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When the client says “just write something and I will sign off”

Draft a Testimonial for Client Approval

Busy clients often say yes to a testimonial and then ask you to write it. That is workable, as long as every sentence comes from something they actually said and they are free to rewrite it. The builder below turns their own remarks into a short draft and a cover note that makes the edit invitation real.

  • Built from the client’s own remarks
  • A cover note that invites real edits
  • They submit it under their own name
Use the free toolCreate my collection form (opens in a new tab)
Two sentence draft

Before the new onboarding emails, we were losing people in the first week. Afterwards, it finally sounds like us.

4 versions to copy

Free tool, no sign-upTry it below

Draft builder

Turn their own remarks into a draft

Fill each field with something the client actually said or wrote to you, in an email, a call or a meeting. If a field has nothing real to go in it, leave it out of the draft rather than inventing it.

What to produce
  1. Two sentence draft

    Short on purpose. A client edits two sentences; they skim a paragraph.

    Before [the new onboarding emails], [we were losing people in the first week]. Afterwards, [it finally sounds like us].
  2. Three sentence draft with how it felt to work together

    Only use the middle sentence if they said something about the process.

    Before [the new onboarding emails], [we were losing people in the first week]. Working with [Sam] was [their words about the process]. Now [it finally sounds like us].

The draft is assembled in your browser from what you type. Nothing is saved or sent.

The problem, solved

Where a drafted testimonial goes wrong, and how StoryProof keeps it honest

Drafting for a client is common. These are the points where it stops being their testimonial.

  • Problem 1

    They said yes but never wrote anything

    Without a nudge the agreed testimonial sits on their to-do list for months, and you end up drafting it from memory long after the details have gone.

  • Problem 2

    My draft ends up in my words, not theirs

    Writing for someone else drifts toward your own vocabulary and toward claims they never made, which turns their endorsement into your copy.

  • Problem 3

    An email “looks fine” is my only record

    A reply buried in a thread is hard to find later when someone asks whether the client really approved the wording on your site.

  • Problem 4

    A draft could go live before they sign off

    When drafts and approved quotes live in the same document, the wrong version gets pasted onto the website.

A drafted testimonial that stays theirs

Drafted from scratch

  • Adds results the client never mentioned
  • Written in your brand voice
  • Sent with “let me know if this is OK”
  • You paste it onto the site from an email reply

Drafted from their remarks

  • Every sentence traces to something they said
  • Two or three plain sentences they can easily change
  • Sent with an explicit invitation to rewrite or decline
  • They submit the final wording through your form

In StoryProof

From their remarks to a published quote

Step 1 of 4

Collect their real remarks first

Pull lines from emails, call notes or a short chat. If you have nothing they said about results, do not draft a result.

Before you start

Guardrails

  • It must reflect their honest opinion

    The FTC’s Endorsement Guides say endorsements must reflect the honest opinions and experience of the endorser, and may not be reworded to distort them. A draft is fine only if it does that.

  • No results they did not report

    If the client never told you a number, the draft cannot contain one. A specific figure is the first thing a prospect assumes they will get too.

  • Silence is not approval

    If they do not reply, there is no testimonial. Do not publish a draft on the basis that nobody objected.

  • StoryProof does not draft for you

    The builder on this page runs in your browser. StoryProof itself collects what the client submits; it has no feature that writes testimonials.

  • This is not legal advice

    Rules on endorsements differ by country and industry. If you work in a regulated field, check with someone who knows your rules before publishing a drafted quote.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Short answers to what usually comes up next.

Is it allowed to write a testimonial for a client?

Drafting is common, but the result must reflect what the client honestly thinks and has experienced, and they must be free to change it. Build the draft from their own remarks and let them submit the final version.

What if the client approves the draft without changing a word?

That is fine, provided the draft came from what they told you. The point is that they had a real chance to change it.

Can I add a result to make the testimonial stronger?

Only if the client reported that result to you. Otherwise ask them about it and let them decide whether to include it.

Should I use their name and company?

Ask in the cover note how they want to be credited. Some clients approve the words but prefer a first name and an industry.

Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.

Let the client submit their own words

Create a collection form, send it with your draft, and approve only what the client sends back. No credit card needed to start.

Create my collection form (opens in a new tab)

Sources

  1. 16 CFR 255.1: General considerations (FTC Endorsement Guides), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 2026-11-05.

Last updated 2026-11-05.