V2.5

=== NGT Custom Google Reviews Pro ===
Contributors: netgreater
Tags: google reviews, reviews slider, google places api, outscraper, apify
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 6.5
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 2.5
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Zero-bloat review aggregation suite engineered specifically for seamlessly integrating Google Places data into WordPress.

== Description ==

NGT Custom Google Reviews Pro is a zero-bloat review aggregation suite engineered specifically for seamlessly integrating Google Places data into WordPress. Instead of relying on heavy third-party iframes, this plugin natively queries and caches data locally in a dedicated custom database table, maximizing frontend loading speeds while giving you complete structural control over the client viewing experience.

By saving reviews locally, your site is completely protected from API rate limits and external latency. With advanced multi-provider support, you can effortlessly bypass Google's strict 5-review API limitation by connecting scraping integrations like Outscraper or Apify, or using the Google Places Legacy API.

Key Features

• Multiple Data Sources: Fetch reviews using the Google Places API (New), Google Places API (Legacy), Outscraper API, or Apify Scraper API.
• Real-Time Live Preview Engine: Fine-tune your layout, colors, and typography instantly from a streamlined administrative dashboard featuring a responsive live visual node canvas.
• Customizable Popup Modal & Behaviors: Choose how your "Read More" links behave—open a clean Popup Modal (preventing any section height stretching), use a scrollable box inside the card, or expand inline. Fully customize popup background colors, text colors, and corner radius.
• Exact Character Cutoff: Precisely truncate review text by character count (e.g., 100 or 10 characters) with real-time backend preview updates.
• Local Database Storage: Reviews are saved locally in a custom table, completely eliminating frontend API lag.
• Manual Review Creation: Easily add manual or offline reviews directly from the dashboard to display alongside your Google reviews.
• Flexible Automatic Background Sync: Set your reviews to sync automatically every 12 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, 15 days, or 30 days via a lightweight background cron job.
• Hide Blank Reviews: Toggle off rating-only reviews that do not contain written text.
• Secure API Key Masking: API keys and tokens are securely masked by default in the admin panel with a built-in visibility toggle.
• Three Layout Styles: Choose between a Minimal Text Carousel, a Boxed Card Carousel, or a Static Grid.
• Native Gutenberg Block & Shortcode: Drop your review matrix directly into any page using the native block editor or the [custom_google_reviews] shortcode.

== Installation ==

1. Upload the custom-google-reviews folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory, or install the ZIP file via the WordPress plugins dashboard.
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress.
3. Navigate to the Google Reviews menu in your dashboard.
4. Under Data Source Connection, select your preferred API provider (Google New, Google Legacy, Outscraper, or Apify) and enter your API Key/Token.
5. Click Save Configurations Matrix, then click Sync Reviews Now to populate your local database.
6. Configure your display settings, character cutoffs, Read More behaviors, colors, and typography.
7. Use the Gutenberg block "Google Reviews Pro" or the shortcode [custom_google_reviews] to display the slider on your site.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Why are only 5 reviews showing when using the Google API? =
The Google Places API (New) limits responses to 5 relevant reviews. To bypass this and fetch all chronological reviews, switch your API Provider to Outscraper API or Apify in the settings.

= How do I hide reviews that have no text? =
Go to the Behavior & Display Rules section and check the "Hide Blank Reviews" box.

= Can I add a review manually? =
Yes. Scroll to the bottom of the settings page and use the "Add Manual Review" form to inject a custom review into the database. It will immediately appear in your slider.

= How do I customize the Popup Modal appearance? =
When "Open Popup Modal" is selected under Read More Click Behavior, a Popup Modal Styling row will appear in Section 4 (Colors & Typography Settings) allowing you to customize its background color, text color, and corner radius.

= Are API keys secure? =
Yes, API keys are masked by default in the admin panel to prevent shoulder-surfing. You can toggle their visibility using the eye icon.

== Changelog ==

= 2.5 =

• Feature: Added customizable Popup Modal styling settings (Background Color, Text Color, and Corner Radius).
• Feature: Added conditional admin UI row to hide/show modal styling options based on Read More behavior selection.
• Enhancement: Upgraded character cutoff handling to precise PHP string truncation (mb_substr) with real-time live preview responsiveness.
• Enhancement: Added autoplay pause handling when popup modals are opened on the frontend.

= 2.4 =

• Feature: Added support for Outscraper API and Apify Scraper API integration.
• Feature: Added support for Google Places API (Legacy) endpoint.
• Feature: Added "Add Manual Review" form to inject custom reviews into the database table.
• Feature: Added option to hide blank/rating-only reviews.
• Feature: Added backend pagination for the "All Stored Reviews" database table (displays 5 per page).
• Feature: Added 15-day and 30-day intervals for automatic background syncing.
• Enhancement: Masked API Key input fields for better security with a visibility toggle.
• Enhancement: Reorganized dashboard layout to move database tables and manual entry forms below the Live Preview Engine.

= 2.3 =

• Initial release of the Pro version with custom database storage, WP Cron sync, block editor integration, and real-time live preview engine.