Init Review System – A Simple Yet Powerful Rating Plugin for WordPress

Review

Changelog

• 1.18 – Version-gated DB Table Provisioning
  • Fixed admin_init running database table checks on every admin page load — previously caused redundant queries on each backend visit.
  • Introduced irs_plugin_db_version option flag to gate table checks behind a version comparison — checks only run when the stored DB version is lower than the current plugin version.
  • Added register_activation_hook to handle table creation on fresh install and multisite network activation.
  • Added wpmu_new_blog hook to automatically provision tables when a new subsite is created in a multisite network.
  • Added upgrader_process_complete hook to reset the version flag after a plugin update, triggering a re-check on the next admin page load.
• 1.17 – Object Cache for Reaction & Review Queries
  • Added 1-hour object cache to init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_score_summary_by_post_id() — avoids recalculating average score and breakdown on every page load.
  • Added 1-hour object cache to init_plugin_suite_review_system_has_user_reviewed() — stores sentinel 1/0 instead of bool to distinguish cache miss from a negative result.
  • Added 1-hour object cache to init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_user_reaction() — stores sentinel __none__ when the user has no reaction to distinguish from a cache miss.
  • Cache for score_summary and has_reviewed is automatically invalidated via the init_plugin_suite_review_system_after_insert action hook when a new review is inserted.
  • Cache for user_reaction is automatically invalidated inside init_plugin_suite_review_system_apply_user_reaction() after each add, switch, or remove operation.
• 1.16 – Server-rendered Review Items
  • Fixed Load More injecting reviews under the wrong user — avatar and display name now resolved server-side per review.
  • Fixed post-submit review rendering hardcoded HTML incompatible with custom templates.
  • Extracted review-item.php as a standalone overridable template — place in your-theme/init-review-system/review-item.php to customize.
  • REST endpoints (get-criteria-reviews, submit-criteria-review) now server-render each review item and return html field; JS only injects, no longer builds DOM.
  • Added helper init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_criteria_by_post_id() to read configured criteria from plugin options.
  • Added helper init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_review_by_id() to fetch a single review by ID.
  • Removed unused insertNewReview() JS function.
• 1.15 – per_page cap & opt-in cache TTL
  • Capped $per_page at 100 in the REST get-reviews endpoint to prevent excessive database load.
  • Introduced filter init_plugin_suite_review_system_ttl (default 0) to opt in to object caching.
  • When TTL > 0, review list and total count queries are cached via wp_cache_set under group init_review_system.
  • Cache invalidation is left to the developer via the init_plugin_suite_review_system_after_insert action hook.
• 1.14 – Reliable Review Ranking with Bayesian Weighted Rating
  • Introduced Bayesian Weighted Rating for accurate and trustworthy review ranking:
    • Eliminates low-sample bias (e.g. single 5★ votes no longer dominate rankings).
    • Prioritizes titles with higher vote confidence.
  • Added new derived meta key _init_review_weighted:
    • Serves as the official ranking score for sorting and queries.
    • Calculated on vote submission, not at query time.
  • Rating architecture improvements:
    • Clear separation between raw review data and ranking data.
    • The plugin now acts as the single source of truth for rating-based ordering.
  • Performance & stability enhancements:
    • Global average rating is cached using transients.
    • Automatic cache invalidation on new votes to prevent stale calculations.
  • Developer experience:
    • The init_plugin_suite_review_system_after_vote hook now includes the weighted score.
    • Configurable minimum vote threshold via init_plugin_suite_review_system_min_votes_threshold filter.
  • No UI or frontend behavior changes.
  • Fully backward compatible with existing REST API consumers.
• 1.13 – Dark Mode Support for Reactions Bar
  • Added .init-reaction-bar.dark modifier to enable Dark Mode for the Reactions Bar.
  • Improved contrast for emojis, counts, and labels on dark backgrounds.
  • Refined hover, active, and disabled states in Dark Mode.
  • Pure CSS enhancement with no impact on existing logic, layout, or JavaScript.
• 1.12 – Anti Spam-Click Protection for Star Rating
  • Added front-end protection against rapid multi-click submissions:
    • Introduced new state: isSubmitting to lock interactions while a vote is being sent.
    • Prevents users from firing multiple requests in a split second.
    • Fully preserves existing behavior: single-click, double-click confirmation, and pending .hovering.
  • Improved front-end stability:
    • Guarantees that only one vote request is processed at a time.
    • On API failure: the widget auto-unlocks, allowing users to retry without getting stuck.
  • Fully backward compatible:
    • No changes to REST API, database schema, or server-side vote logic.
    • Does not affect localStorage, highlight system, or .init-review-disabled behavior.
• 1.11 – User-based Review Fetching + Pagination
  • Added review fetching by user_id:
    • New function: init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_reviews_by_user_id()
    • Supports pagination via $paged and $per_page, identical to post-based queries.
