How to get testimonials: when to ask, what to ask, and where to show them (2026)

This guide is for creators, coaches, and course sellers who have happy customers but few words from them on their page. Full disclosure: we make Eden, a creator workspace with a store that has testimonials built in. The FTC rules below were checked on ftc.gov in September 2026. This is general info, not legal advice.

Why testimonials matter

A buyer on your page is asking one question: "Will this work for someone like me?" You can say yes all day. A stranger who was in their shoes saying yes is worth more.

Good testimonials do three jobs:

• Show a result. Not "great course!" but "I sent my first newsletter after 3 weeks of putting it off."
• Match the buyer. A beginner trusts another beginner. A busy parent trusts another busy parent.
• Answer a doubt. "I didn't think I had time, but the lessons are 10 minutes" handles an objection better than your FAQ.

When to ask

Timing is most of it. Ask when the good feeling is fresh.

Moment	Why it works
Right after a win they tell you about	They're already excited. Ask in your reply.
After a coaching call that went well	Ask at the end of the call, then send the link.
When they finish a course or module	They can see what changed from start to finish.
1-2 weeks after buying a download	Long enough to use it, soon enough to remember.
When someone praises you in public	Ask if you can use it. Most people say yes.

Also watch your DMs, emails, and comments. A lot of your best testimonials already exist. People said them to you. You just need permission to use them.

What to ask

"Can you leave me a testimonial?" gets you "It was great!" Ask better questions and you get a story. Use a before, after, and result frame:

1. Before: What were you stuck on before you found this?
2. After: What did you do with it? What part helped most?
3. Result: What's different now? Any number you can share (time saved, first sale, clients signed)?

Add one optional question for your sales page: Who would you recommend this to? Their answer tells you who your product is really for, in your buyers' words.

Keep it to three or four questions. More than that and people put it off.

Pick a format

Format	Effort for them	Strength	Best place to use it
Text	Low	Easy to read, easy to quote	Sales page, near the buy button
Screenshot	None	Feels real because it wasn't staged	Social posts, sales page proof wall
Video	High	Most trust: face, voice, emotion	Top of a sales page, launch emails

Start with text. It's the easiest to get and the easiest to place. Ask your happiest customers for video, and keep it optional. A 30-second phone clip beats a polished video they never make.

Make it easy

Every extra step loses people.

• Send one link. No account, no login, no long form.
• Ask on the spot. "Mind if I share this?" in your reply to a happy DM is the easiest ask there is.
• Offer to draft it. Some people freeze. Offer to turn what they told you into a short quote, and send it back for their approval. Use their words and don't add claims they didn't make.
• Follow up once. A kind reminder a week later catches the people who meant to reply. Then let it go.
• Say thanks. Tell them where you used it. People like seeing their words on your page.

Get permission

Get a clear yes before you use someone's name, photo, or words in your marketing. A form they fill in to leave a testimonial for you is a clear yes. For a DM, email, or public post, ask first: "Can I share this on my sales page, with your name?"

Also ask how they want to be named. First name and role ("Maria, nurse and new writer") often works as well as a full name, and some people only say yes to that.

Where to show them

Put proof where the doubt is.

• Sales page, near the top. One strong result right under your headline.
• Next to the buy button. The moment of "should I?" is the best spot for a single quote.
• A wall of proof. A grid of many short ones says "lots of people like this" at a glance.
• At checkout. A short quote near the payment step can calm last-second doubt.
• In your content and emails. A testimonial as a story post or a launch email does double duty.

Match the quote to the spot. A quote about price goes near the price. A quote about time goes near "how long does it take?"

The FTC rules on testimonials and reviews

If you sell to people in the US, these rules apply to you. Two sources matter most.

