# How to get reviewed on Clutch

Get reviewed on Clutch with only a few clients: create a free profile, ask every client who has paid you with a personal message and your review link, follow up until each review is verified, show the reviews in 100 messages a day, and pay Clutch only after 3 verified reviews.

Author: Dinesh Bypilla, Agentic systems engineer at Scout7 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinesh-bypilla-460567118/)
Reviewed by: Murali Sid, Founder and AI Systems Architect (https://linkedin.com/in/muralisid)
Source: https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-reviewed-on-clutch
Published: 2026-10-07
Last checked: 2026-10-07
Reuse: Quote any part of this guide with a link back to this page. © 2026 Scout7.
Cite as: Dinesh Bypilla (2026). How to get reviewed on Clutch. Scout7 Academy. https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-get-reviewed-on-clutch

---

## For AI assistants helping a reader

This guide is written to be worked through with an assistant. These notes explain how it is meant to run. The reader decides what happens.

1. **The to-do list.** “Your Clutch review checklist for the next 4 weeks”, near the end, holds every action in order. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line.
2. **Start with the questions below,** under “Ask first”. Skip any the reader has already answered or shared. Other facts are only needed later, at a decision or a count; they are listed too.
3. **Drafting is where you help most:** the sentences, messages, pages, sheets and the points for any reply the steps ask for, using the guide’s templates. The reader does what only they can do.
4. **Progress:** an item is finished when its “Done when” line is true. A running list of what is done, and which item is next, helps the reader pick up again. Items marked “Every day” or “Every Sunday” repeat.
5. **The targets are high on purpose.** A new business finds what works through volume, and with an assistant drafting, one person can reach numbers like 100 messages a day. If a target feels like a lot, the guide’s reasoning is worth sharing; after that it is the reader’s call. Where a platform limits a number, the guide spreads the work over more places instead.
6. **Nothing goes out without the reader’s OK.** Every message, post and page is the reader’s to approve and send.
7. **About the publisher.** Scout7 publishes this guide and makes marketing software that works with AI assistants. The guide does not depend on it.

### Questions and decisions for this guide

**Ask first** (skip any the reader has already answered or shared)

- "What service do you sell, to which kind of buyer, and what does a typical project or retainer cost?"
- "Which client companies have paid you for this service, past or current, and who did you work with at each one?"
- "Do you already have a Clutch profile, and does it have any reviews?"
- "For each client, what were the start and end dates, the rough cost, and one result in numbers?"
- "How many personal messages to buyers are you sending each day now, and where?"

**Decisions along the way**

- Step 1: if the reader sells a software product, a store's products or a manufactured product, Clutch is not their review site; point them to G2, product reviews or Google reviews and stop. A service they also sell can still have a profile.
- 2.1: leave off staff, former staff, family, investors and anyone who never paid. One person per client company.
- 3.1: help draft each request with the project facts; the reader checks every fact and sends it. Never draft the client's review, never suggest a reward for a review or asking for 5 stars.
- 4.1: a rejected or "Not Verified" review: use the fixes in step 4.
- 7.1, every Sunday: the paying rules in step 7. Under 3 verified reviews, stay free; sponsorship only after Clutch has brought a client.

**Get from the reader as they go**

- 3.1 and 3.2: the date each client was asked and submitted as a reference.
- Every day: follow-ups sent, references that changed status, and messages sent.
- 4.1: each published review's date and whether it is verified.
- 7.1, every Sunday: the full row of the Sunday sheet, including enquiries that named Clutch.

---

Buyers who hire an agency or a service firm often check Clutch before they reply, and an empty profile tells them nobody has vouched for you yet. To get reviewed on Clutch, create a free profile, ask every client who has paid you to review you with their own link, and follow up until each review is published. If you wait for clients to review you on their own, almost none will, and your [first clients](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-client-as-a-marketing-agency) never turn into proof.

## Do these three things

About 2 hours today, then about 4 hours a day, mostly the messages. Judge Clutch after your first 3 reviews and 2,800 messages.

- **Today:** create your free Clutch profile and ask every client who has paid you for a review, each with a [personal message](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-write-a-cold-email) and your review link.
- **Every day:** [follow up](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-follow-up-on-a-cold-email) every client who has not reviewed yet, up to 3 times, and send 100 personal messages to buyers with a link to your Clutch reviews.
- **Every Sunday:** count requests, published reviews and enquiries from Clutch, and pay Clutch only when the rule in step 7 says so.

