A testimonial release form is a customer’s permission, in writing, for you to use their testimonial in your marketing. It does not need to be long or full of legal language. It needs to be clear about what you will do with someone’s words and face, so there are no surprises later.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Rules on publicity, privacy and data protection differ between countries and states. If you work in a regulated industry or use testimonials in paid advertising, ask a lawyer to check your wording.
Why you need one
- It protects the customer. They know exactly where their face and name could appear before they agree.
- It protects you. If someone later says they never agreed to be in an advert, you can show what they did agree to and when.
- It keeps you honest. Writing down that you will not change what someone meant, and that any thank you gift did not depend on praise, is good practice under the FTC rule on testimonials.
What to include
| Cover | What it means |
|---|---|
| Who is giving permission | Their name, and their email if you need a way to reach them. |
| What you may use | Words, voice, image, name, and any details such as job title, company or location. |
| Where you may use it | Website, social media, ads, email, print, sales materials. |
| For how long | A fixed period, or until they ask you to stop. |
| Whether you may edit it | Shortening and excerpting, but never changing the meaning. |
| How to withdraw | An address to write to, and what you will do when they do. |
| Anything given in return | A discount, gift or payment, and that it did not depend on the testimonial being positive. |
| The date | When they agreed, so you can show it later. |
A template you can adapt
Replace everything in square brackets, and delete the parts that do not apply. If you never show surnames, say so. If you offer nothing in return, remove the last sentence in brackets.
I agree that [Business name] may use the testimonial I am giving today, including my words, voice, image and first and last name [and my job title and company], to promote its products and services. This includes its website, social media, emails, adverts, presentations and printed materials, in any country, for as long as [Business name] wishes, unless I ask it to stop. [Business name] may shorten my testimonial or show part of it, but will not change what I meant or add words I did not say. I can ask [Business name] to stop using my testimonial at any time by emailing [address]. It will remove it from places it controls within a reasonable time, but cannot recall material already printed or shared by others. I am giving this testimonial freely and it reflects my honest experience. [I received (incentive) as a thank you, which did not depend on what I said.]
Plain sentences like these are easier for a customer to read and agree to than a page of clauses, and they are easier for you to stick to.
Signature or tick box?
For most testimonials a tick box next to the wording is enough, as long as you can prove later what the wording said and when it was ticked. A signature adds formality, and formality costs replies. Some people who would happily record a minute of video will not print, sign and scan a form.
The weak point of most tick boxes is the record. If your form links to “our testimonial terms” and you later change that page, you no longer know what anyone agreed to. Store the exact words with each testimonial instead.
How Akteora handles consent
Every Akteora collect link has its own consent wording. It sits beside an unticked box the customer has to tick before they can send. When they do, Akteora saves that wording word for word on their testimonial, with the time. Because of that, the wording on a link cannot be edited later: you make a new link instead, and every testimonial keeps the wording its giver actually saw.
You can paste the template above, shortened to fit, into a link’s consent field. The collect guide shows where, and you can try it free.
When a customer asks you to stop
Take the testimonial down from your website, widgets and social profiles, stop using it in new material, and reply to confirm. In Akteora, withdrawing a testimonial removes it from your widget and public page within seconds. A customer who left their email address also gets a personal link in their confirmation email that lets them remove their testimonial themselves, without having to write to you.
Common questions
Do I need a release form for a written testimonial?
It is good practice for every format. A short written permission that says where you will use the words, and whether you will show the person’s name, avoids misunderstandings later.
Can a customer withdraw their testimonial later?
Your form should say how they can ask you to stop using it, and you should honour that request going forward. A tick box consent can be just as clear as a signature, as long as you keep a record of it.