Guide
8 Review Request Email Templates You Can Use Today
TrustShelf Blog · Updated 2026-09-15
Email is still one of the most reliable channels for review requests, especially for businesses that already have a customer's email from a purchase, booking, or invoice. The templates below are meant to be starting points — swap in your own voice and specifics rather than sending them word for word, since a template that sounds obviously copy-pasted gets ignored just like a template email selling something.
Three rules before you send any of these
- Use a real subject line, not "We'd love your feedback!" — something like "Quick favor?" or "How did everything go?" gets opened more often because it sounds like a person wrote it.
- Put the link in the first two lines, not buried at the bottom after three paragraphs of thanks.
- Ask for one thing. Don't combine a review request with a newsletter signup, a referral ask, and a coupon in the same email — it dilutes all three.
1. After a product purchase (once it's arrived)
Subject: How's the [product] working out?
Hi [First Name], it's been about a week since your [product] arrived. If you've had a chance to try it, I'd genuinely appreciate a quick review — it helps other customers know what to expect, and it helps us know what to improve. Here's the link: [review link]. Takes about a minute. Thanks either way!
2. After a completed service call
Subject: Thanks for having us out
Hi [First Name], thanks for choosing us for [job type] this week. If everything went the way it should have, a short review would mean a lot and helps other homeowners in [city] find someone they can trust: [review link]. If anything wasn't right, just reply to this email directly and we'll make it right.
3. After an in-person appointment
Subject: Great seeing you today
Hi [First Name], it was great having you in today. If you have a minute, a quick review helps a lot: [review link]. See you at your next visit!
4. To a repeat customer
Subject: You've been with us a while now
Hi [First Name], you've ordered from us [X] times now, and we really appreciate it. We've never actually asked you for a review — if you'd be up for sharing what's kept you coming back, here's the link: [review link].
5. Win-back / re-engagement
Subject: It's been a while
Hi [First Name], we noticed it's been a while since your last visit. No pressure to come back today, but if your last experience with us was a good one, a review would really help: [review link].
6. After a high-value order or project
Subject: One quick ask
Hi [First Name], projects like yours are the ones we're proudest of. Would you be willing to share a review of how the whole process went, start to finish? [review link]. Happy to send over any of the finished photos for your own use, too.
7. After a support issue was resolved well
Subject: Glad we got that sorted
Hi [First Name], glad we were able to get that fixed for you. If you felt like the support experience matched the product itself, a short review helps a lot: [review link].
8. General, no specific trigger
Subject: Got a minute?
Hi [First Name], we're a small team and reviews genuinely make a difference for us. If you've been a customer for a while and have a minute, we'd appreciate you sharing your experience here: [review link]. Thank you for being a customer.
If you're not getting replies to the first email, don't assume the customer isn't interested — most people mean to leave a review and then forget. A short, well-spaced follow-up (see our follow-up sequence guide) recovers a meaningful share of those "I meant to" customers. And if email open rates are low for your customer base, text often performs better — check our text message templates for the same situations above adapted to SMS.
Check how the email looks on a phone before you send it
Most review request emails are opened on a phone, not a desktop inbox. Before you finalize a template, send yourself a test copy and check that the subject line isn't cut off, the review link is tappable and obvious, and the message doesn't require scrolling past a large image or logo just to find the actual ask. A plain-text-feeling email, with minimal formatting, often performs better here than a heavily designed one — it reads as a personal note rather than a marketing campaign.
Segment by customer type when you can
A first-time customer and a five-year repeat customer don't need the same message. If your email platform lets you segment even loosely — new versus returning, high-value versus one-time — use templates 4 and 6 above for your best customers and keep the tone for new customers focused on the specific experience they just had. This small amount of personalization is one of the more reliable ways to lift response rates without changing anything else about your process.
Watch your numbers, not just your gut feeling
If your email platform tracks opens and clicks, keep an eye on both. A low open rate usually points to a subject line problem; a decent open rate but few clicks on the review link usually means the message itself isn't compelling enough, or the ask isn't clear enough in the first two lines. Testing one variable at a time — just the subject line, then just the opening sentence — tells you more than changing everything at once.
Whichever templates you use, the link you send matters as much as the words around it — a direct, simple review link removes the biggest reason people don't finish. See our full approach in how to ask customers for reviews, or set up a collection link with TrustShelf in a few minutes.