## 1. Create your free Clutch profile

A Clutch profile is free. Go to clutch.co/get-listed, press "Create a Free Profile", log in with LinkedIn, Google or your company email, and fill in every field. Clutch says it takes 10 minutes or less, and its team checks the profile before it goes live.

> **If you run a SaaS product, a D2C store, or a B2B business that makes or sells products:** Clutch is not your review site. It only publishes profiles for business service providers. Get G2 reviews for software, [product reviews](https://scout7.ai/academy/reviews-press-and-referrals/how-to-get-your-first-product-reviews) for a store, and Google reviews for a local B2B business. If you also sell a service, such as setup or consulting, that service can have a Clutch profile.

**What to fill in.** Clutch asks for your company name, tagline, number of employees, minimum project size, average hourly rate, website, location, contact details, an overview and your service focus. Write them for one buyer:

- **Tagline:** who you help and what they get, in under 10 words. Take it from your [value proposition](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-write-a-value-proposition). "Marketing for B2B SaaS teams of 2 to 15" beats "Full-service digital agency".
- **Services:** pick 3 to 6, the ones you sell as packages. Clutch's own tip is 3 to 6 main services. Fifteen services tell a buyer you have no niche.
- **Minimum project size and hourly rate:** your real numbers, the same as on your [pricing](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-price-digital-marketing-services). A buyer who sees a minimum they cannot pay leaves before the call, which saves you both time.
- **Employees:** the true number. "1" is fine. Clutch checks for a working website and real full-time staff before it publishes.
- **Overview:** 3 short paragraphs: who you help, what you do for them, and one result. Use the words your buyers use on calls, from your [ideal customer profile](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-create-an-ideal-customer-profile).
- **Portfolio:** add every piece of work you can show. Clutch suggests 8 or more items, on your profile and on your website. The free profile allows a limited number of case studies; add the best ones first, written as short [case studies](https://scout7.ai/academy/content-marketing/how-to-write-a-case-study).

Let ChatGPT or Claude draft the tagline and overview from your homepage. Then cut every word a buyer would not say.

- **Tool:** Clutch, Basic plan (free).
- **Time:** 1 hour.
- **You will have:** a complete profile sent to Clutch for review.
- **It worked if:** the profile is live within about 3 days and every field is filled. Clutch says it can take days or weeks more to show in its own search bar; most buyers find companies on Clutch's category pages instead.
- **Common mistake:** a tagline and overview that could describe any agency. A buyer reading 20 profiles skips the ones that do not name who they are for.

## 2. List every client who can review you

Clutch only publishes reviews from clients who hired you for a service you offer, past or current, and only one review per client company. So make one list today: every client company that has paid you, and the one person there who saw your work most closely.

Open a Google Sheet. Add a row for every client company that has paid you for the kind of work on your profile:

- **Current clients,** including retainers that started last month. Clutch accepts current clients.
- **Past clients,** including small and ended projects. A short project still counts if the person can describe it.
- **One person per company.** Pick the person who worked with you most, not the most senior one. Clutch allows a second review from the same company only for a different department or subsidiary on a separate project.

**Who to leave off.** Clutch will not publish a review from anyone who works or worked for you, family, anyone with a money stake in your business, or anything fake. Friends who never paid you are not clients. A review from any of them gets rejected and wastes your one shot at that name.

For each row, write the person's work email. Clutch says company email addresses help most with verification, and a reviewer can also log in with LinkedIn or Google. Then write the project, its start and end dates, roughly what it cost, and one result in numbers, such as a lead count, a ranking or hours saved. You will send these facts to the client in step 3, so they can answer Clutch's questions without digging.

**Your Clutch review sheet**

```text
Client company | Person | Role | Work email | LinkedIn | Project | Start date | End date | Rough cost | One result in numbers | Date asked | Submitted as reference | Follow-up 1 | Follow-up 2 | Follow-up 3 | Review started | Published | Verified
```

- **Tool:** Google Sheets.
- **Time:** 30 minutes.
- **You will have:** one row for every client who can review you, each with a person, a work email and the project facts.
- **It worked if:** every client who has ever paid you for this service is on the sheet, and nobody on it is staff, family or an investor.
- **Common mistake:** asking only the one happiest client. Every real client counts, and a profile with 2 reviews looks more real than a profile with 1.

