Can I Use Customer Reviews and Testimonials on My Website?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 17, 2026

The short answer

Ask the customer in writing before you use their words, name, photo, or review in your marketing. Use their words as they wrote them, show only real experiences, and disclose any connection, like a discount, a free service, or a family tie. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has rules against fake, misleading, and undisclosed testimonials.

What this means

11.1.13 Testimonial permission

A testimonial is any customer statement you use to promote your business: a quote on your site, a video, a case study, or a review you copy into an ad. Permission should say:

The exact words you’ll use
How you’ll name them (full name, first name and last initial, business name, or anonymous)
Where you’ll use it (website, social media, ads, print)
Whether a photo is included (see 11.1.12 Photo Permission)
How they can ask you to remove it

Made-up example: After a kitchen remodel, Oakridge Cabinet Co. emails the homeowner: “You wrote us a kind note. May we post it on our website as ‘Dana R., Fairview’? Reply yes, or tell us how you’d like it changed.” The reply is saved in the customer file.

11.3.4 Honest presentation of testimonials

The FTC’s Endorsement Guides and its Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule set the federal rules. In plain terms:

Real customers, real experiences. No made-up testimonials, and no testimonials from people who didn’t use your service.
Disclose connections. If the person got something of value (a discount, free work, a gift) or is an employee, friend, or relative, say so clearly.
Don’t change the meaning. You can fix a typo. You can’t cut words so that “good, but slow” becomes “good.”
Don’t present unusual results as typical.
No reviews tied to a positive rating. The FTC rule bans incentives that require or suggest a positive or negative review.

14.6.5 Review evidence

When you use a review from Google, Yelp, or another site in your marketing:

Ask the reviewer for permission if you’ll use their name or photo off the review site, or keep it anonymous.
Keep a screenshot of the original review with the date.
Don’t cherry-pick in a way that misleads. Showing a few good quotes is normal. Claiming “every customer loves us” when you have bad reviews is not.

Why it matters

The FTC enforces these rules. Under its Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, effective October 21, 2024, courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations.
Customers may object. Seeing your name in an ad you didn’t approve is a fast way to lose a happy customer.
Fake testimonials damage trust. Readers, Google, and AI tools all look for signs that praise is real.
Google has its own rules. Google’s Maps content policy bans incentivized reviews, reviews from people with a conflict of interest, and selectively asking only happy customers for reviews (see 14.10.3 Review Gating and Incentives).

Who this applies to

Every business that quotes a customer, shows a review, or publishes a case study. If you only link to your Google profile without copying reviews, you need less, but the honesty rules still apply to anything you say about your reviews.

How to do it

Ask for permission in writing each time you want to use a testimonial. A reply email or text works.
Confirm how to name them. Many customers prefer a first name and last initial.
Use their words. Fix only spelling, and send them the final version if you edit at all.
Disclose any connection right next to the testimonial, like “Received a discount on their next service” or “Our office manager’s brother.”
Save the proof in the customer file: the original words, the permission, and the date.
Keep testimonials current. Remove ones about services you no longer offer.
Remove on request, quickly.
Never write testimonials for customers or ask staff to post reviews about your business (see 11.3.5 Fake Review Rules).

What proof to keep

The customer’s original words, with the date
Written permission showing how they agreed to be named and where
Notes on any connection or incentive, and the disclosure you used
Screenshots of reviews you quote, with dates
A log of removal requests

Common mistakes

Copying Google reviews onto your site with full names and photos without asking.
Trimming quotes until they change meaning.
Not disclosing a discount given to the customer who wrote the testimonial.
Staff or family testimonials with no disclosure.
Marking up your own testimonials for review stars. Google says reviews a business controls about itself aren’t eligible for the star feature.
“Rate us 5 stars and get 10% off.” That’s an incentive tied to sentiment, which the FTC rule bans.

When to get help from a pro

Attorney: to review your permission form and disclosure wording, especially if you pay for testimonials or work with influencers. Questions to ask:

Does my testimonial permission cover paid ads?
How should I word disclosures for discounts or free services?
How do the FTC rules apply to my referral or reward program?

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short note. For example, how you ask SiteSmarty clients for permission to use their words, or a time you saw a business get in trouble over fake or edited testimonials.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty handles review requests and Google Business Profile management.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: the permission message, naming choice, and where I saved the proof]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: a permission reply and the testimonial as published]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

Can I copy Google reviews onto my website? You can quote them, but ask permission before using a reviewer’s name or photo off Google, keep a dated screenshot, and don’t present them in a misleading way.

Can I edit a testimonial? Only to fix spelling or shorten without changing the meaning. Send the customer the final version if you change anything.

Do I have to disclose a discount? Yes. If the customer got something of value, disclose it clearly next to the testimonial.

Will testimonials on my site give me review stars in Google? Not for your own business. Google says reviews a business controls about itself aren’t eligible for the star feature.

Audit check

Line	Question	Pass looks like	Fail looks like	Evidence to collect
11.1.13 Testimonial permission	Is written permission on file for every published testimonial?	Permission saved with each one	Quotes used with no record	Permission emails, forms, customer files
11.3.4 Honest presentation	Are testimonials real, unedited in meaning, and disclosed where needed?	Exact words, clear disclosures	Made-up, trimmed, or undisclosed testimonials	Originals compared to published versions
14.6.5 Review evidence	Is there proof and permission for reviews used in marketing?	Dated screenshots, permission for names	Reviews copied with names and photos, no record	Screenshots and permission records

Where this fits

Do this first: 11.1.12 Photo Permission, 14.6.2 Neutral Review Requests

Do this next: 11.2.1 Vendor Agreement

Sources

Federal Trade Commission, "The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers" (checked October 17, 2026)
Federal Trade Commission, "FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking" (checked October 17, 2026)
Google Maps User Generated Content Policy Help, "Prohibited and restricted content" (checked October 17, 2026)
Google Search Central, "Review Snippet (Review, AggregateRating) Structured Data" (checked October 17, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.