Top Man Digital: Collecting Reviews from External Platforms

What this solution does

Top Man Digital: Reviews module automates the transfer of reviews from external aggregator sites to your website. Simply insert a link to the organization's profile once: the system identifies the source, fetches reviews, avatars, and photos, then stores them in the 'Reviews' information block. The module then periodically checks for new reviews, requiring only your approval for publication.

Reviews on the site serve as social proof for visitors and provide microdata with real ratings for search engines, ensuring the review block remains current and does not become outdated.

Capabilities

Six platforms supported out of the box: Yandex Maps, 2GIS, ProDoctors, Zoon, Ostrovok, and 101Hotels. The platform is automatically detected based on the inserted link, eliminating the need for manual selection.

Link-based setup. In the admin panel, adding an organization requires only entering the profile link; the module automatically extracts the identifier and name. No API keys or registrations are needed (for 2GIS, a public widget key is used, which can be changed in settings if necessary).

The module provides review moderation before publication. By default, new records are created as inactive: the site owner reviews them in the information block and activates only the necessary ones. The automatic publishing mode is enabled via a toggle switch in the settings.

The system prevents duplicate creation. Deduplication is performed using the unique review identifier from the external platform. During subsequent data collection, only new records are added, while previously imported reviews remain unchanged.

All images are saved locally on the site server. The author's avatar is used as the element preview, and photos from the review are stored as files in the properties. This ensures display stability even if the external platform changes its CDN addresses.

The module preserves the full scope of information: author name, rating, date, review text, organization response, photos, and author account level. Additionally, platform-specific data is imported: detailed criterion ratings, verified review status, visit date, branch address, trip type, and room category.

Data is stored in standard Bitrix information block elements. This allows editing, configuring filters, rendering via custom components, utilizing in search, and generating microdata. The module does not isolate information, ensuring complete freedom of data management.

The topman:reviews.list output component includes two display templates. The list features a statistics block (average rating, rating histogram, breakdown by platforms), a tile grid, and standard Bitrix pagination. A carousel with platform filtering via chips and auto-scrolling is also available.

The 'Show More' button supports two modes. Without JavaScript, it acts as a standard link to the next page. With JavaScript enabled, reviews are dynamically loaded into the current list while synchronizing the address bar and the active pagination page.

Responsive design automatically determines the number of cards per row (three, two, or one) for both tiles and the carousel based on screen width.

The Montserrat font is included with the module under the OFL license. It is loaded only if the font is not already present in the site template, preventing duplicate files.

Data collection runs on a schedule via the Bitrix agent, which visits all active organizations at a defined interval (default: once a week). A 'Collect Now' button allows immediate collection for a single organization. A CLI script is also provided to configure a strict schedule via system crontab, independent of site traffic.

A collection log records the date, organization, execution status, number of added and skipped reviews, and error messages for each run. This allows for the prompt detection of layout changes on platforms or access restrictions.

The Top Man Digital module automates the collection of reviews from external platforms and their publication in a Bitrix CMS information block. Configuration options include the publication mode (immediate or moderation), automatic collection interval, pause between organizations, User-Agent setting, 2GIS API key input, and an option to import reviews without text content. The module interface is available in Russian and English, with access rights managed by standard Bitrix user groups.

This solution is designed for clinics, hotels, guest houses, service companies, retail stores with physical locations, and restaurants that have accumulated reviews on third-party platforms but lack them on their website or rely on manual updates.

Key technical considerations: the module extracts data directly from platform web pages, as no public API is available for this purpose. Consequently, the following limitations apply:

1. A single collection cycle retrieves up to 50 recent reviews per organization (on some platforms, the exact number available on the page). This limit is intentional to prevent overloading external resources and avoid triggering access blocks.

2. If a platform modifies its page structure or restricts access, automated collection may temporarily stop. Errors are logged in the system journal and resolved by updating the module.

Previously collected reviews remain stored in the information block and are not lost during configuration changes or temporary collection interruptions.

If “Top Man Digital: Collecting Reviews from External Platforms” fits the task, General iT can install the module, configure it and verify the result in the project.