A portfolio shows your best work, not what it is like to hire you
Anyone hiring a freelancer for the first time is nervous about the same things: getting ghosted mid-project, scope quietly expanding, a final deliverable that does not match what was pitched. A portfolio only shows the output. It says nothing about whether you answered emails, hit deadlines, or handled a change request without drama. Reviews from past clients are the only thing that actually answers that.
When to ask
Right after final delivery, once the client has had a day to actually use what you made.
Send the link then, not in a follow-up a month later. A review is written in the mood the buyer is in when they get the link, and that is the mood you want on the page.
What to ask
The form has one box, and what goes in it depends on what you asked. These get an answer a stranger can use. “Great seller” does not.
- What did you hire them for?
- How was communication, from the first message to delivery?
- Would you hire them again?
What lands on your page
An example, written to show the shape. The name, the tags and the verified mark come from the reviewer and the link they used, and nothing shows until you approve it.
Example
Needed a full brand kit in two weeks and got drafts within three days, took every round of feedback in stride, and delivered early.
Worth knowing
Put the link in your final invoice or the message that hands off the finished files. That is the moment a client is happiest with you.
◆ Free
Pick the name at the end of your address and it is yours. Send the link, approve what comes back, and the page is live.
Make an accountWhat Supporter adds is on the pricing page.