# Collecting testimonials

> Collect testimonials from your customers with a form you embed on your site, approve them in SiteBackend, and see how the Free plan limit works.

Source: https://sitebackend.com/docs/testimonials/collecting · Updated: 2026-09-28

Each site has a **Testimonials** tab for testimonials. It has three parts: **Inbox** (approve what comes in), **Collect** (the form your customers fill in) and **Widgets** (how approved testimonials appear on your site, see [testimonial widgets](https://sitebackend.com/docs/testimonials/widgets)).

## How do customers leave a testimonial?

Open **Testimonials → Collect** and copy the embed code into the page where the form should appear:

```html
<div data-sitebackend-widget="c_…"></div>
<script src="https://sitebackend.com/widget.js" async></script>
```

The form asks for their testimonial, their name and that they agree to it being shown publicly. You choose whether it also asks for:

- a **star rating** from 1 to 5
- a **photo**: JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 3 MB
- their **role and company**

Testimonials can be up to 2,000 characters. You can change the heading, the prompt, the thank-you message (`{{name}}` becomes their first name), the colours and the corners, and see the result in the live preview before saving. Turn off **Accepting testimonials** to pause the form; it then says it isn't accepting testimonials right now.

The form has the same protection as SiteBackend forms: a hidden honeypot field for bots, and a limit of 3 testimonials a minute from the same visitor.

## Approving testimonials

New testimonials land in **Testimonials → Inbox** as **Pending** and only appear on your site once you approve them. The inbox shows **All** testimonials by default; the **Pending**, **Approved** and **Archived** chips filter by status. Click one to read it in full, with its private details: the person's email (if you added one), where it came from and when.

- **Approve** puts it on your widgets.
- **Archive** takes it off your site but keeps it. **Restore** brings it back to Pending.
- **Edit** fixes typos or details; widgets update straight away.
- **Delete** removes it and its photo for good.

Owners and admins can approve, edit, add and delete testimonials and change the collect form. Members can read them. See workspaces and team members.

To skip the manual step for good ones, set **Auto-approve** to **4★ and up go live** on the Collect page. Testimonials rated 4 or 5 stars then appear on your site immediately; the rest wait for you.

**Add testimonial** lets you paste one a customer sent you by email or message. Tick that they agreed to have it shown.

## Emails for new testimonials

Owners and admins get an email for each new testimonial, with a link to approve it. Turn this off with **Email me new testimonials** on the Collect page.

## What's the limit on the Free plan?

On Free, up to **10 testimonials per site** can be approved and shown, and widgets show a small "Powered by SiteBackend" link. Collecting is never limited: new ones still arrive in your inbox. Archive one to make room, or [upgrade to Pro](https://sitebackend.com/docs/workspace/plans-and-limits) for unlimited testimonials without the link.

If a workspace moves from Pro back to Free, nothing is deleted: widgets show the first 10 and approving more is paused until you're under the limit.