How to Get Trustpilot Reviews (Without Buying Them)

“Just buy some reviews to get started” – that’s what a marketing consultant once told me when I was struggling to build social proof for a past client. But even back then, I knew there had to be a better way to earn genuine Trustpilot reviews.

Through years of helping companies with their review strategies, I’ve learned that getting authentic Trustpilot reviews isn’t as complicated as most people think. It’s all about having the right system in place.

The best way to get Trustpilot reviews is by asking your real customers at the right time. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to do that using email, automation tools, and ethical incentives, all without risking fake reviews or penalties.

Quick Summary: How to Get Trustpilot Reviews (Free & Ethical)

• Ask customers directly through email, SMS, or post-purchase messages
• Use Trustpilot’s Automatic Feedback Service to automate invitations
• Run ethical giveaways using RafflePress to reward honest feedback
• Embed reviews on your site to build credibility and encourage more
• Add review prompts to emails, packaging, and store displays

What Are Trustpilot Reviews? (+ How the System Works)

Reviews on Trustpilot work by allowing customers to rate your business on a one-to-five-star scale and leave written feedback about their experience.

There are a few different types of Trustpilot reviews you might come across:

• Organic Reviews: Customers leave real reviews on their own initiative without any prompting from your business. They’re valuable because they show your customers are motivated enough to share their experience without being asked.
• Invited Reviews: Customers leave these reviews after you ask them to. Trustpilot allows businesses to send review invitations through its platform.
• Verified Reviews: These are invited reviews where customers have confirmed their purchase or service experience with Trustpilot. They carry extra weight because they’re more likely to be genuine.
• Redirected Reviews: You can redirect customers to Trustpilot from your website or other communication channels, encouraging them to leave reviews for your business.

Should You Buy Trustpilot Reviews?

Buying Trustpilot reviews might seem like a quick fix, but it’s a risky move with serious consequences. Trustpilot has advanced fraud detection systems that can easily spot fake reviews, which makes Trustpilot reviews reliable. If you’re caught, you could face penalties, lose the trust of your customers, and even have your Trustpilot account suspended.

But it’s not just about the rules. Fake Trustpilot or even Google reviews don’t help your business. A recent report found that 46% of the 2.7 million fake reviews detected and removed online were five-star reviews, highlighting how misleading they can be.

They create a false impression of your products or services, which can lead to disappointed customers and negative word-of-mouth.

Instead of buying reviews, build a genuine reputation through organic and invited reviews. It might take more time and effort, but it’s the only way to earn your customers’ trust and create a sustainable online presence.

How to Get Trustpilot Reviews (Ethically and Effectively)

Ready to start raking in those reviews the right way? Let’s explore some proven strategies that are ethical and effective in encouraging genuine customer feedback.

Ask Customers Directly for Trustpilot Reviews

Sometimes, the simplest approach is the most effective. And this one allows you to get Trustpilot reviews for free. So, go head and ask your customers for reviews directly.

A personal touch can go a long way, whether in person after purchase, through a follow-up email, or even a friendly SMS message.

Here are some tips for asking for reviews:

• Timing is key: Reach out to customers shortly after they’ve had a positive experience with your business. This could be after a purchase, a successful customer service interaction, or the completion of a project.
• Keep it brief and friendly: Thank the customer for their business and explain how much you value their feedback.
• Make it easy: Provide a direct link to your Trustpilot profile to make it as easy as possible for them to leave a review.
• Personalize your message: Address the customer by name and reference their purchase or experience.

When I tested this strategy with a client in the wellness space, we added a simple “How did we do?” email one day after purchase. Within 2 weeks, their Trustpilot reviews jumped by 38%, with no additional ad spend.

You’ll be surprised at how many customers are willing to share their positive experiences on Trustpilot by simply asking.

Key Takeaway: A personal ask right after a positive experience is still one of the most effective ways to get Trustpilot reviews. Keep it short, friendly, and include a direct link to make it easy for your customer to respond.

Automate Review Requests with Trustpilot’s AFS

Trustpilot offers a suite of free tools to help you collect reviews effortlessly. One of the most powerful is their Automatic Feedback Service (AFS).

Here’s how it works:

Step 1. Get your unique Trustpilot email address

In your Trustpilot Business account, go to Get Reviews » Invitation Methods » Trustpilot Automatic Feedback Service (AFS) to find your unique email address.

Step 2. Add the email address as a BCC

Include this email address as a BCC recipient on the transactional emails you send customers (like order confirmations or shipping notifications).

