How do I collect testimonials into a Notion database?

To collect testimonials in Notion, create a Testimonials database with properties for the quote, the customer’s name and role, a permission checkbox and an approval status, then add a Form view and send customers the public link. Each testimonial lands as a new row. You approve rows before any of them reach your site.

Set up the database to collect testimonials in Notion

A testimonial form in Notion writes into a database, and Notion’s forms page says each question maps to a property. So the database you build decides what you can filter, approve and show later.

This schema covers collecting, approving and displaying:

Notion’s property reference describes Created time as auto-generated and not editable. Status groups tags as To-do, In Progress or Complete. That fits a review flow of New, Approved and Rejected.

The questions that get usable testimonials

A useful testimonial names a specific problem and a specific result. So ask for those directly instead of “Any feedback?”.

Questions that work:

1. What were you trying to get done before you used us?
2. What changed after? Ask for a concrete example.
3. Would you recommend it, and to whom?
4. Name, role and company, exactly as you’d like them shown.
5. A photo or logo (optional).
6. Permission to publish, as a checkbox.

Mark Name, Testimonial and Permission as Required. Notion won’t let anyone submit until required questions are answered. Keep it short, because customers fill this in as a favour.

For a general feedback form rather than quotes for your site, the Notion feedback survey template is a better fit.

Build and share the testimonial form

You add the form as a view of the Testimonials database. Open the database, click + next to your views and pick Form.

Notion’s forms guide says forms only work in the original database. If Form is missing from the menu, you’re probably in a linked view.

Then:

1. Add the questions above and connect each to its property.
2. Leave Received, Review state and Incentive given off the form.
3. Set a confirmation message, such as “Thanks. We’ll email you before anything goes live.”
4. Turn on the email copy of each submission.
5. Share with Anyone on the web with link.

Public responses are automatically anonymous, which is why Name is a question. Customers don’t need a Notion account. The guide on sharing a Notion form publicly walks through each sharing option.

Collecting photos and logos

Notion’s forms guide lists files & media among the question types. A Photo question connected to a Files & media property lets a customer attach a headshot or company logo with the quote. The post on Notion form file uploads covers the details.

One database, several forms

The same guide says you can link multiple forms to a single database. Use that for one form per product, or a shorter form for event attendees.

Approve testimonials before they go public

Approval is the step that keeps a testimonial page honest and legal. Treat every new row as a draft until you’ve checked it.

I check three things:

• Permission is ticked. No tick, no publishing, however good the quote.
• The claim is typical. If the quote promises a result most customers won’t get, don’t use it alone.
• Any edits are agreed. If you trim the quote, send the trimmed version back for an OK.

Then set Review state to Approved or Rejected. Never let a row skip this step, even for a customer you know well. The quote on your site is your claim once you post it.

What the FTC says about testimonials you collect

In the US, the FTC treats testimonials on your own site as your responsibility. Its Q&A on the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule says a business that puts testimonials on its own website is disseminating them, not merely hosting them.

The rule went into effect on October 21, 2024. Three of the FTC’s points change how you set up Notion.

Incentives can’t depend on praise. The FTC says you can’t suggest to customers that reviews must be positive to get a promised incentive. If you give a discount for a testimonial, offer it for any honest answer.

Free products need disclosure. The Endorsement Guides FAQ says a reviewer who got a product free or discounted needs that disclosed. Tick Incentive given on those rows and show the note beside the quote.

Don’t only ask happy customers. The same FAQ says asking only the customers you expect to be happy would be misleading. Send the form to everyone at the same stage, such as all customers at their first renewal.

The FTC also says a business shouldn’t write a testimonial’s text without a reasonable basis to think it’s true. Never draft a quote for a customer to sign off. The rule authorizes courts to impose civil penalties for knowing violations.

This isn’t legal advice. It’s the minimum I’d build in before a single quote goes live.

Display approved testimonials in a gallery

A gallery view turns approved rows into quote cards. Per Notion’s gallery guide, each entry shows as a card, and the card preview can use a page cover, the page content, or a Files & media property.

To build the wall:

1. Add a Gallery view to the Testimonials database.
2. Set Card preview to the Photo property, and turn on Fit image so logos aren’t cropped.
3. Under Property visibility, show Testimonial and Role and company, and hide the rest.
4. Add a filter for Review state is Approved and Permission to publish is checked.

Notion’s views guide says each database view has its own settings. So this filter hides drafts in the gallery but leaves your review table untouched. Choose Save for everyone so teammates see the same filtered wall.

Where a native Notion form falls short

A native Notion form collects testimonials fine, but it has limits. Conditional logic, such as asking “Can we contact you for a case study?” only when someone recommends you, needs the Business or Enterprise plan. The form also carries Notion branding unless you pay.

A form builder that writes to the same database is the other route. In nDBForms, a Rating question and a Long text question can sit on a form that matches your site. Each submission still becomes a new row in your Testimonials database, so the gallery above keeps working.

The catch: nDBForms saves photo uploads to your own Google Drive on the Pro plan, up to 10 MB per file, and writes the link to Notion. So the photo arrives as a Drive link, not a Notion-hosted image. For the full set of trade-offs, see the limitations of Notion forms.

FAQ

Can customers upload a photo with their testimonial in a Notion form?

Yes. Notion’s forms guide lists files & media among the question types, so a headshot or logo can come in with the quote. Point a gallery view’s card preview at that property to show it.

Can I offer a discount in exchange for a testimonial?

The FTC says you can’t suggest a review must be positive to earn a promised incentive, and a free or discounted product given to a reviewer needs disclosure. Offer the reward for any honest testimonial and note it next to the quote.

Can I edit a testimonial before I publish it?

Trim for length only, and keep the meaning. The FTC says a business shouldn’t provide the text for a testimonial without a reasonable basis to conclude it is truthful, so send the edited version back for the customer’s OK.

Do customers need a Notion account to leave a testimonial?

No. Share the form with Anyone on the web with link. Those responses are anonymous, so ask for name, role and company as questions.

Sources

• Forms, Notion Help Center
• Use forms to collect, organize and act on responses in Notion
• Database properties, Notion Help Center
• Galleries, Notion Help Center
• Views, filters and sorts, Notion Help Center
• Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers, FTC
• FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking, FTC