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ToolDeck

Ecommerce

Review Responder

Every review gets a drafted, on-brand reply — you approve or edit, then it sends.

Saves about ~1 hr per week

What it does

  • Pulls new reviews from your reviews app or store
  • Drafts an on-brand reply for each star level
  • Escalates negative reviews with a personal touch
  • Queues drafts for one-click approval

How it works

  1. New review detected
  2. AI drafts a reply matched to the star rating
  3. Negative reviews flagged for personal reply
  4. Approved drafts sent from your review tool

What's included

  • Reviews connection
  • Reply drafting
  • Negative-review escalation

Set it up yourself

Follow these 4 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Shopify.

Step 1: Connect reviews

  1. Export or connect your reviews source: the built-in Shopify product reviews, reviews app, or Google reviews.
  2. Create a sheet 'Reviews Inbox' with columns: Product, Rating, Review Text, Reviewer, Date, Reply Status.
  3. Set the workflow to pull new reviews from the source.
  4. Test the pull returns rows.
  5. Note the reply field your review platform uses for the final step.

Watch out: Include the rating — the reply draft is highly rating-dependent.

Step 2: Add the reply prompt

  1. Build: 'Draft a reply to this review. Star rating {n}. For 5-star: thank, reference something specific. For 4-star: thank + address the minor point. For 1-3 star: apologize, acknowledge specific issue, invite them to reach out to support, no excuses. Keep it on-brand: {voice}, ≤70 words.'
  2. Do not ask for a rating change (against platform rules).
  3. Paste with API key.
  4. Test on each star level.
  5. Review the 1-star drafts carefully yourself.

Watch out: Never let the AI ask for rating changes or argue — review platforms penalize that, and customers screenshot it.

Step 3: Set escalation rules

  1. Flag 1-3 star reviews as 'personal reply required' in the sheet.
  2. For 4-5 star, queue the draft for one-click approval.
  3. For anything with a refund/quality complaint, route to a 'needs action' list with the draft.
  4. Add a daily review of the flagged list.
  5. Test the routing.

Watch out: A bad review is a retention opportunity — flagging for personal handling (not auto-send) is what preserves that.

Step 4: Queue for approval

  1. Drafts land in a queue (a sheet 'Approvals' or your helpdesk).
  2. Approve → the flow posts the reply via your review platform's API.
  3. Edit → your edits are saved and posted.
  4. Log the reply status so the same review isn't re-drafted.
  5. Review the queue daily.

Watch out: Response speed matters on review platforms (Google especially) — try to clear the queue within 48h.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Review Responder automation do?

Every review gets a drafted, on-brand reply — you approve or edit, then it sends. Pulls new reviews from your reviews app or store

How much time does Review Responder save?

It is estimated to save ~1 hr per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Review Responder use?

It works with Shopify.

What does Review Responder include?

Reviews connection, Reply drafting, Negative-review escalation.

Can I set up Review Responder myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 4 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.