Overview
Post-purchase email invitations are a structured way to request reviews from customers who have already bought from you. When a customer receives an invitation email after a verified purchase, they can click an HMAC-signed link and submit a review without needing to create a Vendably account. This approach connects reviews directly to real transactions, marking them as verified and building credibility with potential buyers.
This article covers how to send invitations, track their progress through the invitation lifecycle, and understand what happens when customers submit reviews through this channel.
Where to find this feature
Review invitations are managed in the Trust area of your dashboard. Navigate to Trust, then Review Collection or Invitations. You will need Owner or Admin permissions to send either single or bulk invitations.
Invitation types and sending methods
You can send review invitations in two ways.
Single invitations are sent manually to individual customers. This approach works well when you want to target specific orders or follow up with high-value customers. You provide the customer email address and order details, and the system generates and sends the invitation immediately.
Bulk invitations are sent via CSV upload. This method lets you invite many customers at once, which is more efficient for regular invitation campaigns. You prepare a spreadsheet with customer email addresses and order information, upload it, and the system processes all invitations in the batch.
Both single and bulk invitations can carry their own locale setting, which determines the language and regional format of the invitation email sent to the customer. This means you can send invitations in the customer's preferred language, improving engagement and response rates.
The verified purchase flag
Reviews submitted through an invitation link are automatically marked as verified because they are tied to an actual transaction in your order history. This verified status distinguishes them from open submissions, where anyone can leave a review without proof of purchase.
Verified reviews carry more weight with shoppers and search engines. They signal authenticity and help build trust in your product listings and storefront. When reviews appear on your public Trust profile or in feeds like the Google Product Review Feed, the verified status is visible and contributes to your seller credibility.
Invitation lifecycle states
Each invitation moves through a series of states as it is processed and acted upon. Understanding these states helps you track campaign performance and identify where customers may need follow-up.
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| queued | The invitation has been created but not yet sent. It is waiting in the queue for processing. |
| sent | The invitation email has been delivered to the customer's inbox. |
| opened | The customer has opened the invitation email (if tracking is enabled). |
| completed | The customer has submitted a review via the invitation link. |
| expired | The invitation link has expired and can no longer be used. |
You can view the state of each invitation in your dashboard and use this data to gauge response rates. High completion rates indicate that your invitation content and timing are resonating with customers. Low completion rates may signal a need to adjust the invitation message, timing, or target audience.
The reviewer edit window
After a customer submits a review through an invitation link, they have 24 hours to edit it. During this window, they can refine their text, adjust their rating, or add more detail.
When a reviewer makes changes, the full edit history is retained in the system. This means you and the reviewer can see what was changed and when. Transparency about edits helps maintain trust and allows you to verify that reviews have not been substantially altered in misleading ways.
How to send single invitations
- Navigate to Trust, then Review Collection or Invitations.
- Select the option to send a single invitation.
- Enter the customer email address.
- Provide the order details (order ID or transaction reference).
- Choose the locale for the invitation email.
- Review the details and confirm to send.
The system will generate an HMAC-signed link unique to that customer and order, and send the invitation email immediately.
How to send bulk invitations via CSV
- Navigate to Trust, then Review Collection or Invitations.
- Select the option to upload a bulk invitation file.
- Prepare a CSV file with the required columns: customer email, order ID, and any other fields specified by the system.
- Optionally, include a locale column if you want different invitation emails to use different languages.
- Upload the CSV file.
- Review the preview to confirm the data is correct.
- Submit the batch for processing.
The system will validate the file, generate HMAC-signed links for each customer and order, and queue all invitations for sending. You will receive a confirmation showing how many invitations were accepted and processed.
Tracking and measuring success
Success in review invitation campaigns is measured across several dimensions.
Invitations sent shows the total number of invitations that left your system and reached customer inboxes. This is your baseline volume.
Completion rate is tracked through the invitation lifecycle states. By comparing completed invitations to sent invitations, you can calculate what percentage of recipients actually submitted a review. A completion rate of 10 to 30 percent is typical, but this varies by industry and customer base.
Verified reviews appearing on your public Trust profile is the ultimate outcome. Each completed invitation should result in a new verified review visible to potential buyers. Over time, a consistent flow of verified reviews improves your listing quality, increases buyer confidence, and can improve your visibility in search results.
Use your dashboard to monitor these metrics week by week. If completion rates drop, test changes to your invitation message, timing, or target audience. If they improve, note what worked and replicate it in future campaigns.
Permissions and access control
Only users with Owner or Admin permissions can send review invitations, whether single or bulk. This restriction ensures that invitation campaigns are managed consistently and that your review collection strategy remains aligned with your business goals.
If team members need to view invitation data or reports but should not send invitations themselves, assign them a lower permission level. They will still be able to see the results and track performance without being able to initiate new campaigns.
Summary
Post-purchase email invitations provide a direct, trusted way to collect reviews from verified customers. By sending targeted invitations via single or bulk methods, tracking progress through the invitation lifecycle, and monitoring completion rates, you build a steady stream of authentic reviews that strengthen buyer trust and improve your visibility across sales channels. The verified purchase flag and 24-hour edit window ensure review authenticity and transparency, while locale settings let you engage customers in their preferred language.