Just Finished a 4.5-Hour Stream Building a Trustpilot Clone in Next.js

By Douglas Yu•

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Recently, I completed an intensive 4.5-hour live stream where I built a Trustpilot clone using Next.js. The stream was packed with valuable insights, practical coding examples, and hands-on experience in creating a robust review platform from scratch. While the tutorial is currently private, I received a lot of interest from developers and entrepreneurs eager to learn how to build their own high-performance review site.

In this article, I’ll break down the key components of this project and highlight the essential features you need to create a powerful review platform. If you’re interested in learning more, drop a comment, and I’ll consider making the tutorial available again!

Why Build a Trustpilot Clone?

Trustpilot is one of the most recognized review platforms globally, providing users with an avenue to share their experiences with businesses. Having a similar system can be incredibly valuable, whether for niche industries, internal company feedback, or even SaaS products. Building a review platform teaches you key concepts in:

  • User authentication and management

  • AI-powered form automation

  • SEO optimization for organic traffic

  • Data structuring with PostgreSQL and Prisma

  • Advanced internal linking strategies

  • Integration with Google AI for smarter user interactions

Key Features Built in the Live Stream

1. AI-Autofill Forms for Reviews

One of the biggest friction points in leaving reviews is form completion. To make this process seamless, I implemented AI-powered autofill capabilities. Here’s how it works:

  • OpenAI API Integration: Users start typing their review, and AI suggests full sentences or completes their input based on the context.

  • Tone and Sentiment Analysis: The system can analyze the sentiment of the text and adjust suggestions accordingly.

  • Spam and Fake Review Detection: AI automatically detects generic, duplicate, or overly positive/negative reviews to ensure authenticity.

This feature increases user engagement while maintaining high-quality reviews on the platform.

2. Internal Linking System for SEO Benefits

SEO is critical for any review site. I implemented an advanced internal linking system that dynamically connects reviews to relevant pages. The benefits include:

  • Increased Page Authority: Linking related pages helps distribute ranking power across the website.

  • Better User Experience: Users can navigate seamlessly between similar reviews and categories.

  • Automated Keyword Optimization: Reviews are categorized based on keywords, ensuring that each page ranks for the right search terms.

By structuring the internal links properly, the site gains stronger visibility in search engines, leading to long-term organic traffic growth.

3. Perfect SEO Setup for Maximum Visibility

SEO isn’t just about internal linking—it requires a well-rounded strategy. In the stream, I implemented the following:

  • Dynamic Meta Tags: Using Next.js API routes, we dynamically generate title tags, meta descriptions, and OpenGraph tags for social media.

  • Schema Markup: Implementing structured data helps Google understand the content better, improving search engine rankings.

  • Page Speed Optimization: Using Next.js’ Image component and lazy loading to ensure fast loading times.

  • Canonical URLs & Breadcrumbs: Proper canonicalization avoids duplicate content issues, while breadcrumbs enhance navigability.

These optimizations ensure that our Trustpilot clone is search engine-friendly and ready for organic traffic growth.

4. Google AI Integration for Smarter Features

To take the review site to the next level, I integrated Google AI features, enhancing both user experience and moderation.

  • Smart Review Categorization: Automatically classifies reviews based on keywords, sentiment, and topics.

  • AI-Powered Search Suggestions: Uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to suggest relevant search queries.

  • Voice-to-Text Reviews: Users can leave reviews by speaking, which is then converted into text using Google AI.

These AI-driven features create a more interactive and user-friendly experience for reviewers.

5. PostgreSQL + Prisma for Database Management

For handling a scalable review system, I chose PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM for database management. Here’s why:

  • Scalability: PostgreSQL efficiently handles large datasets with relational structures.

  • Prisma’s Type Safety: Ensures we avoid database errors during development.

  • Advanced Querying: Prisma allows us to create optimized queries for retrieving reviews, filtering data, and managing user interactions.

  • Easy API Integration: Using Prisma with Next.js API routes ensures a smooth backend connection.

The database is designed to store reviews efficiently while providing flexibility for future enhancements, such as AI-powered recommendations and fraud detection.