Junk in the queue
Filter Spam and Off Topic Testimonials
Not everything that arrives through a testimonial form is a testimonial. Some of it is a bot pasting links, some is a support question in the wrong box, and some is a complaint about a competitor’s product. None of it should reach your site, and none of it should waste a reviewer’s morning. This checklist sorts junk from real feedback and tightens the doors it came through.
- Tells junk apart from honest criticism
- Routes misplaced questions to the right team
- Finds where the junk is getting in
The problem, solved
Where junk comes from, and what keeps it off your site
A bot keeps posting links
Repeated submissions with web addresses and nonsense names fill the queue overnight.
With StoryProof: Nothing submitted goes public until someone approves it, so junk sits privately in the queue instead of landing on a page.
Our form link is posted everywhere
A collection link printed on a flyer or pasted in a public forum can be found by anyone, including spammers.
With StoryProof: The link can be shared by hand or as a QR code, which is convenient but public. For most customers, send requests by email to people you added as contacts instead.
Auto approve let junk through
A five star rating with a line of text is not proof that the text is about you.
With StoryProof: From Pro, auto approve passes 4 and 5 star testimonials with text and holds the rest. Turn it off on any link that attracts junk.
People ask support questions in the form
A customer types "how do I reset my password" into the testimonial box. It is real, but it is not a testimonial.
With StoryProof: Tag it for support and forward it. Tags are on every plan, so the queue shows what was routed and what is still waiting.
Abusive messages land with a low score
Hostile text needs a person to look at it quickly, not sit unread for a week.
With StoryProof: From Pro, a rating of 2 stars or fewer can send your team an urgent alert, so someone sees it the same day.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
Moderation checklist
Is this a testimonial, criticism or junk?
Run each doubtful submission through the first group. Run the last group once a month.
Ticks stay in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent.
Junk or not? Common cases
In StoryProof
Set up junk handling in StoryProof
- You will need
- Someone named to review the queue
- Agreed tag names for junk, off topic and routed
- 1
Keep approval on for every source
Approval before publishing is the backstop. Junk that reaches the queue goes no further.
- 2
Decide where auto approve is safe
Use it only on requests that go to known customers by email, and keep it off for links posted in public.
- 3
Create the junk tags
Add tags for junk, off topic and routed, so the reviewer can sort quickly and anyone can see what happened.
- 4
Turn on the low rating alert
Hostile and unhappy messages then reach a person the same day.
What happens next: If junk keeps coming through one link, stop sharing it publicly and send that audience email requests instead.
Before you start
What this routine does not do
No spam filter is claimed here
This page does not rely on StoryProof catching spam automatically. The protection described is approval before anything goes public.
Junk stays in the queue
Tagging junk sorts it; it does not make it disappear. Plan for the reviewer to scan past tagged items.
Criticism is not yours to filter
Hiding honest negative feedback while showing praise misleads visitors. Keep the junk rule about relevance, never about how happy the customer was.
Public links attract junk
A QR code on a poster cannot know who scanned it. Expect some junk from any link you post where anyone can see it.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Is a one star testimonial spam?
No. A low rating from a real customer is feedback, however unwelcome. Spam is defined by being irrelevant or automated, never by the score.
Should we reply to abusive submissions?
Usually not to pure abuse. If there is a real complaint inside it, a short, calm reply to the complaint is fine. Never publish it.
Why did junk suddenly increase?
Most often a collection link was posted somewhere public. Look at where you shared it recently and move that audience to email requests.
What if a real customer’s text is off topic but positive?
Ask them a short follow-up about what they bought from you. If the answer is useful, collect it as a new testimonial.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Keep junk off your pages
Every submission waits for approval, so spam and off topic messages never reach a visitor.
Last updated 2026-11-07.