How to Get Reviews on G2 and Capterra in 2026 (Tactical Guide)

Why reviews matter for SaaS growth#

Reviews on G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius are not vanity metrics. They directly impact three things that drive revenue: search visibility, buyer trust, and sales enablement.

Before you can collect reviews, you need profiles on the right directories. If you have not set those up yet, read our guide on the best SaaS review directories first. That covers which directories to prioritize and how to get listed on each one.

Before you ask for reviews#

Asking for reviews before you are ready is a common mistake. Here is what needs to be true first:

You need at least 10 active users. Asking for reviews from people who signed up but never used your product will result in either no response or a lukewarm review. Focus on users who have experienced value.

Your product needs to be stable. A review that mentions bugs, downtime, or missing features lives on these platforms permanently. Fix the obvious issues before you invite public feedback.

Your profiles need to be complete. Visitors who arrive at your G2 page from a review link will judge your product by the profile. Make sure your description, screenshots, and category are polished. An incomplete profile wastes the review.

You need direct review links. Every platform provides a unique URL that takes reviewers directly to the review form. Do not send people to your general profile page and hope they figure it out.

How to find your direct review links:

G2: g2.com/products/your-product/take_a_survey
Capterra: Go to your vendor portal, find the review link under "Collect Reviews"
TrustRadius: Your vendor dashboard has a shareable review link under "Review Generation"

When to ask#

Timing is everything. Ask at the wrong moment and you get ignored. Ask at the right moment and the review writes itself.

Best moments to ask:

Right after a support win. You just solved a customer's problem. They are grateful and the experience is fresh. This is the single best moment to ask.
After a milestone. The customer just hit a usage milestone (100th task completed, first month anniversary, first successful campaign). Celebrate with them, then ask.
After positive feedback. A customer just sent you a nice email or Slack message. Reply with thanks and ask if they would be willing to share that same feedback on G2 or Capterra.
During renewal or upgrade. When a customer chooses to renew or upgrade, they have just reaffirmed that your product is worth paying for. That is a strong signal that they would leave a positive review.

Worst moments to ask:

Right after a bug or outage
During onboarding (they have not experienced value yet)
When they have an open support ticket
In a mass email blast with no personalization

How to ask (templates included)#

The ask should be personal, short, and include a direct link. Here are templates that work:

Template 1: After a support win#

Hey [Name],

Glad we got that sorted! Quick ask -- would you mind leaving a short review on G2? It helps other teams like yours find us, and it only takes about 5 minutes.

Here is the direct link: [your G2 review link]

No pressure at all. Thanks for being a customer!

Template 2: After positive feedback#

[Name], that means a lot -- thank you!

Would you be open to sharing something similar on Capterra? Even a few sentences makes a big difference for us. Here is the link: [your Capterra review link]

Template 3: Milestone-based#

Hey [Name],

You just hit [milestone] with [Product] -- that is awesome. If you have had a good experience so far, would you mind leaving a quick review on G2? It genuinely helps us grow.

Takes about 5 minutes: [your G2 review link]

What makes these work:#

Personal. Not a mass email. Uses their name and references a specific interaction.
Short. Under 60 words. Respect their time.
Direct link. One click to the review form. No hunting around.
No guilt. "No pressure" or "if you have had a good experience" gives them an easy out.
Explains the why. "Helps other teams find us" is honest and relatable.

Incentives that work (and ones that get you flagged)#

This is where founders get in trouble. Both G2 and Capterra have strict policies on incentivized reviews. Get it wrong and your reviews get removed, your profile gets flagged, or you get suspended.

What is allowed#

G2 Gift Cards: G2 itself offers $25 gift cards to reviewers through their official review campaigns. You can use G2's built-in review collection tools that include this incentive. This is sanctioned by G2.
Charitable donations: "For every review, we donate $10 to [charity]" is generally accepted because the reviewer does not personally benefit.
Swag and branded items: Low-value items (stickers, t-shirts) as a thank-you after the review is posted are usually fine.
Entry into a raffle: "Leave a review for a chance to win [prize]" is accepted on most platforms.

What gets you flagged#

Paying for reviews. Direct payment for reviews violates every platform's terms. This includes paying freelancers or agencies to write reviews.
Requiring positive reviews. "Leave a 5-star review and get [reward]" is not allowed. The incentive must be for leaving any review, not specifically a positive one.
Fake reviews from non-users. Platforms verify reviewers. G2 validates LinkedIn profiles and work emails. Capterra checks for verified purchases. Fake reviews get detected and removed.
Review gating. Asking for satisfaction first and only routing happy customers to review sites is against most platform policies.

