Guide · testimonials
How to write a testimonial
Whether a business asked you for a few words or you are drafting one together with a customer, a good testimonial follows the same steps. It is short, specific and honest, and it sounds like the person who gives it.
Six steps to a testimonial people believe
1. Start with the situation
Say in a sentence what you needed, or what was not working, before. Readers decide from this first line whether a testimonial applies to them, so describe the problem the way you lived it, not the way a brochure would.
2. Say what changed
Describe what is different since you started using the product or working with the business. A change you noticed yourself, such as time you got back, a worry that went away or a task that became easy, convinces more than a general verdict like “great service”.
3. Add one detail only a real customer would know
A feature you rely on, a moment when support helped, the way a project was run. One concrete detail makes the whole testimonial believable, while a list of everything you liked makes it read like an advert.
4. Say who you would recommend it to
Close with the kind of person or team that would benefit. It helps readers recognise themselves, and it gives the testimonial a natural ending.
5. Keep it short, and in your own voice
Two to four sentences are enough for most places. Read the draft aloud: if a sentence sounds like marketing copy rather than like you, rewrite it in the words you would use with a colleague.
6. Agree on how you are named and where it appears
Decide whether to give your full name, your role, your company and a photo, and ask where the testimonial will be shown. You can ask for changes before it is published, and you can ask for it to be removed later.
Write yours with the fill-in template
These are templates, not testimonials. They contain placeholders such as [Your name] and no one’s real words. Fill them with your own experience.
Replace the words in square brackets with your own details. With JavaScript on, the fields here fill every template on the page for you.
The six steps as one paragraph
Fill-in template, not a real testimonial
Before [Product or business], I [the situation, in your words].
Since then, [what changed for you]. What I rely on most is [one detail only a customer would know].
I would recommend it to [who it would help].
— [Your name], [Your role] at [Your company]The short version
Fill-in template, not a real testimonial
[What changed for you, in one sentence]. I would recommend [Product or business] to [who it would help].
— [Your name], [Your company]Mistakes that weaken a testimonial
- Vague praise with nothing behind it: “amazing”, “the best”, “highly recommended” on their own tell a reader nothing.
- Exaggeration: claiming a bigger result than you actually saw. Say what happened, even if it is modest.
- A list of every feature. Pick the one or two that mattered to you.
- Writing in someone else’s name. A testimonial is only yours if you wrote it or approved every word.
If you are the business asking
- Ask specific questions instead of “could you write us a testimonial?”, which leaves people staring at a blank page.
- Offer to draft the text from the customer’s answers, then send it to them to approve or change.
- Publish only the wording and the name the customer approved, and keep a record of their consent.
- Never publish words a customer did not say, and never invent a customer.
Start with thetestimonial request email templates, the questions for a testimonial form and the fill-in testimonial formats.
Keep it honest
In the United States, the FTC’s Endorsement Guides say a testimonial must reflect the honest opinion or experience of the person giving it, and that you may tidy the wording but not reword it so that it distorts what they meant.Source [1] If the customer got something in return that your readers would not expect, such as a discount or a free product, that connection must be disclosed clearly.Source [2] This is a summary, not legal advice.
Structures for your industry
The testimonial examples adapt these steps to different kinds of business:
Frequently asked questions
How long should a testimonial be?
Usually two to four sentences: long enough to describe the situation, the change and one detail, short enough to read at a glance. A single specific sentence works where space is tight.
What should I write in a testimonial for a business?
What you needed before, what changed after working with them, one concrete detail and who you would recommend them to. Write it the way you would explain it to a colleague.
Can a business edit my testimonial?
It may shorten it or fix spelling, but it should not change what you meant, and you should see the final version before it is published. You can ask for it to be corrected or removed.
Can I write a testimonial in exchange for a discount?
You can, as long as it is your honest opinion, but the business should disclose that you received something in return wherever it shows the testimonial.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, published in the eCFR, “16 CFR 255.1, General considerations (FTC Endorsement Guides)”: www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-255/section-255.1, retrieved .
- Federal Trade Commission, published in the eCFR, “16 CFR 255.5, Disclosure of material connections (FTC Endorsement Guides)”: www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-255/section-255.5, retrieved .
Collect testimonials with UpVoiced
UpVoiced is adding testimonial collection forms and a wall of love; they are coming soon and not available yet. Read how the testimonial forms are meant to work, or try the feedback board on a fictional demo.