    • Automatically unserializes criteria_scores for direct UI rendering.
  • Data integrity and filtering:
    • Automatically JOINs with wp_posts to exclude orphaned reviews.
    • Only returns reviews linked to existing posts.
  • Added total page counter for user reviews:
    • New function: init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_total_pages_by_user_id()
    • Returns total pagination pages based on $per_page (minimum always 1 for consistent UX).
  • Code quality & security:
    • Sanitized parameters using absint() and max().
    • All SQL queries use $wpdb->prepare() — no raw SQL, no injection risks.
    • Fully PHPCS/WPCS compliant.
• 1.10 – Manual Score Override + Reset (Admin Metabox)
  • Added a new Manual Score Control Metabox inside the post editor:
    • Allows overriding Average (0–5) and Votes (rating count).
    • Total is auto-calculated = Avg × Votes (rounded to 2 decimals).
    • New stat chip UI (Avg / Votes / Total) — compact and visual, dashboard-style.
  • Display conditions:
    • Metabox only appears when the post already has rating data.
    • No ratings yet → metabox does not get registered (no UI noise).
  • Permissions & security:
    • Only users with edit_others_posts capability (Editor or higher) can see or interact with it.
    • save_post handler validates capability to prevent unauthorized POST submissions.
    • Protected with nonce verification.
  • Code quality & WPCS compliance:
    • No <style> tags — all styling is inline to follow WP Admin standards.
    • All output is escaped using esc_html() / esc_attr().
    • POST input sanitized properly using sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash() ).
    • Fully PHPCS compliant — no more OutputNotEscaped or InputNotSanitized warnings.
• 1.9 – Double-Click Rating Confirmation
  • Added double-click confirmation to prevent accidental rating.
    • First click → enters pending state, stars are highlighted using class .hovering.
    • Second click → confirms and submits the rating via REST API.
    • No popups, no alerts — pure action-based UX.
  • Settings panel update:
    • New option: Require double-click to rate.
    • Allows admins to enable/disable confirmation mode.
  • JavaScript improvements (non-breaking):
    • Preserves the existing single-click flow when the option is disabled.
    • .hovering persists across mouseleave while pending.
    • Pending state auto-expires after 1.2s to avoid UI lock.
  • No breaking changes:
    • LocalStorage logic remains untouched.
    • No database or REST changes required.
• 1.8 – Review Pagination & Orphan Filter
  • Updated function init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_reviews_by_post_id():
    • When $post_id = 0, orphaned reviews (linked to deleted or non-existent posts) are now automatically excluded.
    • Applies to all post types (CPTs) ensuring consistent and valid review data.
  • Enhanced shortcode [init_review_criteria]:
    • Added new attribute paged to support review pagination.
    • Internal logic updated to pass dynamic $paged into init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_reviews_by_post_id().
    • Shortcode documentation updated with the new paged parameter description.
  • Minor cleanup:
    • Aligned parameter handling and comments in shortcodes.php.
    • Ensured full backward compatibility with previous Init Plugin Suite versions.
• 1.7 – Moderation & Enhanced UX
  • Added new review content moderation system:
    • Block banned words and banned phrases (configurable in settings).
    • Detect reviews with no whitespace or excessive word repetition.
    • Return clear REST API error codes (banned_word_detected, banned_phrase_detected, no_whitespace, excessive_repetition).
  • Updated settings page:
    • New checkbox to enable/disable JS Precheck.
    • Two textarea fields for banned words and banned phrases.
  • Improved review modal UX:
    • Enforce rating of all required criteria before submission.
    • Inline error/success messages shown directly below the Submit button.
    • Red highlight on criteria groups that are missing scores.
  • JavaScript updates:
    • Synced basic moderation rules (whitespace + repetition) with backend via wp_localize_script.
    • Mapped REST API error codes to i18n keys for better localization.
  • New CSS:
    • .init-review-inline-msg for inline notifications (light/dark mode).
    • .init-review-criteria-error to visually highlight missing criteria.
  • Added developer filters:
    • init_plugin_suite_review_system_min_len_for_ws_check
    • init_plugin_suite_review_system_repetition_threshold
• 1.6 – Secure Reactions & Finalized Module
  • The /reactions/toggle endpoint now strictly requires login: enforced is_user_logged_in() and nonce validation.
  • Updated REST API: permission_callback for /reactions/toggle now only allows authenticated users.
  • Shortcode [init_reactions]: require_login is always set to true for consistent frontend behavior.
  • JavaScript refactor:
    • Removed guest/localStorage fallback (no more anonymous reactions).
    • Preserved initial disabled state for buttons; guests always see counts but cannot interact.
    • Fixed bug where guest buttons could be re-enabled after API calls.
  • CSS update: added .is-disabled style — emoji and counts remain clear, while the button UI appears muted.
  • Accessibility improvements: reaction buttons now correctly toggle aria-pressed and reflect the is-active state.