The 2024 Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule. The FTC announced it in August 2024, and it took effect on October 21, 2024. It lets courts fine businesses that break it knowingly. In plain words, it bans:

• Fake reviews and testimonials, including ones from people who don't exist (like AI-made ones) or who never used your product.
• Paying for a certain opinion. You can offer something for an honest review, but not only for a positive one, and you can't hint that it has to be positive.
• Hidden insider reviews. If an employee, manager, or their family writes one, the connection has to be clear.
• Fake "independent" review sites that you actually control.
• Scaring off negative reviews with baseless legal threats, intimidation, or false accusations.
• Buying or selling fake followers or views to look more popular.

It also bars a business from saying the reviews in a reviews section of its site are all or most of the reviews it got, when it hid some because they were negative.

The FTC's Q&A on the rule says picking your favorite testimonials for marketing is allowed. The review suppression part covers the reviews section of a site, not your sales copy. The same Q&A warns that only asking happy customers for reviews could still break the FTC Act, so ask everyone, not just the ones you expect to love it.

The Endorsement Guides. The FTC's endorsement guidance adds two things that matter for creators:

• Disclose connections. If you gave someone the product free, paid them, or know them in a way buyers wouldn't expect, and it could change how people read the testimonial, say so clearly.
• Big results need context. If a testimonial shows a result most buyers won't get, and you can't show it's typical, you need to say what people generally get.

In short: real people, their honest words, clear about any connection, and no hiding the bad ones.

How to collect testimonials with Eden

On Eden, all of this lives in Your store → Testimonials. See the full tour on the Eden store page.

• One link to collect. Copy Your testimonial link (it looks like yourname.eden.so/love) and send it. No account needed. People write a few words and can add stars, a photo, and their role. Click Change to edit the question at the top, so you can ask your before, after, and result question. New ones wait in Pending until you approve them.
• Verified buyers. Buyers who sign in first get a Verified buyer badge.
• Import what you already have. Click Add testimonial and paste an X, LinkedIn, Substack, or Threads post, drop a screenshot of a DM, email, or comment, or type one in. Eden fills in the name and words for you to check.
• A wall on your page. Add a Testimonials block to your creator page and pick Grid, Row, or Big quotes.
• A quote by the buy button. On a product's Page step, open Offer card, click Pick a testimonial, and the quote shows right under the buy button.
• Image cards. Click Make image to turn a testimonial into a Story, Portrait, or Square image, then download it or send it to the scheduler as a draft.
• Tags and search. Tag testimonials (like results or beginner) and search by name, words, or tag, so you can find the right quote for the right page fast.
• AI summary. Click Sum it up under What people love, and Eden lists what people say most, with real quotes for each. It needs at least 3 published testimonials with words.

See collect testimonials for every step.

Where Eden falls short: the form collects written testimonials, stars, and a photo, not video. For video, have people record on their phone and share the clip, then post it where you like.

Publishing products needs the $29 Starter plan, and Eden takes 5% per sale.

Frequently asked questions

How do I ask a customer for a testimonial?

Ask right after they share a win. Send one link and three questions: what was hard before, what they did, and what changed. Keep it under two minutes.

Can I edit a customer's testimonial?

Fixing a typo or trimming for length is common, but keep their meaning and don't add claims they didn't make. The FTC says an endorsement has to reflect the person's honest opinion and real experience. When in doubt, send the edit back for their OK.

Can I only show my best testimonials?

On your sales page, yes. The FTC's Q&A says picking favorites for marketing is allowed. What's banned is fake reviews, paying for positive ones, and hiding negative ones in a reviews section while suggesting it shows them all.

Can I give a discount for a testimonial?

You can offer a small thank-you for an honest review, as long as it doesn't depend on the review being positive and you don't hint that it should be. If a testimonial came with a perk, disclose it.

Do I need permission to use a testimonial?

Get a clear yes before you use someone's name, photo, or words in your marketing. Someone filling in your testimonial form is a yes. For DMs and posts, ask first.

Ready to turn happy customers into proof? Start Eden free and send your testimonial link today.