Step 3. Trustpilot sends the invitation

Trustpilot will automatically send a review invitation to your customer after a set time (usually 7 days).

A good rule of thumb is to send them shortly after the customer has received their order or experienced your service.

Here’s an example of an effective review invitation email:

Subject: How did we do?

Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for choosing [Your Business Name]! We hope you’re enjoying your recent purchase.
We’d love to hear about your experience. Would you mind taking a few minutes to leave us a review on Trustpilot? Your feedback helps us improve and lets others know what to expect.

[Link to Trustpilot Review Page]

Thanks again for your business!

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

By using Trustpilot’s free tools, you can streamline the review collection process and make it easier for customers to share their feedback. If you need help, there are instructions in the Trustpilot help center.

Key Takeaway: Trustpilot’s AFS lets you automate review requests by simply adding a BCC to your order confirmation emails. It’s one of the easiest ways to get consistent, verified Trustpilot reviews.

Incentivize Trustpilot Reviews Without Breaking Rules

While you can’t directly offer rewards for positive reviews (that’s against Trustpilot’s rules), you can create incentives that encourage customers to leave reviews in general.

Here are a few ideas:

• Discounts or coupons: Offer a small discount on their next purchase as a thank-you for their feedback.
• Contests or giveaways: Enter reviewers into a giveaway for a chance to win a prize or gift card.
• Early access or exclusive perks: Give reviewers early access to new products, exclusive discounts, or loyalty program benefits.

Note: Always be transparent about any incentives you offer. Let customers know they’ll receive the incentive regardless of whether their review is positive or negative. This ensures that the feedback you receive is genuine and unbiased.

Using RafflePress to Incentivize Reviews on Trustpilot

If you have a WordPress website, you can use RafflePress‘s Trustpilot Review action to easily create giveaway campaigns that incentivize customers to leave reviews.

This WordPress giveaway plugin lets you set up giveaways that require participants to leave a Trustpilot review as an entry requirement.

RafflePress also automatically tracks and verifies these reviews, ensuring fairness and preventing fraudulent entries. You can customize your giveaway to your heart’s content, choosing from various prize options and entry methods to create an engaging customer experience.

For example, you could run a monthly giveaway where customers who leave a review are entered to win a gift card to your store. This not only encourages reviews but also fosters customer loyalty and engagement.

Please refer to our guide on how to do a review giveaway, which includes all the steps.

Key Takeaway: You can use RafflePress’s Trustpilot Review action to run ethical, automated giveaways that encourage customers to leave honest reviews, without breaking the rules. It’s a fun way to build engagement and social proof.

Integrate Trustpilot With Shopify, WooCommerce, or CRMs

Connecting Trustpilot with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Ecommerce platform allows you to automate review invitations, sync customer data, and track the impact of reviews on your sales. 

Here’s why you should consider it:

• Automation: Set up automatic review invitations to be sent after a purchase or service interaction, saving you time and effort.
• Data syncing: Keep your customer data up-to-date across both platforms, ensuring accurate and personalized communication.
• Review analytics: Track the impact of reviews on your sales and customer satisfaction.

For example, to integrate Trustpilot with WooCommerce, install and activate the Trustpilot Reviews plugin, then follow the prompts to connect your Trustpilot Business account.

You can then customize your settings to choose when and how review invitations are sent.

Trustpilot also offers integrations with other popular platforms like:

• Shopify: Streamline review collection and display reviews directly on your product pages.
• Magento: Automate review invitations and manage customer feedback within your Magento dashboard.
• Salesforce: Connect Trustpilot with your Salesforce CRM for a holistic view of customer interactions.

Key Takeaway: Integrating Trustpilot with your ecommerce or CRM platform helps automate review requests at scale. It saves time, keeps your data synced, and gives you insight into how reviews impact your sales.

Show Trustpilot Reviews on Your Site With Widgets or Plugins

Displaying Trustpilot reviews directly on your website is a great way to build trust and credibility. Trustpilot offers customizable widgets called TrustBoxes that you can easily embed on your site.

These widgets display your star rating, recent reviews, and even a call-to-action button that encourages visitors to leave their own feedback.

Using Smash Balloon’s Reviews Feed Plugin

For WordPress users, Smash Balloon’s Reviews Feed plugin offers an easy and effective way to display your Trustpilot reviews.