  • Code cleanup: removed obsolete guest logic and simplified state management.
• 1.5 – Total Reactions & Live Updates
  • Added total reactions counter displayed under “What do you think?”
  • Introduced unique span ID for counter: irs-total-reactions-{post_id} (for JS updates)
  • Updated JavaScript to instantly update total count when users toggle reactions
  • Added CSS styles for .init-reaction-total (spacing, font weight, readability)
  • Improved accessibility with aria-live="polite" for screen reader updates
  • Enhanced i18n with translators comment for the “%s reaction(s)” string
  • Minor code cleanups and consistency improvements
• 1.4 – Reactions System
  • Introduced Reactions System: emoji-based reactions (👍 😄 😍 😯 😠 😢).
  • Added shortcode [init_reactions] and template reactions-bar.php for displaying the reactions bar.
  • Dual storage: reactions are saved in both post meta (aggregate counts) and a dedicated init_reactions table (user ↔ post mapping).
  • Guest-friendly: works without login, tracked via localStorage.
  • Added developer filters:
    • init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_reaction_types
    • init_plugin_suite_review_system_reaction_meta_key
  • New admin setting: option to auto-insert the Reactions Bar before the comment form (default OFF).
  • Added init_reactions item to the Shortcode Builder with attributes id, class, css.
  • Internal refactor: extracted reaction-core functions, silent table creation with dbDelta().
• 1.3 – Comprehensive Review Management
  • Restructured admin interface: moved from Settings submenu to a dedicated main menu with a star icon.
  • Added a comprehensive review management system with bulk operations and filtering capabilities.
  • Implemented a review approval workflow with Pending / Approved / Rejected status management.
  • Enhanced the admin dashboard with review statistics, search functionality, and pagination.
  • Added individual review actions: approve, reject, delete with full nonce security.
  • Integrated bulk actions for managing multiple reviews simultaneously.
  • Created a dedicated review management page with detailed review display and user information.
  • Improved database queries with proper prepared statements and PHPCS compliance.
  • Added admin-only review management scripts with proper WordPress enqueueing standards.
  • Refined plugin architecture for better scalability and maintainability.
• 1.2 – Security hardening
  • Escaped all frontend output using esc_html(), esc_attr(), and wp_kses() to improve security.
  • Secured REST API: enforced login and nonce validation when login mode is enabled.
  • Added uninstall.php to remove all plugin options when uninstalled.
  • Finalized readme.txt for WordPress.org Directory with enhanced metadata and filters section.
  • Added a full == Filters for Developers == section to document available filters and actions.
  • Created a standalone README.md for GitHub with REST API docs, shortcode usage, and developer hooks.
  • Improved admin UI: better labels, descriptions, and grouped settings layout.
  • Refactored shortcode logic for maintainability and extensibility.
• 1.1 – Multi-criteria review support added
  • Introduced multi-criteria review system – allowing users to rate multiple custom aspects (e.g. UI, UX, Speed, etc.).
  • New shortcode [init_review_criteria] – displays total score, rating modal, review list, and per-criteria breakdown.
  • Criteria are loaded dynamically from admin settings – supports up to 5 custom criteria labels.
  • Logic separated between single and multi-criteria systems to avoid conflicts and keep things clean.
  • New review modal UI optimized for UX: lightweight, intuitive, theme-compatible.
  • Supports dedicated Schema JSON-LD output for multi-criteria reviews (optional via shortcode).
  • Allows limiting number of reviews displayed using the per_page attribute in shortcode.
  • Updated shortcode builder in wp-admin to support the new review system and schema toggles.
  • New developer filters available: init_plugin_suite_review_system_get_criteria_labels, init_plugin_suite_review_system_schema_type, etc.
  • Performance optimization: JS/CSS only loaded when shortcode is present – zero impact on other pages.
  • Minor bug fixes and improved REST data handling and security validations on frontend.
• 1.0 – First release of Init Review System
  • Introduced shortcode [init_review_system] to display a 5-star voting block on the frontend.
  • Introduced shortcode [init_review_score] to show average rating (readonly), with optional star icon.
  • Added REST API endpoint /wp-json/initrsys/v1/vote to record votes via JavaScript.
  • Voting tracked via localStorage – no login or cookies required.
  • Outputs SEO-optimized JSON-LD schema using AggregateRating.
  • Auto-insert options for rating blocks and score display before/after content or comment form.
  • Option to require login or enable strict IP check to prevent repeated votes.
  • Lightweight, responsive UI that inherits styling from your current theme.
  • Entire frontend rendered using Vanilla JS – no jQuery.
  • Settings page in wp-admin with display options, login restriction toggle, IP protection, and shortcode builder.
  • Built-in filters, actions, and helper functions for developers to extend voting logic, schema, and behavior.
  • Designed to integrate seamlessly with other Init Plugin Suite tools like Init Embed Posts and Init Live Search.