A review link works when the reviewer knows what is in scope and what happens next. An open invitation to comment on a whole site usually produces nothing.
The four sentences that do the work
- The pages in scope, named.
- The kind of note you want, and the kind you do not.
- When it closes.
- What you will do with each comment.
A filled invitation
Foxglove Bakery, September 2026.
subject: two pages, one week, please be blunt
Hi Sam,
The link below covers /cakes and /weddings only, until Friday at 5pm.
What helps most: the sentence where you hesitated, and anything that is
wrong about what we sell. Please leave the wording to me.
What I will do: triage every comment on Friday, reply on each thread,
and queue whatever needs a change. If a comment does not become work,
I will say why in the reply.
Two things I am not asking about this round: the logo and the footer.
The two replies it produced
reply 1, same day
"Six weeks feels short for a wedding cake. We need eight."
outcome: queued, and changed on the weddings page within a week
reply 2, next morning
"Is the tasting free? I could not find it."
outcome: replied, then queued as a line on the weddings page
Two replies became work, and both came from a specific question rather than a general invitation.
What to leave out of the invitation
Do not ask for design and content feedback in one thread. Do not promise to implement everything. Do not leave the closing time vague, because a round without an end never closes.
Acceptance: the invitation is ready when
- it names the pages, and why those pages
- it says what kind of note is useful
- it gives a closing time
- it says what happens to each comment
- it names what this round is not about
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No comments | The invitation covered the whole site | Scope two pages and reopen |
| Comments about the logo | It was not excluded | Name two things out of scope |
| The client writes the wording | The kind of note was not specified | Ask for the hesitation, not the sentence |
| Comments arrive after Friday | The link stayed open | Close the round, and start another |
| The client feels ignored | No replies were posted | Reply on every thread, even short |
What to do with a comment that is wrong
Some comments describe a real problem badly. The wording is a guess, and the problem underneath is the useful part.
Read the comment, then name the problem in your reply before you queue it. “You are right that the lead time is confusing. I will make it eight weeks on both pages.” That reply turns a guess into a task. It also teaches the client what a useful note looks like next round.
The same applies in reverse. A comment that reads like a preference is often a report of a mistake somewhere else on the page. Ask one question before dismissing it.
Limits
A link set to anyone with the link can be opened by whoever holds it. Revoke it, or let it expire, when the round ends.
A review round shows the pages in that round and nothing else. Clients join as guests: free, with no seat, and no view of the rest of your account.