WooCommerce review request emails are short messages sent after a purchase that ask customers to review the products they bought. A good one arrives after the customer has used the product, sounds like it came from a person, and takes the customer straight to the review form in one click. This guide focuses on the email itself: what to include, ready-to-use templates, subject lines, personalization, deliverability, and the rules to follow.
If you’re looking for the setup and scheduling side, such as enabling WooCommerce’s built-in review request or choosing a trigger status, see our step-by-step guide on how to send review reminders in WooCommerce.
What Makes a Good Review Request Email?
The best review request emails share a few traits:
- They arrive at the right time. After the product has arrived and the customer has had a chance to use it.
- They’re personal. The customer’s name, the products they bought, and a sender name they recognize.
- They ask for one thing. A review, not a review plus a newsletter signup plus a discount code.
- They’re short. Most people read email on their phones, so a few lines is plenty.
- They make it easy. One button per product that opens the right review form.
- They’re honest. They ask for genuine feedback, not just five-star reviews.
Anatomy of a WooCommerce Review Request Email
Sender name and address
Use your store name, or a real person’s name at your store, as the sender. Send from an address on your own domain rather than a free email account. It looks more trustworthy and helps deliverability.
Subject line
This decides whether the email gets opened. Keep it short, conversational, and specific to the purchase. There are examples below.
Greeting and thank-you
Open with the customer’s first name and a genuine thank-you. One sentence is enough.
The ask
Say what you’d like and why it matters: “Would you take a minute to share what you think? Your review helps other shoppers decide.” Avoid guilt-trips and exaggerated urgency.
Product list with review buttons
Show each product from the order with its image, name, and a clear button that links directly to that product’s review form. This is the most important part of the email.
An invitation to add photos or video
If your store accepts photo or video reviews, mention it. Many customers won’t know it’s an option.
Sign-off and unsubscribe link
Close with a friendly sign-off, a way to contact you if something went wrong, and a clear unsubscribe link.
Built-in WooCommerce Review Request Email vs. a Plugin
WooCommerce includes an optional Review request email as part of a beta feature that’s off by default. According to the WooCommerce email settings documentation, you enable Customer review request (beta) under WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Features, then configure Review request under WooCommerce > Settings > Emails. It’s sent once, 1 to 60 days after an order is marked Completed, and only if the order contains a product the customer can still review.
That covers the basics. A plugin is worth considering if you want to write the full email yourself, use different triggers or timing, send more than one message, or track deliveries. Whichever you choose, use only one so customers don’t get duplicate requests.
WooCommerce Review Request Email Templates
The templates below are written for ReviQuo, a WooCommerce review plugin whose reminder emails support these placeholders:
{customer_name}: the customer’s first name{order_number}and{order_date}: order details{site_name}and{site_url}: your store name and address{products_list}: a card for each product in the order with its image, name, and a Write Review button that links to the product’s reviews section (message body only){unsubscribe_link}: the customer’s personal unsubscribe URL (message body only). It’s a plain URL, so put it inside a link, such as<a href="{unsubscribe_link}">Unsubscribe</a>. If you leave it out, ReviQuo adds an unsubscribe footer automatically.
Paste a template into a reminder rule’s Content field and check the Preview tab before saving. If you use a different tool, swap the placeholders for its equivalents.
Template 1: The classic thank-you
Subject: How are you liking your order, {customer_name}?
<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto; color: #17201e;">
<p>Hi {customer_name},</p>
<p>Thanks again for shopping with {site_name}. Now that you've had a little time with your order, we'd love to know what you think.</p>
<p>A quick review helps other shoppers choose with confidence, and it helps us keep improving.</p>
{products_list}
<p>Thank you,<br>The {site_name} team</p>
<p style="font-size: 12px; color: #69716c;">Something not right with your order? Just reply to this email and we'll help. <a href="{unsubscribe_link}">Unsubscribe</a></p>
</div>Template 2: Invite photos and videos
Subject: Show us your new purchase, {customer_name}
<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto; color: #17201e;">
<p>Hi {customer_name},</p>
<p>We hope your order from {site_name} is working out well. Would you share a quick review?</p>
<p><strong>Got a photo or a short video?</strong> You can add it right in the review form. Real photos help other shoppers more than anything we could write.</p>
{products_list}
<p>Thanks for being a customer,<br>The {site_name} team</p>
<p style="font-size: 12px; color: #69716c;"><a href="{unsubscribe_link}">Unsubscribe</a> from review requests.</p>
</div>Template 3: Short and personal
This works well for small stores where the owner’s name means something to customers. Set the reminder’s From name to a real person.
Subject: Quick question about order #{order_number}
<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto; color: #17201e;">
<p>Hi {customer_name},</p>
<p>I'm the person who packs most of our orders here at {site_name}, and I'd really like to know how yours turned out.</p>
<p>If you have a minute, an honest review (good or bad) makes a big difference for a small shop like ours.</p>
{products_list}
<p>Thanks so much,<br>[Your name]</p>
<p style="font-size: 12px; color: #69716c;"><a href="{unsubscribe_link}">Unsubscribe</a> from review requests.</p>
</div>Template 4: A second, later message
If you send more than one message (for example, one when an order ships and one when it’s delivered), make the second one even shorter. In ReviQuo, each additional rule needs its own trigger status, and multiple rules require Pro.
Subject: Has your order arrived, {customer_name}?
