Client Testimonials: Specific, Truthful, and Approved
A useful testimonial adds an outside perspective to evidence already on the page. The process should be easy to decline, careful with confidentiality, and explicit about what will be published.
⚡ TL;DR
- Ask for: Observed contribution, working relationship, and supported result
- Make clear: Where, how, and with which attribution the quote will appear
- Approve: The exact edited quote, project context, name, title, company, photo, and logo
- Never do: Invent praise, hide material relationships, or imply an unsupported outcome
The Credibility Standard
A testimonial should reflect the person's honest experience and should not mislead through editing, attribution, placement, or missing context. In the United States, the FTC's endorsement guidance requires advertising endorsements to be truthful and not misleading; other rules may apply elsewhere.
This is a workflow, not legal advice.
Contracts, privacy, recording consent, employment policies, trademarks, and advertising rules vary. Get appropriate review when the use is sensitive or commercial.
Decide What You Need
- Purpose: What uncertainty should the quote help a portfolio reader resolve?
- Source: Who directly observed the contribution or result?
- Scope: Which project, relationship, and period does the quote cover?
- Placement: Case study, homepage, services page, proposal, social post, or another use?
- Attribution: Name, role, company, anonymous description, photo, or logo?
- Permission: Who can approve the words and any company assets?
Ask only after you can explain the use. “Can you send a testimonial?” creates work and uncertainty for the recipient.
Email Request Templates
Short written response
Subject: Permission to quote your experience with [project]
Hi [name]—I'm updating the case study for [project] and would value your perspective on [specific contribution or working relationship]. If you're comfortable, could you answer one or two questions below in your own words?
[Question 1]
[Question 2]
I would like to use an edited excerpt on [location], attributed as [proposed name/title/company]. I'll send the exact quote and context for approval before anything is published. No pressure if timing, policy, or confidentiality makes this difficult.
Thank you,
[name]
Brief interview request
Subject: Short reflection on [project]
Hi [name]—would you be open to a short conversation about our work on [project]? I'm hoping to capture your perspective on [specific topic], not a generic endorsement.
With your permission, I would take notes [and record only if applicable]. I would send any proposed quote, project context, and attribution for your written approval before publishing it on [location]. You can revise, decline, or ask me to remove it later.
If a conversation is inconvenient, I can send two written questions instead. No obligation either way.
Approval request
Subject: Please approve this exact [project] quote
Hi [name]—thank you again. Below is the exact version I propose to publish:
“[edited quote]”
— [name], [title], [company or approved anonymous description]
It will appear [placement and surrounding context]. I would also like to use [photo/logo—if any]. Please reply with “approved,” edits, a different attribution, or a request not to use it. I will not publish until you confirm.
One respectful follow-up
Hi [name]—I'm following up once on the request below. If now is not a good time or the quote cannot be approved, no response is needed and I'll leave it there. Thank you for considering it.
Interview and Written Questions
Choose a small set that fits the person's direct experience. Do not steer them toward claims you want to publish.
Starting point
- • What was happening before we worked together?
- • What did you need the project to make possible?
- • What made the problem difficult or important?
Working relationship
- • What did I contribute that was most useful?
- • Was there a decision, explanation, or deliverable that helped the team move forward?
- • How would you describe the way we worked together?
Result and evidence
- • What changed after the work?
- • What evidence supports that change?
- • Which results can be shared publicly, and with what context or limits?
Recommendation
- • What type of team or problem would you recommend me for?
- • Is there anything you would want a future collaborator to understand about the work?
Edit Without Changing Meaning
- Transcribe or save the original response accurately.
- Select one idea that supports the project context.
- Remove filler, repetition, and unrelated detail.
- Do not intensify praise, certainty, causation, or the size of a result.
- Do not join distant phrases in a way that creates a new claim.
- Add brackets or an ellipsis only when they improve transparency rather than disguise the edit.
- Send the final words, attribution, and placement for approval.
Confirm Publication Permission
Record approval for the exact use. A practical confirmation includes:
- The final quote.
- The project or relationship it refers to.
- The public location and channels where it may appear.
- The approved name, title, company, or anonymous attribution.
- Separate approval for a photo, company name, logo, or other asset.
- Any expiration, review date, geographic limit, or required disclaimer.
- A contact and process for correction or removal.
If you record an interview, get explicit consent before recording and follow the laws and organizational policies that apply.
Place the Quote With Evidence
- Place a project-specific quote near the decision or outcome it illuminates.
- Keep the project context visible so the quote is not read as a universal promise.
- Pair relationship praise with evidence of the work rather than using it as a substitute.
- Use enough attribution for credibility without exposing more personal information than approved.
- Write accessible text; do not publish the testimonial only as a stylized image.
- Disclose a material relationship when it could affect how the endorsement is evaluated.
Maintain and Remove Responsibly
- Review titles, company names, links, and project claims when the case study changes.
- Do not silently update attribution to a person's new employer or title.
- Honor correction and removal requests promptly.
- Keep the source response, edit history, permission, and publication locations together.
- Remove the quote if its context is no longer truthful or the permission expires.
- Do not use testimonial “performance” as a reason to keep a quote someone has withdrawn.
Truth and Permission Sources
- Federal Trade Commission: Endorsements, Influencers, and Reviews — current U.S. guidance and links to the revised Endorsement Guides and testimonial rule.
- FTC: Advertisement Endorsements — plain-language truth, substantiation, typicality, and disclosure principles.
- W3C WAI: Making Audio and Video Media Accessible — captions, transcripts, and accessible recorded interviews.
Client Testimonial Questions
Quick answers to help you get started
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Written by
Nikki KippleProduct Designer & Design Instructor
Designer, educator, founder of The Crit. I've spent years teaching interaction design and reviewing hundreds of student portfolios. Good feedback shouldn't require being enrolled in my class — so I built a tool that gives it to everyone. Connect on LinkedIn →
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