Aston Watson
What are the SoftwareSuggest review guidelines?
The SoftwareSuggest review guidelines are the rules in section 7 of SoftwareSuggest's terms of use that decide which reviews get published. A review must come from a real user whose identity the site can verify, with no tie to the vendor or a competitor, and it must meet the content quality standards before moderators approve it.
The section has two parts: reviewer guidelines on identity, conflicts of interest, content and rewards, and vendor guidelines on how software companies may treat reviews. SoftwareSuggest calls itself a neutral review platform that will not judge the merit of opinions, so its checks focus on who wrote a review and how.
These rules matter because business buyers lean on review sites when they build a shortlist. In G2's 2026 Buyer Behavior Report, a survey of more than 1,000 B2B software buyers published in July 2026, review sites (38%) were the top source shaping which vendors make a buyer's shortlist. A review that never clears moderation reaches none of those buyers.
Teams that get SoftwareSuggest reviews through RelikReview get verified users who are never paid by RelikReview and choose their own rating. Every SoftwareSuggest campaign we run follows the checks below, and the same approach applies when buying SourceForge reviews. Our HubSpot app marketplace reviews campaigns work differently, with the app's customers reviewing through the platform's review link.
Who can write a review on SoftwareSuggest
SoftwareSuggest accepts reviews only from people who use the software. The vendor guidelines state that "Only the users can submit reviews directly to our website via the review form," so a review always starts with the reviewer. Reviewers can sign in with Google or LinkedIn or enter their details by hand, and the form asks them to certify that their feedback is based on their experience with the product.
Some people are turned away whatever their experience. SoftwareSuggest checks the reviewer's name and company against the product, and a review from anyone associated with the vendor or identified as a direct competitor is not published. The vendor guidelines also bar vendors from reviewing a competitor's product, even when the review is based on real use of it.
The same rules cover anyone acting for a vendor. A vendor may not post a review on a customer's behalf or hire people to write fake reviews, and SoftwareSuggest says this will be treated as fraud. If you are new to the site, our guide on what is SoftwareSuggest explains who reads it.
What the SoftwareSuggest review form asks
SoftwareSuggest's write a review page runs in four steps: Select Product, Leave a Review, Share on LinkedIn and Finished. The review itself sits in the second step, and the form asks for much more than a star rating and a few lines of text.
The first part covers the reviewer and the scores:
- Reviewer details. Name, business email, organization name, job title and company size.
- Length of use. How long the reviewer has used the software, from a free trial to more than two years.
- Ratings. An overall rating plus scores for features, ease of use, value for money and customer support.
- Review text. A title and the review itself.
A second set of questions follows:
- How often they use the software, and their role, such as user, administrator, purchaser or reseller.
- Pros and cons, each in its own short field.
- Likelihood to recommend, after-sales support and the mobile app, each rated on a 1 to 10 scale.
- Other products they used or evaluated, and any missing feature.
Much of this shows on the published review, including the job title, company size, length of use and each rating. A vague review stands out next to detailed ones.
How SoftwareSuggest review moderation works
SoftwareSuggest review moderation happens before a review goes live. The review form says that all reviews are moderated before publication and must meet the guidelines, and that moderators use their discretion to approve reviews. The terms of use list what they look for under the heading "4 Keys To Submitting A Verified Review", and three of those keys are checks on every review.
The checks are:
- Identity check. The team checks the reviewer's name, job title or email address. If it fails to verify the reviewer's identity, the review is not published.
- Conflict of interest. The reviewer's name and company are checked against the product, and anyone associated with the vendor or a direct competitor is excluded.
- Content check. Each review is evaluated "to ensure that it is authentic and meets our quality standards", and SoftwareSuggest says it uses a set of tools to make sure the reviews it publishes are original.
The fourth key is the Voucher Claim Policy, covered in the rewards section below. SoftwareSuggest does not publish how long moderation takes, so do not count on a fixed turnaround.
There are limits to what moderation covers. The terms say SoftwareSuggest will not evaluate the merit of opinions and is not liable to check facts while assessing reviews, but third parties can flag a review for investigation. A vendor who disagrees with a review can flag it when it breaks the guidelines, and the rules on flagging are covered in the vendor section.
What makes a SoftwareSuggest verified review
A SoftwareSuggest verified review is one whose reviewer passed the identity check, and product pages show how that was done. Verified reviews show a "Verified Reviewer" label and a line such as "Verified via Business email" or "Verified via linkedIn", next to the reviewer's job title and company size.
Some reviews carry a further mark. On product pages such as SoftwareSuggest's own product listing, a "Verified User" mark appears with the note that the reviewer "uploaded a screenshot or invoice of the last billing, confirming their status as a current user of the software". That proof is the same evidence the Voucher Claim Policy asks for.
Reviews can also show where they came from. The same listing labels some reviews "Review Source: Organic", which it explains as a review "written without any compensation or invitation from SoftwareSuggest, vendor, or affiliate". Buyers can use these labels to judge how each review reached the page.
