The best time to ask a freelance client for a review is straight after they've told you they're happy. Ask then, give them a couple of questions to answer, and send them to one place. Happy clients rarely mind being asked. The ones who don't reply have usually forgotten.

When to ask

Timing does most of the work. Good moments:

• The project's been delivered and signed off

• The client says something nice without being prompted

• A result comes in, like a launch going well or the numbers moving

• They come back for more work or refer someone to you

The worst moment is six months later, when you're updating your website and they've forgotten the details.

Why "could you leave me a review?" gets ignored

It hands the client a blank page. They like you and they mean to do it. They don't know what to write, so the email sits there.

Questions fix that.

Three questions that get a useful answer

1. What was going on before you brought me in?

2. What changed because of the work?

3. Who would you recommend me to?

The answers give you a before, an after and the kind of client who should hire you next. Two or three sentences is enough. A prospect reading it can see their own situation in it, which a line like "great to work with" never manages.

Templates you can copy

By email, after a project wraps.

Hi [Name], really glad the [project] landed well. Would you be up for writing a couple of lines about working together? It helps a lot when new clients are deciding whether to hire me. If it's easier, answer these: what was going on before we started, what changed, and who you'd recommend me to. Here's the link: [link]. No rush, and thanks either way.

When a client compliments you out of the blue.

That's made my day, thank you. Would you mind if I used that as a testimonial? I can send a link so it takes about a minute.

On LinkedIn.

Hi [Name], I enjoyed working on [project] with you. I'm asking a few clients for a LinkedIn recommendation. Would you be open to writing a short one? Happy to send a couple of prompts if that helps.

The follow-up, a week later.

Hi [Name], nudging this in case it got buried. Two or three sentences is perfect. Here's the link again: [link].

Pick one place for each review

Asking for a Google review, a LinkedIn recommendation and an emailed quote in the same message usually gets you none of them. Choose one per client.

Google reviews suit you if you have a Google Business Profile and clients who find you through search. You can create a direct review link from your profile, and Google's tips for getting reviews show you how. Google doesn't allow incentives, so no discounts or freebies in exchange.

LinkedIn recommendations suit B2B work where prospects look at your profile before they reply. You need to be connected to the person first. LinkedIn's instructions are here.

A direct testimonial suits everyone else. Whichever route you pick, ask whether you can use their name and company alongside the quote.

Follow up once

One reminder after a week is fine. People are busy and a nudge is normal. After that, leave it and ask again at the next good moment.

Then put the review to work

A review that stays in your inbox helps nobody. Give each one a home a prospect can see.

You can request reviews from clients through BreakFee, and they sit on one public profile with your imported Google reviews and the testimonials you add yourself. The free plan includes 10 email review requests in total.

If you already have praise spread across a few places, start with where to keep client testimonials so you can find them. And if you're wondering which reviews carry the most weight with a prospect, we've covered that in social proof for freelancers.