Short answer: keep the form short enough to finish in a couple of minutes, make every question open, and put the permission question on the form itself so you never have to guess later. Below are the questions, a template you can paste into a free form tool or an email, consent wording, and the few things you must not do.
What a testimonial form is, and how it differs from a review request
A testimonial form collects a customer’s words so you can quote them on your own website, leaflets or social posts. A review request sends the customer to a platform such as Google, Trustpilot or Tripadvisor, and the platform hosts the review. You can reply to a review, but you cannot edit it or choose which reviews appear.
The difference comes down to control. With a testimonial you decide where the words go and which ones you quote. That is why you need the customer’s clear permission and an honest choice of quotes. What is a testimonial covers the distinction in more depth.
Keep the two separate. A form that tries to collect a testimonial and a Google review at the same time does neither job well.
The questions to put on the form (and why each one earns its place)
These are our suggestions. They are editorial advice, not a rule from any platform, so use the ones that suit your business.
- What did you buy or use from us? This anchors the quote. Without it you get “brilliant, thanks!” and a reader has no idea what the praise is about.
- What was going wrong before, or what were you trying to sort out? A future customer often reads this line most closely, because it sounds like their own situation.
- What is different now? You get the outcome in the customer’s own words, which beats anything you could write. You should never write it for them anyway.
- Who would you recommend us to? It tells a reader whether you suit people like them, without you having to say so.
- Is there anything we could have done better? Optional, but it keeps the form honest and shows the customer you want a real answer.
- How would you like your name shown, plus one detail? A town or the type of work they do is enough for attribution.
Stop at six. Any longer and the form starts to feel like homework.
A copy-paste testimonial form template
Paste this into any free form tool or an email, then change the wording so it sounds like you.
Subject: Could you share a few words about working with us?
Thanks for choosing us. We are asking every customer for a few words about how it went, so please tell us what you actually think, good or bad. It should take a couple of minutes.
- What did you buy or use from us?
- What was going wrong before, or what were you trying to sort out?
- What is different now?
- Who would you recommend us to?
- Is there anything we could have done better?
- How would you like your name shown, and is there one detail we can add (for example your town or the type of work you do)?
[Permission wording: see the next section]
Leave out “rate us out of five” and leading questions such as “what did you love most?”. Leading questions get flattering answers, and flattering answers read like adverts. Neutral questions get the specific, slightly rough lines that sound like a real person.
Permission and consent wording to add
Put a clear permission line at the end, with a tick box if your form tool has one. Here is a version you can adapt. It is a suggestion, not legal advice:
I am happy for [business name] to quote my answers above on its website, social media and printed marketing, shown with the name and detail I have given. I can ask for my words to be removed at any time by contacting [email or phone].
It does three jobs: it says where the words will appear, what name will be shown and how to withdraw. Offer a clear no as well, such as “No, please keep my answers private”, so a customer who is happy to give feedback without being quoted can still reply.
If someone answers by email instead of using the form, ask the permission question separately and save their reply. A warm message does not count as a yes. If they agree to a first name only, that is the deal.
Keep the form neutral: no rewards, no filtering, no editing the meaning
These rules cover both the wording of the form and who receives it.
No rewards. Offer no discount, freebie, prize draw or anything else in return for a testimonial. A reward makes it impossible for a reader, or you, to know whether the customer meant it. The law points the same way. The CMA’s fake reviews guidance, published in April 2025 alongside new consumer protection rules, treats fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews as banned content, and says businesses must not write fake reviews or commission others to write them. The CMA’s pages talk about consumer reviews and do not mention testimonials by name, so we hold testimonials to the same standard instead of looking for a gap. For the detail, read fake reviews and UK law.
No filtering. Send the form to every customer, or to everyone in a set period such as every job finished this month. Do not pick who gets it based on how pleased you think they are or on a star rating, and do not route people differently depending on their answers. Google does not allow businesses to selectively ask for positive reviews. The same reasoning applies to a testimonial form: if you only ask the people you expect to be happy, what you publish gives a misleading picture. When you choose which replies to quote, pick them because they are real and specific.
No editing the meaning. Fix a typo if you like. Do not trim a sentence so a lukewarm comment sounds glowing, drop the “but” from “great work, but it ran a day over”, or stitch two answers into one quote. Once the meaning changes, it stops being their testimonial.
Where to host the form: a free form tool, an email or a printed card
Pick whichever your customers will actually use.
- A free form tool keeps the answers in one place and lets you add a tick box for permission.
- An email takes the least effort: paste the questions in and ask people to reply.
- A printed card suits shops, salons and trades where you see people face to face. Hand it over at the end of a job with the same questions and permission line, and give them an easy way to return it.
Whichever you use, keep each reply with its permission answer, so you can show what was agreed if a customer asks. For the wording of the ask itself, how to ask for a testimonial has examples.
What to do with the replies: turn them into testimonial cards
When replies come in:
- Check the permission answer. No permission, no quote.
- Pick the line or two that say something specific, keeping the meaning intact.
- Add the name and detail exactly as the customer agreed.
- Turn the quote into a card with the free testimonial card maker, which needs no account, then post it, print it or add it to your site.
For where the finished quotes should go, see a testimonial page on your website.
When to send a review request instead
If you want the words to sit on Google, Trustpilot or Tripadvisor, where people look you up, send a review request with its own wording. Google does not allow businesses to ask for specific content in a review, so keep the testimonial questions above off a Google request. Ask for an honest review and include the link. How to ask for an honest review shows the wording.
The same principles hold. Google does not allow incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for a review, so offer nothing, ask everyone and leave the rating to the customer.
Questions people ask
What are testimonial forms?
A testimonial form is a short set of questions that collects a customer's own words so you can quote them on your website or in your marketing, with their permission. A review request is different: it sends the customer to a platform such as Google or Trustpilot, where the platform hosts the review.
What questions should a testimonial form ask?
We suggest four to six open questions: what they bought, what was going wrong before, what is different now, who they would recommend you to, and optionally what you could have done better. Then ask how they would like their name shown. This is our editorial advice, not a platform rule.
How do I get permission to use a customer's testimonial?
Put a permission line on the form itself, ideally with a tick box. Say where the words will appear, what name will be shown and how they can ask for removal. If they reply by email, ask the permission question separately and keep their answer.
Can I offer a discount for a testimonial?
No. We recommend offering nothing, because a reward makes it impossible to know whether the customer meant what they said. Google does not allow incentives such as discounts in exchange for a review, and the CMA treats concealed incentivised reviews as banned content.
How is a testimonial form different from a Google review request?
A testimonial form brings the customer's words back to you to publish on your own site, so you need their permission. A Google review request sends them to Google, where the review stays. Google does not allow businesses to ask for specific content in a review, so keep the testimonial questions off a Google request.