Testimonial Request Email: Templates, Timing and Subject Lines

Quick answer: A good testimonial request email is short, personal and sent soon after the customer gets a result. Use the customer's name, name the result, ask 3 open questions and give one link. Send one reminder after 3-5 days, then stop. Include your business name, a postal address and an unsubscribe link in each email.

Most testimonial requests fail for simple reasons. They go out at the wrong time, they ask for "a few words" with no questions, or they follow up too many times.

This guide shows you how to ask for a testimonial by email. It covers timing, channel and five labeled templates (first ask, reminder, video ask). It also covers subject lines, what to avoid, follow-up limits, and the basic email rules in the United States and Australia.

On this page

1. When to send a testimonial request email
2. Which channel to use
3. What a testimonial request email must include
4. Testimonial request email templates
5. Subject lines for a testimonial request
6. How many follow-ups to send
7. What to avoid
8. Email rules: CAN-SPAM and the Spam Act 2003
9. Frequently asked questions

When to send a testimonial request email

Send the request soon after the customer gets a result. A customer who just felt the value of your work has a clear story to tell. A customer who bought six months ago has to remember it.

The right moment depends on what you sell:

Ask after a result, not only after payment

Payment is an easy trigger to automate, but payment is not a result. A customer who paid 5 minutes ago has nothing to say yet. Add a wait between payment and request that fits your product: hours for a quick service, days for software, weeks for a program.

For example, Proven Praise sends the request after a Stripe payment and a wait. The business sets the wait in minutes, hours or days, up to 60 days. The default wait is 7 days. Each customer gets one request only, even if they pay again.

Do not ask at a bad moment

Do not send a request when a support ticket is open, a refund is in progress, or the customer just complained. Fix the problem first. The request can wait.

Key takeaway: Send the request after the first real result, then wait no longer than you need to.

Which channel to use

Use email for most requests. Email lets you include the questions, a link and your business details in one message, and the customer can answer when they are ready.

A good pattern is to ask in person, then send the email. "Can I send you a short link to record a quick video about that?" A "yes" makes the email welcome.

What a testimonial request email must include

A testimonial request email needs 7 parts. Keep the whole email under 150 words if you can.

1. The customer's name. Use their first name, not "Dear customer".
2. A specific reference. Name the product, the project or the result.
3. The ask, in one sentence. Say what you want (a short video or a few sentences) and how long it takes.
4. 3 open questions. Questions remove the blank-page problem. See our list of testimonial questions by goal and business type.
5. One link or one action. One button or "reply to this email". Not both.
6. Permission and control. Say where you will use it, and that honest feedback is welcome.
7. Your details. Your business name, a postal address and an unsubscribe link. See the legal section.

Testimonial request email templates

The templates below are illustrative. Change the words in brackets. Each one follows the 7 parts above.

Template 1: First ask (written testimonial)

Subject: [First name], how is [product] working for you?

Hi [First name],

Thank you for choosing [business]. You [specific result, for example "launched the new site last week"], and I want to ask a small favor.

Could you write 3-4 sentences about your experience? These questions can help:

1. What was the situation before you started with us?
2. What is one thing that is different now?
3. Who would you recommend us to?

[Button: Write your testimonial] (about 3 minutes)

We want your honest opinion. With your permission, we will show it on our website.

Thank you, [Your name], [Business name]

[Postal address] · [Unsubscribe link]

Template 2: First ask (video testimonial)

Subject: Would you record a 2-minute video for us?

Hi [First name],

It was great to work with you on [project or product]. Would you record a short video about your experience? It takes about 2 minutes in your browser. You do not need an app or an account.

Please answer these 3 questions:

1. What was the situation before you started with us?
2. What is one thing that is different now?
3. Who would you recommend us to, and why?

You do not need to prepare. Talk as if you speak to a friend. You can watch the video and record again before you send it. If you prefer, you can write a text instead.

[Button: Record your video]

You choose where we can use it (website, social media or ads). We want your honest opinion.