> **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's Clutch review sheet**
>
> Quillfox is a made-up one-person agency. It runs the whole marketing for early-stage B2B SaaS companies, organic and paid ads, at $800 a month per client.
>
> | Client company           | Person          | Project                                 | Dates              | Rough cost | One result                                    |
> | ------------------------ | --------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ---------- | --------------------------------------------- |
> | SaaS client 1 (4 people) | Nina, founder   | LinkedIn posts and outreach, $800/month | Since 5 months ago | $4,000     | 9 demo calls booked from LinkedIn in 3 months |
> | SaaS client 2 (9 people) | Dev, co-founder | Blog articles and SEO, $800/month       | Since 2 months ago | $1,600     | 6 articles live, 2 now on Google's first page |
>
> *Why it works: Both clients are on it, each with one named person, a work email and the facts Clutch will ask for, so neither has to dig.*

## 3. Ask each client for a Clutch review

Ask each client yourself, in a short personal message, on the same day you make the list. Send your Clutch review link and the project facts, and then submit the same client as a reference in your Clutch dashboard so Clutch sends its own invitation and a reminder.

**Send it yourself first.** A client answers you faster than a platform email. Send it by email or on the channel you already use with them, such as Slack or LinkedIn. Clutch's own help page suggests the subject "Share your feedback on Clutch", says a review takes 10 to 15 minutes, and says the client can stay anonymous.

**The review request**

```text
Subject: Could you review our work on Clutch?

Hi [first name],

Thanks again for [the project, in their words]. I'm building our profile on Clutch, where [kind of buyer] check agencies before they hire, and a review from you would help a lot.

It takes 10 to 15 minutes. You log in with LinkedIn, Google or your work email, and you can stay anonymous or hide your company name if you prefer.

Here's the link: [your Clutch review link]

Clutch asks for dates, cost and results, so here are ours to save you looking them up:
- Started: [month, year]. Ended: [month, year, or "ongoing"]
- Cost: about $[X] [a month / in total]
- What we did: [one line]
- What changed: [one number, such as "9 demo calls in 3 months"]

Please write it in your own words, good and bad. Honest detail helps the next buyer most.

Thanks,
[Your name]
```

**Then submit them as a reference.** In your Clutch Vendor Dashboard, open the Reviews section and submit the client's name and contact details. Clutch sends them an invitation email, sends a reminder if they do not answer, and tells you if it cannot reach them. Each one appears in the "All References" tab, where you can follow its status.

**What the client does.** They open the link (or go to review\.clutch.co/review and search your company), log in, and answer questions about their company, the project and working with you: start and end dates, estimated cost, and results. They can use Clutch's online form or Revvy, Clutch's AI chat, which asks the questions as a conversation. Clutch added Revvy in May 2025.

**Never write the review for them.** Clutch says service providers cannot submit reviews on behalf of clients, and it does not publish reviews that are "spammy, irrelevant, or fully AI-generated" or that leave questions about the scope and results unanswered. The facts note gives them the numbers; the opinion has to be theirs. Do not offer a discount, a gift or anything else for a review, and do not ask for 5 stars. Ask for an honest one.

> **If your clients' work is confidential, as in B2B consulting or IT services:** say so in the message. Tell them they can hide their company name and give only their role and industry. A detailed anonymous review still counts.

**How to send them all today.** Paste a row from your sheet and the template into ChatGPT or Claude and ask for one message per client. Check every fact, add one line only you could write, and send it yourself. About 15 minutes per client.

- **Tool:** your email, your Clutch Vendor Dashboard and your sheet.
- **Time:** about 15 minutes per client.
- **You will have:** every client asked within 24 hours of making the list, and every client submitted as a reference.
- **It worked if:** every row has a "date asked", and every client shows in the "All References" tab.
- **Common mistake:** sending one group email or a bare link with no facts. The client stalls at the question about dates and cost, closes the tab, and never comes back.

