Deliverability, Consent & Inbox Placement
What This Page Helps You Do
Section titled “What This Page Helps You Do”Send a request the customer expects, through a channel they have agreed to use, with one clear next step. This guide covers message wording, channel choice, reminders, and review-request practices.
For the portal steps, use Sending Requests. For a missing or blocked message, start with Delivery, Bounces & Unsubscribes.
Start With the Right Goal
Section titled “Start With the Right Goal”Measure useful customer responses alongside delivery problems and opt-outs. An email open, a link click, a written-feedback submission, and a published external review are different events.
FSRevs can report the events it observes. It cannot guarantee inbox placement or confirm publication solely from a click to an external review site.
Understand Gmail First
Section titled “Understand Gmail First”Spam vs Promotions
Section titled “Spam vs Promotions”Promotions is an inbox category for promotional email. Spam is separate. A message in Promotions may have been delivered successfully; its category alone does not tell you whether the customer read or acted on it. See Google’s inbox-category guidance.
Why Gmail Has a Promotions Tab
Section titled “Why Gmail Has a Promotions Tab”Gmail’s Default inbox groups messages by category, and recipients can change the categories they use or move messages between them. That means customers can see different inbox arrangements. Google explains how categories work.
Use accurate sender information and message content. Google also publishes requirements for authentication, message formatting, spam rates, and unsubscribe handling; copy changes alone cannot satisfy those requirements. See Google’s email sender guidelines.
Ask First, Then Send
Section titled “Ask First, Then Send”Explain what you want to send and ask which channel the customer prefers. For example:
“Would it be okay if I email you a link to share feedback about today’s visit?”
Confirm the contact detail, then send the message you described. Use the Asking for a Review recipe for a complete staff walkthrough.
Why This Helps Email
Section titled “Why This Helps Email”A clear conversation gives the customer context for the sender, subject line, and link. Use the same business name and purpose in the email so they can recognize it.
If they agreed to one feedback request, keep that request focused. Do not add unrelated promotions or treat the conversation as permission for future marketing.
Why This Helps SMS
Section titled “Why This Helps SMS”Ask specifically about texting before using the phone number. A customer giving you a number for an appointment or service call does not itself record SMS marketing permission in FSRevs.
State your business name in the text and respect a decline or STOP request. Sending from a team member’s own phone uses the same contact-eligibility and suppression checks.
Why We Treat This as Policy, Not Just a Suggestion
Section titled “Why We Treat This as Policy, Not Just a Suggestion”Permission-first sending means the customer should understand and agree to the message you send. Keep any permission evidence your business requires. A verbal conversation creates context, but is not a substitute for required written consent or a recorded marketing grant.
Use “as promised” or “here is the link I mentioned” only when that conversation happened. If the customer declines, do not send the request.
Choose the Right Channel
Section titled “Choose the Right Channel”Start with the customer’s preference and the task they need to complete.
Email vs SMS
Section titled “Email vs SMS”| Channel | Useful when | Limitation to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Email through FSRevs | The customer wants email, needs more context, or may return later | Delivery does not guarantee inbox placement or reading |
| SMS through FSRevs | The customer specifically wants a short text with a link | Automatic Review Flow reminders are not available for SMS alone |
| Email and SMS through FSRevs | The customer expects both channels | Both contacts can receive a message; review the send form before sending |
| Send from Your Device | The customer expects your own number or email account | You finish the send in the other app; FSRevs cannot track delivery |
| Smart Link or QR code | The customer wants to open the experience themselves | No personalized request exists before the visitor interacts |
Mobile Is Not Always the Easiest Place to Complete
Section titled “Mobile Is Not Always the Easiest Place to Complete”Test the full request on a phone and a computer, especially when it asks for longer answers or file uploads. Keep required fields short and explain any extra step, such as signing in on an external review site.
A customer can resume a personalized request from its link on another device. A fresh public Smart Link does not automatically continue the same record. See Customer Journeys.
Recommended Channel Mix
Section titled “Recommended Channel Mix”Use email, SMS, or both according to what the customer expects. Both can offer a choice of where to continue, but sending twice is not automatically better.
When sending through FSRevs, leaving both eligible email and phone values on the request can send through both channels. Use Clear beside a contact to omit it from this request without unlinking the customer. See choosing the customer.
QR Codes and Printed Links Still Matter
Section titled “QR Codes and Printed Links Still Matter”Use a public Smart Link or QR code when the customer prefers to open the experience without receiving a message. This works on counters, receipts, signs, and cards. Include a readable short URL when possible so the customer has another way to open it.
A public link can still collect customer details inside the Flow or Form. Scanning it does not itself grant email or SMS marketing permission. See Smart Links and QR Codes & NFC.
Open Rates vs Completed Reviews
Section titled “Open Rates vs Completed Reviews”Use opens as a supporting signal. Check whether customers reached the Flow, selected an external destination, or submitted written feedback.
A Review Attempt is a tracked external-destination click. It is not proof of a published review. Compare results in Flow & Form Reports and inspect the public listing separately when publication matters.
Write a Message That Feels Expected
Section titled “Write a Message That Feels Expected”Identify the business, connect the request to the real interaction, and give the customer one clear action.
