Unsolicited praise
Turn Customer Emails Into Testimonials
The best things customers say about you often arrive unasked, in a thank-you email, a support reply or a shared Slack channel. They were written to you, not for your website. Before a line goes public, the customer needs to know and agree. Fill in the builder to write that permission request in a minute.
- A permission request quoting their own words
- Versions for email, support replies and chat
- Copy, paste and send in your own channel
The problem, solved
From a private compliment to a published testimonial
Our best praise is buried in inboxes
Account managers and support staff receive the warmest messages, and they never reach marketing.
With StoryProof: Paste saved praise into a spreadsheet and upload it as a CSV, matching columns for the customer’s name, their words, company, job title and date.
We are not sure they would agree
A sentence written in a private thread can feel exposing once it sits on a homepage with the customer’s name under it.
With StoryProof: Send the permission request with your StoryProof link. Customers who agree can submit the words themselves, in writing, video or an audio note, so the published version is one they chose.
Imported praise could go live by mistake
Once a batch of quotes is in a tool, someone may drop one into a widget before the customer has said yes.
With StoryProof: Imported testimonials wait in the approval queue and nothing goes public until you approve it, so unconfirmed ones simply stay unpublished.
Nobody knows which ones have consent
Months later, a quote is reused and nobody can say whether the customer agreed or where it came from.
With StoryProof: Tag each one with its source and its permission status, such as from-email and permission-confirmed, and fill widgets only from confirmed ones.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
Message builder
Ask to use their words
Fill in the fields, pick where the praise came from, and copy the message. Quote their exact words so they know precisely what you mean.
- Permission request by email
Subject: Could we share what you wrote?
Hi [Priya], You wrote to us recently and said: “[Your team sorted it in an afternoon]”. It made the team’s week. Would you be happy for us to show those words on [our pricing page], credited as [Priya S., Operations Lead]? If you would rather change the wording, or add a line or two, you can do that here: [https://your-link] If you would prefer to keep it between us, just say so and that is the end of it. Thanks, [Sam]
- Short follow-up if they do not reply
Send once, about a week later. No reply after this means no.
Subject: Re: Could we share what you wrote?
Hi [Priya], just checking whether you saw my note about sharing “[Your team sorted it in an afternoon]” on [our pricing page]. No pressure either way. If yes, you can confirm or reword it here: [https://your-link] [Sam]
What you type stays in your browser. The builder sends nothing; you copy the message and send it yourself.
Using a compliment, the risky way and the right way
Copied straight onto the site
- Screenshot of an email pasted onto the homepage
- Customer finds out from a colleague
- Wording trimmed until it says more than they meant
- No record of where it came from
Asked first, then filed
- Customer sees their exact words and where they will go
- They confirm, reword or decline
- The approved version is the one they chose
- Tagged with its source and consent status
In StoryProof
Turn an inbox of praise into a library
- 1
Gather the praise in one sheet
Copy each compliment, the customer’s name and the date into a spreadsheet, keeping their wording exactly.
- 2
Import it as unpublished testimonials
Upload the sheet as a CSV and map the columns. Everything lands in your approval queue, not on your site.
- 3
Tag each one awaiting permission
Mark the source and a status such as permission-asked, so nobody uses them early.
- 4
Send the permission request
Use the builder above and include your collection link, so customers who agree can confirm or reword in their own submission.
- 5
Publish only what was confirmed
Approve the confirmed ones, update their tag, and choose them for the widgets where they fit.
What happens next: Never approve the imported copy of praise a customer declined. Their private message stays private.
Before you start
Things the builder cannot do for you
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
It does not send the message
The builder writes text for you to copy. StoryProof’s own requests go by email; replies in support tools or chat are sent from those tools.
- 02
No import from inboxes or chat
StoryProof does not read your email or Slack. Copying the praise out is a manual step.
- 03
Silence is not consent
If a customer never replies, do not publish. Keep the quote for internal use only.
- 04
Other people in the message
If the praise names a colleague of theirs or one of your staff, check that those people are comfortable too.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Can I use a customer’s email as a testimonial without asking?
It is safer not to. They wrote it to you privately, not for publication. Ask, show them the exact words and where they will appear, and keep their reply.
Can I edit the praise before asking?
Quote it exactly in your request. If it needs trimming, show them the shortened version and let them approve it.
What about praise in a public Slack community or a public post?
Public does not mean permission for your marketing. Ask in a direct message, the same as you would for an email.
What if the customer wants to reword it?
Let them. A version they chose is better than the original they are uneasy about, and the collection link lets them submit it directly.
Should I store the customer’s yes somewhere?
Yes. Keep the reply email or a note of the conversation, and tag the testimonial so anyone reusing it can see it was confirmed.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Give your inbox praise a proper home
Import it unpublished, ask each customer, and show only the words they agreed to.
Last updated 2026-11-05.