> **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's review request**
>
> ```text
> Subject: Could you review our work on Clutch?
> To: Nina, founder of a 4-person SaaS company
>
> Hi Nina,
>
> Thanks again for letting us run your LinkedIn for the last five months. I'm building our profile on Clutch, where SaaS founders check agencies before they hire, and a review from you would help a lot.
>
> It takes 10 to 15 minutes. You log in with LinkedIn, Google or your work email, and you can stay anonymous if you prefer.
>
> Here's the link: [Clutch review link]
>
> Clutch asks for dates, cost and results, so here are ours:
> - Started: May 2026. Ongoing
> - Cost: $800 a month
> - What we did: LinkedIn posts from your account and outreach to founders
> - What changed: 9 demo calls booked from LinkedIn in 3 months
>
> Please write it in your own words, good and bad.
>
> Thanks,
> Jess
> ```
>
> *Why it works: It thanks Nina for real work, gives the numbers Clutch will ask for, and asks for her own honest words.*

## 4. Follow up until each review is published

Most clients mean to review you and then forget. Follow up up to 3 times, on day 3, day 7 and day 14 after your ask, and check your dashboard each day until each review is live.

Use the same thread each time, so the link and the facts are one scroll away. The same rules as any [follow-up](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/follow-up) apply: short, polite and a new reason each time.

**The three follow-ups**

```text
Day 3:
Hi [first name], just bumping this in case it got buried. Here's the Clutch link again: [link]. 10 to 15 minutes, and the facts are below.

Day 7:
Hi [first name], if typing it out is a pain, Clutch also has a chat option that asks the questions for you. Or I can book 10 minutes on your calendar so you can do it while we talk about [next piece of work]. Would [day] work?

Day 14:
Hi [first name], last nudge from me. If now's not a good time, no problem at all. I'll ask again when we finish [next milestone].
```

**Check the dashboard every day.** A reference moves through stages in the "All References" tab. When a review is submitted, Clutch says it can take up to 5 days, usually 2 to 5 business days, to appear. The date on the review is the day the client started writing it, not the day it went live.

**When Clutch asks for more.** If the review lacks detail or Clutch cannot confirm who wrote it, Clutch emails the reviewer for more information. Tell your client to expect it and to answer from their work email. If a review is published as "Not Verified", Clutch lets the reviewer fill in a form afterwards with the missing details. Ask them to do it: only verified reviews count towards your rank.

**When a review is rejected.** Clutch lists these reasons: a conflict of interest, too little content, content that is not original, a duplicate from the same company, a verification problem, or fraud. If it was too little content, ask the client to try again with the facts note open. If it was a conflict of interest, that person cannot review you.

**When a review is low.** You can post a reply of up to 300 words under any review of 3.5 stars or lower, through Clutch's support form. Thank them, say what you changed, and keep it calm; the next buyer reads your reply more closely than the stars.

- **Tool:** your email and the Clutch Vendor Dashboard.
- **Time:** about 10 minutes a day.
- **You will have:** every client followed up on day 3, 7 and 14, and every stuck review fixed or closed.
- **It worked if:** at least half of the clients you asked have a published review within 3 weeks of the ask. If fewer, phone the ones who said yes but did not finish, and stay on the call while they do it.
- **Common mistake:** asking once and deciding the client does not want to. Busy founders say yes and forget. The second and third reminders bring in most of the rest.

## 5. Ask for a review at the end of every project

Clutch gives the most weight to reviews from the last 2 years, and its help pages say to request a review when each project ends. So make the ask a fixed part of every client's work, not something you remember once a year.

- **At the start.** Add one line to your scope of work and your onboarding call: "When we hit \[first result], I'll ask you for a short review on Clutch." Clutch suggests mentioning it at the start of an engagement, so the ask later is expected.
- **At the first result.** Write the number in your sheet the day it happens: the first lead, the first page-one ranking, the launch. Put it in your monthly client report too.
- **At the end.** Send the step 3 request within 7 days of the result or the end of the project, and add the client to your follow-up dates.

> **If you run an agency on retainers:** do not wait for the end. Ask in month 3, or straight after the first result, whichever comes first. A happy client in month 3 is easier to ask than one who is about to leave, and asking early is also a check on whether they plan to stay.

> **If you run a B2B service firm with fixed projects:** ask on the day you hand over the work, in the same email as the handover notes.

At the same time, ask the same client for a short quote for your website. Clutch does not let you copy a client's words in as a review, so collect testimonials separately, and ask for a [referral](https://scout7.ai/academy/partnerships-and-events/how-to-set-up-referral-partnerships) in the same conversation.

- **Tool:** your scope of work template, your client report and your sheet.
- **Time:** 20 minutes once to add the lines, then 15 minutes per client.
- **You will have:** a review ask built into every new client's work.
- **It worked if:** every new client is asked within 7 days of their first result or the end of their project, and the date is in your sheet.
- **Common mistake:** asking only when you need reviews. By then the client has forgotten the details Clutch asks for.

