For maintainers and free tool makers
Testimonials for Open Source Projects
An open source project has users, not customers. There is no invoice, no account manager and often no real name. Work through the checklist below to find the people who would vouch for your project, ask them where they already are, and publish their words without implying an endorsement nobody gave.
- Find users when nobody signed up
- Ask in the README, docs and release notes
- Name employers only with their consent
The problem, solved
What makes open source proof hard, and the StoryProof answer
Situation 1 of 5
We have no list of users to email
People install from a registry or clone the repository. You may never learn who they are unless they open an issue.
How StoryProof solves it
Share the StoryProof collection link by hand wherever users already look: the README, the docs sidebar, a release note or a pinned discussion.
Situation 2 of 5
Most users only go by a handle
A testimonial signed with a handle can look made up, and asking for a legal name puts people off.
How StoryProof solves it
Nothing goes public until you approve it, so you can agree attribution, such as handle plus role, before a word is published.
Situation 3 of 5
Our users write in many languages
A global contributor base answers a form in English with short, careful sentences that lose what they meant.
How StoryProof solves it
StoryProof collection forms are available in several languages on every plan, so users can answer in a language they are comfortable with.
Situation 4 of 5
The engineer says yes, their employer says no
Many companies forbid staff from endorsing tools in public, even ones they rely on every day.
How StoryProof solves it
Tag those stories as "employer not cleared" and leave them out of every public widget until permission arrives.
Situation 5 of 5
Our site is a static docs build
There is no CMS to add quotes to, and every change goes through a pull request.
How StoryProof solves it
A widget embeds with two lines of HTML, or link to a Wall of Love: a hosted page of your approved stories with its own URL.
Checklist
Open source testimonial checklist
Tick each item as you go. The summary can be pasted into an issue so co-maintainers can see what is done.
Ticks are kept in this browser tab only.
What an honest attribution looks like
Illustrative attribution formats, not real users
Handle and role: "@kestrel_dev, platform engineer, uses the library in a payments service."
Name and project: "Ana Ruiz, maintainer of a static site generator that depends on this package."
Company with permission: "Data team, a logistics company (named with the company’s written approval)."
In StoryProof
Set it up with StoryProof
- 1
Write a short user story form
Ask what they built with the project and what they would have done without it. Users answer by text, an audio note or video in the browser.
- 2
Put the link where users read
README, docs, release notes and community channels. There is no list to email, so the link has to travel.
- 3
Agree attribution before approving
Each submission waits for approval. Confirm the name, handle and employer wording first.
- 4
Tag and show the cleared ones
Tag stories by use case and clearance, then add the cleared ones to a widget on the docs homepage, or point to your Wall of Love.
What happens next: Link the user stories page from your sponsorship page. Sponsors want to see who relies on the project.
Before you start
Limits worth knowing
Stars and downloads are not testimonials
Popularity numbers say people found the project. A testimonial says why it mattered to one of them. Keep the two separate.
A widget needs a page that runs scripts
The embed uses a small script. If your docs host strips scripts, link to the Wall of Love instead.
Community norms vary
Some communities dislike anything that looks like marketing. Ask co-maintainers before adding a link to the README.
Every plan has allowances
A volunteer project rarely has a budget. Check the pricing page for what each plan includes before you depend on a feature.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Is a testimonial from a handle believable?
More than you might think, when it says what the person built. A handle that links to a public profile with real work behind it carries weight with other developers.
Can I quote a nice comment from a public issue?
It is public, but it was written as a comment, not an endorsement. Ask the author before turning it into a testimonial.
Should corporate users be asked differently?
Ask the engineer for their own story, and ask separately whether the company can be named. The two answers are often different.
Where should user stories go on a project site?
Near the install instructions and on the sponsorship page. Those are the two places where a reader is deciding whether to rely on the project.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Give your users a place to say why they rely on you
Create a user story form and add the link to your README today.
Last updated 2026-11-05.