Email Request Writing
Section titled “Email Request Writing”Subject Lines
Section titled “Subject Lines”Use a recognizable business name and an accurate purpose. For example:
Your feedback for Northside PlumbingThanks for visiting Lakeside Home Services
Avoid fake RE: or FWD: markers, invented urgency, or a subject that disguises the request as an account problem.
Opening Lines
Section titled “Opening Lines”Remind the customer which visit, service, or conversation the message follows. Say “as discussed” only when it is true.
Example:
“Thanks for visiting Northside today. Here is the feedback link we discussed.”
Body Copy
Section titled “Body Copy”Keep the message short, explain where the link leads, and make the response optional.
Example wording:
“We would appreciate your honest feedback about today’s visit. Use the link below whenever it is convenient. Thank you for your time.”
Add the request link using the supported fields in Message Templates. Only promise a completion time you have checked with the actual Flow or Form.
Email Theme Choice
Section titled “Email Theme Choice”The template editor offers:
- Minimal HTML Format (Better Deliverability)
- Rich HTML Format (More Design - Best for Transactional Emails)
Start with the minimal theme for a short review request or reminder. Use the rich theme when the content benefits from a more designed layout.
These are theme labels, not delivery guarantees. Send a test to contact details you control and check the sender name, link, readability, and mobile layout. See Message Templates.
SMS Request Writing
Section titled “SMS Request Writing”Include your business name, brief context, and one request link.
Example wording to adapt in the SMS template:
“Northside Plumbing: Thanks for choosing us today. Here is the feedback link you asked for.”
Review the final prepared message and its link. Use the actual context; do not imply permission or a prior conversation that did not happen.
Use Reminders Strategically
Section titled “Use Reminders Strategically”Review Flows support one configurable email reminder for a request sent through FSRevs. In Sharing & Delivery, choose a delay of 2 to 14 days, or disable the reminder.
Automatic reminders are unavailable for SMS-only requests, device handoffs, public Smart Link visits, and Custom Form requests. A Review Record must still be incomplete when the reminder is processed, and contact restrictions and sending allowance still apply.
A tracked external-destination click or submitted feedback completes the Review Record and prevents its pending reminder. An email open alone does not. This check uses recorded activity, not proof that an external review was published.
Off-the-Hook Review Reminders
Section titled “Off-the-Hook Review Reminders”Use an Off-the-Hook Review Reminder to offer a second opportunity without implying the customer owes a response.
Example wording:
“Thank you again for choosing us. If you would like to share feedback, the link is below. No pressure, and no need to reply if now is not a good time.”
Avoid “we noticed you haven’t reviewed us.” FSRevs does not know everything the customer did on an external site, and that wording can feel intrusive.
Configure the reminder once on the Flow and check request history before manually creating another request.
Avoid the Wrong Patterns
Section titled “Avoid the Wrong Patterns”- Sending a message the customer did not agree to receive
- Treating a request conversation as permission for future marketing
- Misleading sender names, subjects, or claims of a prior conversation
- Repeated manual requests because no immediate response appeared
- Treating an open or Review Attempt as proof of a published review
- Asking only customers you expect to leave a positive review
Review Request Guardrails
Section titled “Review Request Guardrails”Invite honest feedback from people with a real experience. Keep public-review choices independent of the customer’s rating.
Good Practice
Section titled “Good Practice”- Ask after the relevant visit or service.
- Let the customer choose when and whether to respond.
- Offer configured review destinations and written feedback neutrally.
- Collect employee attribution inside FSRevs when useful.
- Check each destination platform’s current review policy before using it.
Bad Practice
Section titled “Bad Practice”Do not offer payment, discounts, or gifts in exchange for a Google review, including a neutral review. Do not selectively solicit positive reviews, pressure customers to review on the premises, or request specific review content such as an employee’s name. These restrictions are described in Google’s review-content policy.
Some platforms do not allow businesses to solicit reviews at all. Check the destination rules in Managing Your Links before adding a review-request destination.
Sending an agreed link while a customer is present is different from asking them to write the review in front of you. Give them space to respond independently.
Marketing Consent and Follow-Up Use
Section titled “Marketing Consent and Follow-Up Use”Keep three permissions separate:
| Permission | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Permission to send this request | The specific message and channel discussed with the customer |
| Email or SMS marketing permission | Future marketing contact through the exact accepted address or number |
| Content-use permission | Reusing submitted feedback, names, photos, or other content as agreed |
Review Flows and Custom Forms can collect optional email and SMS marketing choices. FSRevs applies them after a successful save when it can safely identify the customer and exact contact value. Active unsubscribe, STOP, and complaint restrictions still take precedence.
A saved contact, a completed response, or a Public visibility setting does not create missing permission.
To configure collection or review current status, use:
How the System Helps
Section titled “How the System Helps”FSRevs provides request templates, eligible delivery methods, reminder timing, Message History, and suppression checks. Use those records to investigate a missing message before sending again.
If a message is blocked, review the exact contact’s Contact Methods and Permission history. Correct an actual data error; do not change channels or use device sending to work around an opt-out.
For help, provide support with the request record, channel, approximate send time, and observed delivery status.
Where to Apply This Guidance
Section titled “Where to Apply This Guidance”Use this guide when writing Message Templates, choosing Review Flow delivery settings, training staff, or reviewing delivery and response reports.
Change one meaningful part of your process at a time, then compare the relevant response and delivery outcomes.