The safest approach#

Use each platform's built-in review collection tools. G2 has Review Generation campaigns. Capterra has review request features in the vendor portal. These tools are designed to be compliant and they handle the incentive logistics for you.

Platform-specific tips#

G2#

Review minimum for Grid reports: 10 reviews in the past 12 months to qualify for G2 Grid placement.
Review format: G2 reviews are structured with pros, cons, and use case. Coach your customers to fill in all sections -- detailed reviews carry more weight.
Seasonal campaigns: G2 runs seasonal review campaigns (spring, fall) where they actively incentivize reviews with gift cards. Time your asks around these campaigns for higher response rates.
G2 Deals integration: If you have a G2 profile with strong reviews, you can opt into G2 Deals to offer exclusive discounts. This drives direct conversions.

Capterra#

Shortlisting: Capterra's "Shortlist" reports require a minimum number of reviews. These reports rank in Google for "best [category] software" queries.
PPC placement: Capterra lets you bid for top placement in category pages. Strong reviews improve your click-through rate on these placements.
Cross-posting: Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice share the Gartner network. A review on Capterra may appear on GetApp and Software Advice as well.

TrustRadius#

Verified reviews: Every TrustRadius review is verified by their team. This makes reviews more credible but also means fewer reviews overall.
TrustQuotes: TrustRadius lets you pull verified quotes from reviews and embed them on your website. This is powerful social proof for landing pages.
Sales enablement: TrustRadius provides tools to share specific reviews with prospects during the sales process. This is particularly valuable for enterprise sales cycles.

Building review velocity#

Getting the first 10 reviews is the hardest part. After that, momentum builds because a strong profile attracts organic reviews. Here is a timeline:

Month 1: Foundation (target 5-10 reviews)

Set up profiles on G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius. See our SaaS review directories guide for setup instructions.
Identify your 10 happiest customers. You probably already know who they are -- they reply to emails, they refer friends, they are active users.
Send personal review requests to each one. Use the templates above.

Month 2-3: Systemize (target 10-20 total)

Add a review request to your post-support flow. After every resolved ticket marked "satisfied," trigger a review request.
Add review links to your email signature: "Love [Product]? Leave a review on G2."
Run a G2 review campaign using their built-in tools.

Month 4-6: Scale (target 20-50 total)

Build review requests into your product. An in-app prompt after a positive interaction (completed project, achieved goal) converts well.
Ask at renewal time. Customers who choose to renew are confirming the product is valuable.
Leverage NPS surveys. Respondents who give 9-10 scores are natural review candidates. Follow up with a direct review link.

Ongoing: Maintain velocity

G2 Grid reports weight recent reviews more heavily. A steady stream of 2-3 reviews per month is better than 20 reviews followed by silence.
Respond to every review, positive and negative. This shows buyers that your team is active and engaged.

As you build your review presence, make sure your broader SEO foundation is solid too. Directory backlinks from our 199 startup directories list compound with review directory profiles to increase your domain rating across the board.

FAQs#

How many reviews do I need to see an impact?#

You will see some impact immediately -- even 1 review makes your profile look more credible than having zero. But the meaningful threshold is 10 reviews on G2 (qualifies for Grid reports) and 5-10 on Capterra (qualifies for Shortlist reports). After 25+ reviews, you start winning category badges.

Can I ask customers to update old reviews?#

Yes. Both G2 and Capterra allow reviewers to update their reviews. This is useful when you have shipped major improvements. Ask long-time customers to revisit and update their review with their current experience.

What if I get a negative review?#

Respond professionally and promptly. Acknowledge the issue, explain what you have done to fix it, and invite the reviewer to reach out directly. Buyers actually trust products more when they see thoughtful responses to criticism. Never ask a reviewer to remove their review.

Should I focus on one platform or spread across all of them?#

Start with G2 -- it has the highest traffic and the most impact on Google rankings. Once you have 10+ G2 reviews, expand to Capterra and TrustRadius. Spreading too thin early means you do not hit the minimum thresholds on any platform.

How do review directories compare to launch directories?#

They serve different stages. Launch directories like RankInPublic, Product Hunt, and BetaList are for awareness and backlinks when you are early. Review directories are for buyer trust and lead generation once you have customers. The best strategy uses both -- read where to launch in 2026 for how to combine them.