Addison Wilson
What a good review request email looks like
The best ones are short, plain messages from a named person, sent to every customer at the same point in their journey. They say why an honest view helps other buyers, give one link straight to the review form and leave the rating, the length and the words entirely to the customer.
Every part of the email has one job. The sender name gets it opened by someone who recognizes you, the subject line says what it is about, the first lines explain why you are asking, and the single link removes every step between the inbox and the form.
What the email leaves out matters just as much: no request for five stars, no star graphic that hints at a score and no second link competing with the form. Each of those either breaks a platform rule or gives the reader one more decision before they start writing.
Some teams would rather not run the sending at all. They buy software reviews through a managed campaign, choose a G2 review service or buy real Trustpilot reviews from verified users, or get Capterra reviews through a campaign run with their own customers via Capterra's review link. Each of those campaigns follows the same platform rules covered below.
Who should send it, and when
The sender name decides whether the email is opened at all. A message from someone the customer knows, such as their customer success manager or the founder, reads like a note from a colleague, while "noreply" reads like a system alert that can wait. A display name such as "Priya at [Product]" shows both the person and the company.
Google's email sender guidelines for Gmail support this from the delivery side. They say display names should only identify the sender and never deceive, and that messages of the same type should come from the same From address. Use one consistent address with a reply-to that someone reads, because some customers will answer with feedback instead of a review.
Timing follows one rule: pick a point every customer reaches, after they have had time to use the product. For most SaaS products that is 30 to 60 days after sign-up or the end of onboarding. Triggers such as an upgrade or a high NPS score tend to reach mostly happy customers, which is the selective inviting that review sites ban.
Subject lines that get the email opened
The subject line has one job: tell the customer what the email asks in words a person would write. Plain, specific lines suit a request like this better than clever ones, because the reader decides in a second whether it deserves five minutes.
Here are subject line options you can rotate or test:
- [First name], your view on [Product]
- How is [Product] working for your team?
- Would you share your experience with [Product]?
- Three months with [Product]: how is it going?
- A favour from the [Product] team
Leave out urgency ("Last chance"), emojis and star symbols, and never mention a reward in an email for Trustpilot. A subject line such as "Love [Product]? Rate us 5 stars" asks for a positive review before the email is even open, which breaks the neutral wording every platform expects.
A review request email template for any review site
The template below works on any site because it makes no platform-specific promises. Fill in the fields from the table that follows, keep the length close to what you see and send it, as written, to every customer who reaches your chosen point.
Subject: [First name], your view on [Product]
Hi [First name],
You have been using [Product] for [time as a customer] now, and I would like to hear how it is going for your team. Could you share your experience on [Review site]? Good and bad points are equally useful to teams comparing tools like ours, and it takes about [minutes] minutes.
[Write your review on Review site]
Thank you, [Sender first name], [Role] at [Product]
Personalization fields to fill in
| Field | Example | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| [First name] | Dana | The email reads as a note to one person |
| [Product] | Your product name | Customers using several tools know which one you mean |
| [Time as a customer] | three months | Shows the request is timed to real use |
| [Review site] | G2, Capterra or Trustpilot | Tells them where the link will take them |
| [minutes] | five | Sets a small, honest expectation of effort |
| [Sender first name], [Role] | Priya, Customer Success | A real person they can reply to |
Personalize only with facts every customer has. Never change the wording, the review site or whether someone gets the email based on their NPS score, support tickets or plan, because that turns a fair request into review gating. Details such as their company name or main use case can make the email feel personal, as long as every customer still receives the same request.
Email asking for review on G2, Capterra and Trustpilot
Each site has its own rules on incentives and on how you send customers to the form, so the email changes slightly from one site to the next. The three versions below keep the same structure and change only what each site requires.
G2
G2's community guidelines encourage sellers to ask customers for authentic, unbiased feedback, and they suggest sharing review landing pages by direct email or in closed customer communities, since public links can be compromised. G2 bans any collection method that segments out potentially negative reviews. Incentives must never depend on a positive review, must be disclosed to G2 and are capped at $100 USD, and G2 labels those reviews as incentivized.
Subject: Your experience with [Product], for other G2 readers
Hi [First name], teams comparing [category] tools on G2 read reviews from people who use them every day, and your honest view of [Product] would help them. As a thank you, everyone who completes a review receives [incentive], whatever rating they give.
[Write your review on G2]
In the United States, the FTC's guide for marketers on soliciting reviews adds the same limits for every site. An incentive must not be conditioned, explicitly or implicitly, on a positive review, and the review should still disclose it.
Capterra
Capterra's community guidelines, last updated on 4 May 2026, ask vendors to solicit reviews in a fair and unbiased way and bar them from coaching customers on what to write. An incentive through Capterra's Reviews Collection Program must go equally to all eligible participants regardless of rating and use the incentive link from the Vendor Portal. The email must also say the incentive does not depend on a positive review, that you are independent of Capterra and what the terms are, and carry the footer Capterra specifies.