Why SoftwareSuggest rejects a review
Most rejections trace back to the Content Quality Standards in the terms of use, which SoftwareSuggest says include the items below without being limited to them. The review form repeats the short version as a checklist: no incomplete information, no self-promotional activity, no hateful or disparaging language and no fake names or spam content.
| Rejection reason | What the guidelines say | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Identity not verified | The team cannot confirm the name, job title or email | Use real details and a business email or LinkedIn |
| Conflict of interest | Tied to the vendor or a direct competitor | No fix, these reviews are not accepted |
| Inappropriate language | Obscene, bullying or discriminatory wording | Keep criticism factual and specific |
| Spam | Self-promoting or nonsensical text | Describe real use of the product only |
| Duplicate | A copy of a review already published online | Write a fresh review for SoftwareSuggest |
| Invalid reviewer | Written by the vendor or a hired reviewer | Only the actual user writes and submits |
| Incomplete information | Listed on the review form's checklist | Answer every required question |
The terms close the list with a catch-all: "The review that won't pass our standard parameters will not be considered". Reviewers who abuse the program, break the guidelines or are identified as spammers may face penalties, including legal ones, and SoftwareSuggest reserves the right to disable all of their published reviews.
For vendors, a run of failed identity checks usually means the outreach list included people who never used the product. For how another directory handles the same problems, see our guide to SourceForge review guidelines.
SoftwareSuggest review policy on rewards
The SoftwareSuggest review policy on rewards is short and strict. Under the Voucher Claim Policy, a reviewer verifies the review by adding an invoice or a screenshot, such as a paid version dashboard or billing details, to claim the voucher, and SoftwareSuggest says it keeps this proof confidential. The terms then add: "Only user who have paid subscription of the software are eligible to claim any reward for the review submited."
In practice, users without a paid subscription can still review a product, since the form lists a free trial as a length of use. They are simply not eligible for SoftwareSuggest's reward. The terms do not publish the reward amount, how vouchers are sent or any rule on rewards that vendors offer themselves, so ask SoftwareSuggest before you plan one.
How our SoftwareSuggest campaigns handle rewards.
The RelikReview review policy explains why RelikReview never pays anyone for a review and why every reviewer chooses their own rating.
The SoftwareSuggest review guidelines for vendors
The vendor guidelines apply "equally to all vendors regardless of their account status", so a paid listing buys no extra room. Breaking any of the four rules below can lead to penalties such as a comment on the vendor's profile or a suspension of services.
Vendors must not influence reviews or ratings
SoftwareSuggest treats any non-disparagement clause in a customer contract as an attempt to inflate reviews or ratings. A vendor that uses such clauses faces penalties on its portal account, and SoftwareSuggest reserves the right to take down reviews on that basis.
Vendors must not review their own or a competitor's product
Vendors may not review their own product, post a review on a customer's behalf or post reviews that bring any strategic or financial benefit. The guidelines also say "Vendors are not allowed to collect a host of reviews for our site", because only users can submit reviews through the review form.
Vendors must not harass reviewers
Vendors are encouraged to respond constructively to reviews with the reply feature in the Vendors Portal. Replies must be respectful, with no abusive, violent or harassing language, and vendors may not contact a reviewer directly or indirectly about the content of a review.
Vendors must not abuse the investigation service
SoftwareSuggest will investigate reviews flagged as breaking its guidelines. If it suspects a vendor of flagging reviews without good reason, it may impose penalties on that vendor's account at its discretion.
The guidelines do not set out a process for asking customers to review, so the safe reading is to point each customer to the product's review form and let them write and submit it themselves. Ask every customer at fixed points they all reach, such as day 30, day 90 or the account anniversary, and keep the wording neutral. To see which other directories your buyers may read, our guide to software review sites compares the main ones.
SoftwareSuggest review service
Get SoftwareSuggest reviews with RelikReview
RelikReview runs SoftwareSuggest review campaigns for B2B and B2C SaaS teams with verified users, inside every rule above. We agree the plan, pace and price in writing first.
- Never paidReviewers receive nothing from RelikReview for a review.
- Own words, own ratingEach reviewer decides what to say and what score to give.
- Paced to look naturalReviews arrive steadily, with no sudden spikes.
SoftwareSuggest review guidelines in short
The SoftwareSuggest review guidelines come down to three points. Reviews must come from verified users with no tie to the vendor or a competitor, every review passes identity and content checks before moderators approve it, and vendors must leave the reviewing to users while replying only through the Vendors Portal.
Vendors who plan their outreach around these rules lose fewer reviews in moderation and keep their profile free of penalties. If you would like help planning a SoftwareSuggest campaign that fits these rules, talk to the RelikReview team about where to start.
FAQs about SoftwareSuggest reviews
How does SoftwareSuggest verify reviews?
SoftwareSuggest verifies reviews with an identity check on the reviewer's name, job title or email, a conflict of interest check against the vendor and its competitors, and a content check against its quality standards. Product pages show how each reviewer was verified, such as by business email or LinkedIn, and some show billing proof.
Does SoftwareSuggest reward reviewers?
Yes, SoftwareSuggest runs its own voucher reward for reviewers, but only reviewers with a paid subscription to the software are eligible. They must add an invoice or a screenshot of a paid dashboard or billing details, which SoftwareSuggest says it keeps confidential. Free trial users can still review, but they cannot claim the reward.
Can vendors reply to SoftwareSuggest reviews?
Yes, vendors can reply to SoftwareSuggest reviews with the reply feature in the Vendors Portal, and the guidelines encourage constructive responses. Replies must be respectful and free of abusive, violent or harassing language. Vendors may not contact a reviewer directly or indirectly about the content of their review, whatever rating it gave.
Can a vendor get a SoftwareSuggest review removed?
No, the guidelines give vendors no route to remove a review they simply disagree with, and SoftwareSuggest says it will not evaluate the merit of opinions. A vendor can flag a review that breaks the guidelines for investigation, but flagging reviews without good reason can be treated as abuse and bring penalties on the vendor's account.