Thank you, [Your name], [Business name]

[Postal address] · [Unsubscribe link]

Template 3: Reminder (one only)

Subject: Re: Would you record a 2-minute video for us?

Hi [First name],

A short reminder about my request last week. If you have 2 minutes, your answer helps people like you decide if [product] is right for them.

[Button: Record your video]

If now is not a good time, no problem. I will not send another reminder.

Thank you, [Your name]

[Postal address] · [Unsubscribe link]

The line "I will not send another reminder" is a promise. Keep it.

Template 4: After a positive comment

Use this when a customer praises you in a support ticket, a call or a message.

Subject: Can we share what you said?

Hi [First name],

Thank you for your message about [topic].

Can we share it on our website? You can [record a short video] or reply "yes" and we will use your words exactly as you wrote them. We will not change them.

Thank you, [Your name], [Business name]

[Postal address] · [Unsubscribe link]

Template 5: Agency or B2B client

Subject: A short case quote for [project name]?

Hi [First name],

Now that [project] is live, would you share a short testimonial about the work? We would like to show it on our website and in proposals.

1. What was the business problem when you hired us?
2. What did the project deliver? A number or a date helps, if you know it.
3. What was it like to work with the team?

[Button: Share your testimonial]

I will send you the final version to approve before we publish it.

Thank you, [Your name], [Business name]

[Postal address] · [Unsubscribe link]

For more on the customer side of this process, see our guide on how to write a testimonial.

Subject lines for a testimonial request

A good subject line is short, personal and true to the email. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the CAN-SPAM Act. It says that "the subject line must accurately reflect the content of the message" (CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business).

Subject line templates:

1. [First name], how is [product] working for you?
2. Would you record a 2-minute video for us?
3. A quick favor about [project name]
4. Can we share what you said?
5. 3 questions about your first month with [product]
6. Re: [original subject] (reminders only, in the same thread)

Avoid subject lines that hide the ask, like "Important update about your account" or "You won a prize". These are not true to the content, and they damage trust.

How many follow-ups to send

Send one reminder, 3-5 days after the first request. Then stop. Two emails in total is enough for a favor.

A customer who does not answer two emails has made a choice. More emails turn a favor into pressure, and pressure gets unsubscribes or spam reports.

Proven Praise uses this limit: one request email, one reminder 4 days later, then no more emails. The link works for 21 days.

What to avoid

Avoid these common mistakes in a testimonial request email:

1. A blank page. "Could you write a few words?" gets a few weak words. Give 3 questions.
2. Leading questions. "How much did we improve your sales?" assumes a result. Ask "What changed, if anything?"
3. A reward for a positive review. The FTC says in its Endorsement Guides FAQ: "You can't condition an incentive... on a review being positive." The FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, in effect since October 21, 2024, also covers testimonials. If you give a thank-you gift, give it for any honest answer and disclose it. Read more in our guide to incentivized reviews.
4. Rewriting the answer. Use the customer's words. If you must shorten a quote, cut it, but do not change the meaning.
5. A long email. If the request needs scrolling, it is too long.
6. Two or more calls to action. One link. Not a link, a survey and a social share.
7. Marketing in the request. A discount offer or a product promotion in the same email can make it a commercial message. See the next section.
8. Too many reminders. One reminder only.

Email rules: CAN-SPAM and the Spam Act 2003

The law does not name testimonial requests. A plain request for feedback can be a non-commercial message. An email that also promotes a product, an offer or your business is more likely a commercial message, and commercial email rules apply. The safe practice is to follow the basic rules in every request.

United States: CAN-SPAM Act

According to the FTC's CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business (checked October 2026):

• The law covers commercial messages: email whose "primary purpose" is "the commercial advertisement or promotion" of a product or service.
• It makes "no exception for business-to-business email."
• Header information must be accurate and identify the sender.
• The subject line must accurately reflect the content.
• The email must include "your valid physical postal address."
• The email must explain clearly how the recipient can opt out.
• You must honor an opt-out "within 10 business days."
• You stay responsible when another company sends the email for you.
• Each email that breaks the law can cost a penalty of up to $53,088 (the figure the FTC gives, updated January 2024).