This plugin lets you:

• Create custom review feeds: Choose which reviews you want to display and how you want them to look.
• Display reviews in various formats: Showcase reviews in a carousel, grid, or list format.
• Customize the appearance: Match the widget to your website’s branding and style.
• Aggregate reviews from other platforms: If you collect reviews on platforms like Google or Facebook, you can easily combine them with your Trustpilot reviews in one feed.

By placing Trustpilot widgets and review feeds on your website, you can make social proof a core part of your marketing strategy. This helps convert visitors into customers and encourages more customers to leave reviews, creating a positive feedback loop.

Key Takeaway: Embedding TrustBoxes or review feeds on your site builds credibility and encourages more reviews. Customers are more likely to leave feedback when they see others doing the same.

Use Popups to Ask for Trustpilot Reviews After Purchase

Popups are another effective way to gently nudge customers to leave reviews. You can use a popup on your website to ask for feedback after a customer completes a purchase or interacts with your customer service team.

OptinMonster offers an easy and powerful way to create eye-catching popups designed to convert.

With OptinMonster, you have complete control over the look and feel of your popup. You can customize everything from the colors and fonts to the wording and imagery, ensuring it seamlessly aligns with your brand.

But OptinMonster is more than just a design tool. You can target specific pages or tailor the popup to appear for particular user segments, maximizing its relevance and impact.

Additionally, OptinMonster has tracking features that allow you to monitor the performance of your popup and make data-driven changes to optimize it.

Add a Trustpilot Review Link to Your Email Signature

Your email signature is prime real estate for promoting your Trustpilot profile and another free way to get Trustpilot reviews. Every email you send is an opportunity to invite customers to share their feedback.

You can do this using Trustpilot’s email widgets.

Go to your Trustpilot Business account and navigate to Share & promote » Email widgets » TrustBox Signature. Then, configure the widget’s appearance to your liking.

Once finalized, click “Get code” under the preview to copy the HTML code for the widget.

Now, you’ll need to access your email client’s signature settings. The specific steps may vary slightly depending on your email provider, but the general idea is the same.

Here are the steps for setting it up in Gmail:

Go to Settings » See all settings » General. Scroll to the “Signature” section and click “Create new.” 

Next, give your signature a name and paste the copied Trustpilot widget code into the editing area.  

Finally, configure your desired default settings and save changes.

That’s it! Now, every email you send will display your TrustBox signature, encouraging recipients to visit your Trustpilot profile and share their feedback.

Alternatively, you can add a line like “Share your experience on Trustpilot” or “See what our customers are saying on Trustpilot” with a link to your profile. This subtle reminder can make a big difference in generating organic reviews.

Promote Trustpilot Reviews With Paid Ads (Carefully)

Paid advertising can be a powerful way to get your Trustpilot profile in front of a wider audience. In fact, studies show that including the Trustpilot trust mark in your ads can significantly boost their effectiveness. 

According to a survey, a whopping 91% of consumers chose the ad with the Trustpilot logo in this example:

If you decide to go the paid advertising route, here are some tips for creating effective review-focused ads:

• Highlight your star rating: Showcase your Trustpilot star rating in your ad copy and visuals.
• Use strong calls to action: Encourage viewers to “Read our reviews” or “Share your experience on Trustpilot.”
• Offer an incentive (optional): If you’re running an incentive program, mention it in your ad to attract more reviewers.
• Test different ad formats: Experiment with different ad formats and targeting options to find what works best for your business.

Use Review Generation Tools to Automate Trustpilot Feedback

If you’re looking for a more hands-off approach to collecting Trustpilot reviews, review generation platforms can help. These platforms automate sending personalized review invitations to your customers after purchases or service interactions.

Some popular review-generation platforms include:

• Trustpilot’s Own Review Collection Service: Integrates seamlessly with the Trustpilot platform.
• Feefo: Offers various review collection tools and integrations.
• Reviews.io: Specializes in collecting and managing customer reviews.

These platforms can save you time and effort but usually charge a monthly or annual fee. You may also have less control over the review collection process than if you managed it yourself.

Include Review Requests in Product Packaging

Your product packaging is a valuable touchpoint with customers. Take advantage of this opportunity by including a small postcard or insert encouraging customers to leave a review on Trustpilot.

Here are some design tips for your review request cards:

• Keep it concise: A brief message with a clear call to action is most effective.
• Make it visually appealing: Use eye-catching colors and graphics to grab attention.
• Offer a QR code: Include a QR code that customers can scan with their smartphone to make it easy for them to access your Trustpilot profile.
• Express your gratitude: Thank customers for their purchase and tell them how much you value their feedback.