<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto; color: #17201e;">
<p>Hi {customer_name},</p>
<p>Your order should be with you now. Once you've tried it, we'd love a quick review. It only takes a minute.</p>
{products_list}
<p>The {site_name} team</p>
<p style="font-size: 12px; color: #69716c;"><a href="{unsubscribe_link}">Unsubscribe</a> from review requests.</p>
</div>ReviQuo cleans the email content with WordPress’s standard post filter, so stick to inline styles and basic HTML tags such as div, p, strong, a, and br, as in the templates above. Always check the result in the Preview tab and send yourself a test.
Review Request Subject Line Examples
Keep subject lines short, friendly, and specific. A few to try:
- How are you liking your order, {customer_name}?
- Quick question about order #{order_number}
- What do you think of your new purchase?
- Got a minute to share your thoughts?
- Show us your new purchase, {customer_name}
- Your opinion helps other {site_name} shoppers
Avoid all-caps, piles of exclamation marks, and phrases that sound like a giveaway, such as “Claim your reward.” They look like spam and can hurt deliverability. Try one subject line for a few weeks, then compare how many reviews come in before changing it.
Personalization That Actually Helps
- Use the first name, once. In the greeting or subject, not repeatedly.
- Show the actual products. A product image reminds the customer what they’re reviewing. In ReviQuo,
{products_list}handles this automatically. - Match your store’s voice. A playful brand can be playful. A professional supplier should stay professional.
- Reference the order. An order number or date helps customers who buy from you often recognize which purchase you mean.
Timing Your Review Request Emails
Send the email after the customer has had time to use the product. For physical products, that usually means a delay after the order is marked Completed, since many stores mark orders Completed when they ship. For downloads and digital products, a shorter delay often works. Our review reminders guide covers timing and trigger options in more detail.
Setting Up Review Request Emails in ReviQuo
In ReviQuo, review request emails are configured as reminder rules:
- Go to ReviQuo > Review Settings and open the Email reminders tab.
- Under Delivery, switch on Enable reminders and enter a From name and From email.
- Under Reminder rules, set the Trigger status and Delay in days (0–365). New installations start with one rule: Completed, after 7 days.
- Enter a Subject and paste a template into Content. Use the Preview tab to check it with sample data.
- Save, then test with a real order.
The free version includes one reminder rule. Pro allows unlimited rules. Sent, scheduled, failed, and cancelled reminders are listed under ReviQuo > Email Reminders.
Ready to write your own? Compare ReviQuo’s free and Pro plans.
Deliverability: Make Sure Your Emails Arrive
A perfect email is useless if it lands in spam. By default, WordPress sends email through your web server, which often isn’t trusted by inbox providers.
- Use an SMTP plugin or transactional email service to send WordPress email.
- Send from your own domain, and set up email authentication such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Your email provider’s documentation explains how.
- Keep the HTML simple. A few images and links are fine. Heavy designs and many links look promotional.
- Honor unsubscribes immediately and keep the link easy to find.
- Test before you go live. Send to Gmail, Outlook, and a phone, and check the spam folder.
Staying Compliant
- Don’t tie incentives to positive reviews. In the US, the FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule prohibits making an incentive conditional on a review expressing a particular sentiment. The FTC also notes that asking only satisfied customers could be deceptive.
- Ask every customer, the same way. Don’t filter who gets the email based on how happy you think they are.
- Include an unsubscribe link and honor opt-outs. Email and privacy laws vary by country, so check what applies to your store, especially if you add promotional content.
- Keep promotions out. A review request that doubles as a sales email is less effective and may be treated as marketing under email laws.
Testing Checklist Before You Turn It On
- Placeholders are replaced correctly, with no stray
{curly braces}. - Every product appears, and each review button opens the right product’s review form.
- The email looks right on a phone and in dark mode.
- The sender name and address are correct and on your domain.
- The unsubscribe link works.
- The email isn’t landing in spam.
- Guest customers can actually submit a review (check your WordPress discussion settings and WooCommerce’s verified-owners option).
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a WooCommerce review request email include?
A personal greeting, a short thank-you, a clear ask, the products from the order with direct review buttons, an optional invitation to add photos or video, a way to contact you, and an unsubscribe link.
Does WooCommerce have a built-in review request email?
Yes, as part of an optional beta feature that’s off by default. It sends one email after an order is marked Completed, with a delay you choose from 1 to 60 days.
Can I customize the review request email template?
With ReviQuo, you can write the full subject and HTML content, use placeholders for the customer, order, store, and products, and preview the result before saving.
How many review request emails should I send?
One is often enough. If you send a second, give it a clear reason, such as a delivery status, and make it shorter than the first.
Why are my review request emails going to spam?
Usually because WordPress is sending through your web server without proper authentication. Use an SMTP or transactional email service, send from your own domain, and set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Can I include a discount code in a review request email?
Never make a reward depend on a positive review. If you offer anything for an honest review, disclose it clearly and check the rules that apply where you sell.
Write Better Review Request Emails
To recap: send at the right time, keep it short and personal, ask for one thing, link straight to each product’s review form, invite photos and videos, make sure the email reaches the inbox, and play fair. Start with one of the templates above, test it, and adjust based on the reviews you get.
Send better WooCommerce review request emails with ReviQuo. You can also browse the ReviQuo documentation for detailed setup guides.