Subject: Would you review [Product] on Capterra?
Hi [First name], we are asking all our customers to share honest, unbiased feedback about [Product] on Capterra. Everyone who takes part receives [incentive]; it does not depend on a positive review. [Product] is independent of Capterra. [Eligibility, value and timing of the incentive.]
[Write your review on Capterra]
[Capterra's required footer]
Trustpilot
Trustpilot's guidelines for businesses, version 7.3 from September 2026, ban incentives of any kind, including discounts, promo codes, prize draw entries, refunds and freebies. They ask for fair, neutral and unbiased language, give "If you like us, please leave us a 5-star review" as an example of what not to write and allow one invite per experience. Our guide to Trustpilot review invitations covers Trustpilot's own invitation emails, which you can send in place of an email from your inbox.
Subject: How was your experience with [Product]?
Hi [First name], we invite every customer to share their experience of [Product] on Trustpilot, whatever it was. Your review is public and helps other people decide.
[Write your review on Trustpilot]
Rather not manage the sending yourself? See how our review campaigns work, from the written plan to the last review.
The reminder email: one follow-up, then stop
Most customers who mean to write a review simply forget, so one reminder is worth sending. Trustpilot's review invitations page says its reminder emails collect an additional 35% more reviews on average, which shows how many people need a second nudge.
Send the reminder five to seven days after the first email, only to people who have not reviewed yet, as a reply in the same thread. Keep it shorter than the first email, reuse the same link and add no new pressure: no countdown, no "last chance" and no extra reward for reviewing quickly.
Subject: Re: [First name], your view on [Product]
Hi [First name], a short follow-up in case my last email got buried. If you have five minutes this week, your honest view on [Review site] would help other teams. No problem if now is not a good time.
[Write your review on Review site]
After that, stop for this cycle and wait for the next fixed point, such as the account anniversary. On Trustpilot, the platform can send invitations for you, and our guide on how to get Trustpilot reviews covers the invitation methods and timing.
Plain text or HTML: formatting review request templates
Plain text and light HTML both work for a review request, and the right choice depends on who the email comes from. From a named person, plain text fits: it looks like a note typed by a colleague and renders the same in every inbox. From the company, simple HTML with your logo and a single button is fine, as long as the button is the only thing to click.
Whichever you choose, follow the basics in the same Gmail guidelines. Links should be visible and easy to understand, HTML should follow HTML standards with no hidden content, and every sender needs SPF or DKIM set up and a spam rate reported in Postmaster Tools below 0.3%, rules in force since February 2024. Senders of more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail also need DMARC, and their marketing messages must support one-click unsubscribe.
Test the email before it reaches every customer. Send it to a few colleagues on Gmail and Outlook, open it on a phone, and click the link while logged out to check that it lands on the review form itself.
Let RelikReview keep the reviews coming
Templates get replies; a managed campaign keeps reviews arriving every week. RelikReview runs review campaigns on G2, Trustpilot, Capterra, SourceForge, SoftwareSuggest and HubSpot, so you can buy software reviews that follow every rule above.
- A written plan firstYou see the sites, pace and price before anything starts.
- Steady pacingNew reviews arrive over time, with no sudden spikes.
- Rules built inNo gating, no rating requests and no rewards tied to ratings.
Send it, follow up once, repeat
A review request email does its job when it is plain, fair and easy to act on. Send it from a named person at a fixed point every customer reaches, keep to one link, follow up once and use the version that matches each site's rules on incentives.
Start with the general template, adjust it for G2, Capterra or Trustpilot and run it every month. If you would rather have the asking handled for you, the RelikReview team can talk through a plan that fits the review sites your buyers read.
FAQs about review request emails
How long should a review request be?
A review request should be short enough to read in under a minute, usually four to six sentences plus one link. Say who you are, why you are asking, how long the review takes and where to click, then stop. Longer emails bury the link and give the reader more reasons to put the task off.
What is a good subject line for a review request?
A good subject line for a review request is plain, specific and personal, such as "[First name], your view on [Product]" or "How is [Product] working for your team?". Leave out urgency, emojis, star symbols and any reward. The subject should tell the customer exactly what the email asks before they open it.
Can you offer an incentive for a review by email?
Yes, on G2 and Capterra, as long as the incentive goes to everyone regardless of rating and is disclosed. G2 caps incentives at $100, and Capterra requires its Vendor Portal link and set wording in the email. Trustpilot bans incentives of any kind, so a Trustpilot request offers nothing in return for the review.
How many reminder emails should you send?
Send one reminder email, five to seven days after the first request, only to customers who have not reviewed yet. Trustpilot says its reminder emails collect an additional 35% more reviews on average, while a second reminder mostly reaches people who have already decided. After one follow-up, wait for the next fixed point, such as the account anniversary.
