively transfer review data by repeating the merge.
What happens during the merge
When Merges saves a merge:
- Shopify metafields attached to the source products are read.
- Definition-backed metafields (including TrustShop's review metafields) are written to the merged product.
- Review counts and average ratings on the merged product reflect the combined data from all source products.
The source products are then archived, but their reviews remain attached to the archived products. TrustShop continues to see reviews on the merged product via the metafields it reads.
Verifying on the merged product
After saving the merge, open the merged product on your live storefront and confirm:
- The TrustShop review widget appears in the expected location on the product page.
- The review count matches the combined count of all source products.
- The star rating is an accurate combined average.
- Individual reviews are visible when the widget is expanded.
If the widget does not appear, check:
- Theme placement. TrustShop's widget is placed via an app block, a snippet, or a theme customization. If the placement references a specific product by ID, it may need to be re-pointed at the merged product. Consult your theme or the TrustShop install guide.
- Metafield definitions. Open Settings -> Metafields and metaobjects and confirm TrustShop's metafields are defined there. Without definitions, Merges cannot transfer them reliably.
- TrustShop cache. Some review apps cache rendering per product. Open the TrustShop admin and look for a sync or refresh action for the merged product.
Managing reviews after the merge
Once the merge is live, TrustShop treats the merged product like any other product. New reviews collected from customers who purchase the merged product accumulate on the merged product's metafields. You manage them from the TrustShop admin as usual.
If you need to edit, delete, or reply to an older review that was transferred from a source product, use the TrustShop admin - not the Shopify metafield editor. Editing raw metafield values can break TrustShop's rendering.
What does not transfer
- TrustShop-specific settings attached to individual source products (for example, widget-level overrides) may need to be reconfigured on the merged product. Most TrustShop installations use store-wide settings, in which case this does not apply.
- Q&A threads or photo uploads tied to a specific source product review - if TrustShop stores these separately from the primary review metafield, they may not transfer. Check in TrustShop's admin after the merge and contact TrustShop support if anything is missing.
Troubleshooting
Reviews show a partial count. Some source products may not have had their review metafields populated. Open each archived source product in the Shopify admin and check its metafields section. If one is empty, that source product contributed no reviews.
Star rating looks off. Verify the merged product's review metafield shows the combined data. The widget's average calculation is TrustShop's - if the metafield is correct and the displayed rating is not, contact TrustShop support.
The widget shows 0 reviews. Confirm TrustShop's metafield definitions are present in Settings -> Metafields and metaobjects. If they are missing, install or reinstall TrustShop to regenerate them, then email support@merges.io to discuss options for transferring reviews retroactively.
Comparing with other review apps
| Review app | Reviews stored in | Action required |
|---|---|---|
| TrustShop | Shopify metafields | None - transfers automatically |
| Judge.me | Judge.me's own database | Use Product Groups - see Judge.me guide |
For any other review app, check with the app's support before merging to confirm whether reviews are stored in Shopify metafields (which Merges transfers automatically) or in the app's own database (which requires their support to remap after a merge).
Need help
Email support@merges.io with your merged product URL and what you are seeing. We can help diagnose whether the issue is with Merges, with the review app, or with the theme.