Here’s an example of a simple yet effective message:

“Thank you for choosing [Your Business Name]! We hope you love your new [Product Name]. If you have a moment, we’d really appreciate it if you could share your experience on Trustpilot. Your feedback helps us improve and lets others know what to expect.”

Add In-Store Signage and QR Codes for Trustpilot Reviews

If you have a physical store, use in-store signage and prompts to encourage customers to leave reviews on Trustpilot. You can place small signs near the checkout counter or product displays with a simple message like “Love our products? Leave us a review on Trustpilot!”

You can even provide QR codes that customers can scan with their smartphones to make it even easier for them to leave reviews. This will take them directly to your Trustpilot profile, where they can quickly leave feedback.

You can do this using a free online QR code generator. Adobe Express is one I’ve used before. You simply customize the QR design and add the link to your Trustpilot profile.

Then, you just print the QR code on signs, flyers, or even product labels.

Key Takeaway: Don’t underestimate offline prompts. A simple card in your packaging or a QR code at checkout gives happy customers a fast, frictionless way to leave a Trustpilot review, right when they’re most satisfied.

Best Practices to Boost Trustpilot Review Quality

Building a strong Trustpilot profile isn’t just about collecting reviews, but also managing and maintaining them. Here are some best practices to ensure your reviews remain authentic and valuable:

Respond Thoughtfully to Positive, Neutral, and Negative Reviews

Don’t leave your customers hanging! Responding to reviews shows that you value their feedback and are committed to providing excellent service.

Studies indicate that nearly one in five consumers (17.56%) adjust their perception of a business based on its response to reviews. This highlights the importance of crafting thoughtful and professional responses.

Here’s how to approach different types of reviews:

• Positive reviews: Thank the customer for their kind words and express your appreciation for their business.
  • Example Response: “Thank you so much for your kind words, [Customer Name]! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We look forward to serving you again soon!”
• Negative reviews: Acknowledge their concerns, apologize for any inconvenience, and offer a solution if possible.
  • Example Response: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention, [Customer Name]. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and are eager to make it right.”
• Neutral reviews: Thank the customer for their feedback and highlight any positive aspects they mentioned.
  • Example Response: “Thank you for your feedback, [Customer Name]. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed [Aspect Mentioned]. We’re taking your other comments into consideration for future improvements.”
    

Watch for and Report Suspicious Trustpilot Reviews

While Trustpilot has measures in place to detect fake reviews, it’s still important to monitor your profile and report any suspicious activity. If you find a fake review that violates Trustpilot’s guidelines, report it to Trustpilot’s support team.

Use Trustpilot’s Tools to Maintain Review Integrity

Trustpilot offers several tools to help you manage your reviews and maintain their integrity:

• Flag reviews: If you suspect a review is fake or violates Trustpilot’s guidelines, you can flag it for review.
• Report users: If a user repeatedly posts fake or abusive reviews, you can report them to Trustpilot.
• Find guidelines: Familiarize yourself with Trustpilot’s guidelines for businesses to ensure you’re following the rules and maintaining a positive reputation.

Trustpilot vs Reviews.io: Key Differences for Review Collection

Trustpilot is one of the most widely recognized review platforms, especially in Europe and the UK. But if you’re exploring alternatives, Reviews.io is another strong option that offers deeper integrations with platforms like Shopify and Klaviyo.

If your focus is global visibility and social proof in search engines, Trustpilot has the edge. If you want more customizable review collection and in-email widgets, Reviews.io might offer more flexibility. Some businesses even use both.

Platform	Best For	Key Features
Trustpilot	Global reach, SEO visibility	⭐ Strong search visibility ⭐ Free AFS tools ⭐ Widely trusted
Reviews.io	Advanced integrations, custom workflows	🔧 Shopify & Klaviyo integrations 🔧 Custom review flows 🔧 In-email widgets

Either way, the strategies in this guide apply, no matter which review platform you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find the answers to common questions about Trustpilot reviews below:

Get Reviews on Trustpilot Today

Trustpilot reviews are a powerful tool for any business. By focusing on genuine customer feedback and using the strategies I’ve covered, you can build trust, boost your reputation, and attract new customers.

Ready to grow your Trustpilot presence? If you’re a WordPress user, try RafflePress’s Trustpilot Review action to incentivize genuine reviews with exciting giveaways.

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