By the HTMLAnnotate team14 November 20264 min read
The email that goes with a review link decides how useful the feedback is. Six short templates for each stage of a website review, each with a Copy button. Swap the parts in curly brackets for your own details.
The short versionA good feedback request says what to review, by when, and how to leave comments, in a few lines. Give one deadline, say what this round is for, and make the review link the only thing they need to click.
The six templates
1. First review
Send with the first review link.
Subject: Your new website is ready to review
Hi {name},
The first version of {site name} is ready for you to look at:
{review link}
This round is about structure and content: is everything there, in the right order, and saying the right things? Design details come in the next round.
Click anything on the page to leave a comment on it. There is nothing to sign up for. Please check it on your phone too.
Could you leave your comments by {day, date}? I'll go through them all at once and send round two the week after.
Thanks,
{your name}
2. Second round
After you have made the first changes.
Subject: Round two of {site name} is ready
Hi {name},
Thanks for your notes on the first version. Everything you asked for is done, and the updated page is on the same link:
{review link}
Your earlier comments are kept with the first version, so this one starts clean. This round is about the details: wording, images, spacing and the phone layout.
If something is a must-fix before launch, please say so in the comment.
Could you send your comments by {day, date}?
Thanks,
{your name}
3. Final sign-off
When you think it is ready to launch.
Subject: Ready for your sign-off: {site name}
Hi {name},
All the changes from the last round are in, and we think {site name} is ready to go live:
{review link}
Please have a final look, including on your phone. If you are happy, press Approve on the page (or reply to this email to say so) and we will launch on {launch date}.
If anything still needs to change, leave a comment on it and we'll sort it before launch.
Thanks,
{your name}
4. A polite chaser
When the deadline has passed with no comments.
Subject: Quick nudge on the {site name} review
Hi {name},
Just checking you saw the review link for {site name}:
{review link}
To keep us on track for {launch date}, could you leave your comments by {new date}? Even a few quick notes help.
If it's easier, I'm happy to go through it together on a 15-minute call. Just reply with a time that suits you.
Thanks,
{your name}
5. When feedback is vague
To turn "make it pop" into something you can fix.
Subject: A couple of questions about your notes
Hi {name},
Thanks for your feedback. I want to get this exactly right, so I have a couple of questions about one note:
"{their comment}"
Is it more about the colours, the size of the text, or the photo? If you've seen a website that does it well, a link would really help.
Thanks,
{your name}
6. Thank-you after launch
Once the site is live.
Subject:{site name} is live
Hi {name},
{site name} is live at {website address}. Thank you for your time and your clear feedback through every round.
Over the next two weeks, if you spot anything that doesn't look right, just send me the page and what you saw, and I'll fix it.
Thanks again,
{your name}
What makes these emails work
One link. The review link is the only thing to click. No attachments, no screenshots, no logins.
One date. A specific day gets a reply. "When you get a chance" gets a reply in three weeks.
What this round is for. Telling the client it is a structure round stops an hour of comments on wording that will change anyway.
Check it on your phone. Most visitors will see the site on a phone, and clients rarely look there unless asked.
What should a website feedback request email include?
The review link, what this round is for, a deadline, and how to leave comments. Keep it short: one link and one date are easier to act on than a long list of instructions.
How long should I give a client to review a website?
Two to five working days is common for a round. Give a specific day rather than "when you can", and say what happens next if you don't hear back.
How do I chase a client who hasn't given feedback?
Send a short, friendly reminder with the link again and a new date. Make it easy to say yes: offer to take silence as approval of the parts they've seen, or to book a 15-minute call.
Should I send a feedback guide with the email?
Yes, if the client hasn't reviewed a website before. A short guide on writing clear comments, like our guide to giving useful website feedback, saves a round of back and forth.
Send your next review link with HTMLAnnotate. Clients click anything on the page to comment, with no account.