Australia: Spam Act 2003

According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) page Avoid sending spam (last updated 29 November 2024, checked October 2026):

• You must have consent before you send marketing messages. Under the Spam Act, you must prove that you have consent.
• Inferred consent is narrow. The ACMA says it "does not cover sending messages after someone has just bought something from your business."
• You cannot send an electronic message to ask for consent, because the ACMA treats that as a marketing message.
• The message must identify your name or business name and include correct contact details. The ACMA suggests your legal business name, or your name and Australian Business Number (ABN).
• Every commercial message must have an unsubscribe option that works for at least 30 days and is honored within 5 working days.

The ACMA also says that purely factual "service" messages do not need consent or an unsubscribe. In October 2024, the ACMA announced a penalty for the Commonwealth Bank. The ACMA Chair said: "if a message includes marketing content or direct links to marketing content, it is a commercial message."

What this means for your request

1. Keep the request about the testimonial. Do not add offers, discounts or product promotions.
2. Identify your business clearly in the sender name and the email body.
3. Include a postal address and a working unsubscribe link in every request.
4. Honor each unsubscribe at once, and in all your tools.
5. In Australia, think about consent before you send. The ACMA says inferred consent does not cover messages sent only because someone just bought something. Express consent at checkout (for example, a box that the customer ticks) is the stronger basis.
6. Keep a record of when and how each customer gave consent.

Proven Praise request emails come from "Your business via Proven Praise" and include your questions, a postal address and an unsubscribe link (what customers see). You are still responsible for your own consent basis.

This section is general information, not legal advice. For your situation, ask a qualified lawyer in your country.

Frequently asked questions

How do you ask for a testimonial politely?

Use the customer's name, thank them for something specific, and ask for one small thing with a time estimate ("about 2 minutes"). Give 3 open questions and one link. Say that you want their honest opinion and that they can say no. Send one reminder at most.

When is the best time to ask a client for a testimonial?

Ask soon after the client gets a result: the launch of a project, the first clear win in a product, or the end of a program. The story is fresh, and the client feels the value. Do not ask during an open complaint or a refund.

What should I write in a testimonial request email?

Write a short email of under 150 words. Include the customer's name, their result, a one-sentence ask, 3 open questions and one link. Add a note on how you will use it, and your business details with an unsubscribe link.

How many times should I follow up on a testimonial request?

Follow up one time, 3-5 days after the first email, in the same thread. Then stop. Two emails in total is enough for a favor. More reminders turn the request into pressure, and they can get unsubscribes or spam reports.

Can I offer a gift for a testimonial?

Yes, if the gift does not depend on a positive answer. The FTC says you cannot condition an incentive on a review being positive. Give the gift for any honest answer, and disclose the gift wherever you show the testimonial. Proven Praise discloses a thank-you gift in the request and on every public view.

Is a testimonial request email a commercial email?

It depends on the content. A plain request for feedback can be non-commercial. An email that also promotes products, offers or your business is more likely commercial, and CAN-SPAM or the Spam Act 2003 rules then apply. The safe practice is to include your identity, a postal address and an unsubscribe link in every request.

Should I ask for a video or a written testimonial?

Ask for a video if the customer can record in a browser with no app or account. Video shows a real face and voice. Always offer a written option too, because some customers do not want to be on camera.

Conclusion

1. Send the request after a real result, not at the moment of payment.
2. Keep it short: name, result, ask, 3 questions, one link.
3. Send one reminder after 3-5 days, then stop.
4. Do not reward positive answers, and do not change the customer's words.
5. Include your identity, a postal address and an unsubscribe link in every request.

For the full process from request to website, read our guide on how to collect testimonials.

Do you take payment through Stripe? Then Proven Praise can send this request for you: one email after your wait, one reminder, then no more. See the plans and pricing, or start free.