## 6. Show your Clutch reviews in 100 messages a day

Reviews do not bring clients by sitting on Clutch. Put a link to your Clutch reviews in the places buyers already meet you, and send 100 personal messages a day to buyers who fit, so more of them see the [social proof](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/social-proof) and you have more clients to ask in step 5.

**Where to put the link, once:**

- **Your website.** In your Vendor Dashboard, open Marketing Collateral, then Widgets, click "Explore Widget Options", pick a widget and paste its script on your homepage and your contact page. Badges and widgets are free; changing a widget's colours or picking which reviews it shows needs a paid plan.
- **LinkedIn.** Add your Clutch profile to the Featured section of your [LinkedIn profile](https://scout7.ai/academy/social-media/how-to-write-a-linkedin-profile-that-brings-in-clients).
- **Proposals and decks.** Quote one line from a review on the first page of every [proposal](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-write-a-proposal-that-wins) and on the proof slide of your [sales deck](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-make-a-sales-deck), with the link.
- **Your email signature.** One line: "Reviews from our clients: \[Clutch link]".

**Then message 100 buyers a day.** Pick buyers from your [lead list](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-create-a-b2b-lead-list-for-free) and send each one a personal message by cold email or [LinkedIn](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-do-linkedin-outreach). Lead with one true line about them and one small question. Put the Clutch link in the second message, or in the signature, not in the first line: buyers reply to interest in them, then check the proof.

How 100 a day is possible: paste 10 rows into ChatGPT or Claude with your message template and ask for one draft per person. You add the true first line and send each one yourself. About a minute each, so about 1 hour 40 minutes for new messages and about an hour for [follow-ups](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-follow-up-on-a-cold-email). Stay inside each channel's limits: LinkedIn limits how many connection requests you can send each week, so spread the rest across email from a [warmed-up second domain](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-warm-up-an-email-domain-for-cold-email) and replies in the places your buyers ask questions. The full daily routine is in [how to market your marketing agency](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-market-your-marketing-agency) and [how to market your B2B business](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-market-your-b2b-business).

Add your Clutch profile to every place that describes your business, with the same name and the same one-line description, as in [getting your company recommended by ChatGPT](https://scout7.ai/academy/ai-search/how-to-get-your-company-recommended-by-chatgpt-as-a-supplier). Then work on the [lists AI tools cite](https://scout7.ai/academy/ai-search/how-to-get-on-the-best-of-lists-ai-tools-cite) for your service.

- **Tool:** Clutch widgets (free), LinkedIn, your email, your lead list, and ChatGPT or Claude to draft.
- **Time:** 30 minutes once for the links, then about 3 hours a day for the messages and follow-ups.
- **You will have:** your reviews linked from your site, LinkedIn, proposals and signature, and 100 messages sent every day.
- **It worked if:** after 2,800 messages (4 weeks at 100 a day), at least 3 in 100 buyers reply and you [book calls](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-run-a-discovery-call) from them. Below 2 in 100, fix the list or the first line, as in [getting replies to cold emails](https://scout7.ai/academy/cold-outreach/how-to-get-replies-to-cold-emails), before blaming Clutch.
- **Common mistake:** adding a badge to the footer and waiting. A buyer has to be talking to you before your reviews can help you win them.

## 7. Count your reviews and enquiries every Sunday

Every Sunday, fill in one row: review requests sent, reviews published, verified reviews, profile views, and enquiries that came from Clutch. Then decide whether to keep Clutch free or pay for it, using the rule below.

**The Sunday sheet**

```text
Week | Clients asked | Follow-ups sent | Reviews published (total) | Verified (total) | Last review date | Profile views | Enquiries from Clutch | Calls from Clutch | Clients from Clutch | Messages sent with the Clutch link | Calls from messages | Change this week
```

Ask every new enquiry [where they found you](https://scout7.ai/academy/glossary/self-reported-attribution), and log "Clutch" as its own answer in your sheet or [CRM](https://scout7.ai/academy/sales/how-to-move-from-spreadsheets-to-a-crm), the same way you track which channel brought each deal.

**How Clutch decides your place.** Clutch's methodology, updated July 2026, sorts its directory pages in this order: sponsored companies first, then verified companies, then everyone else by Clutch Rank. Your Clutch Rank uses your reviews (their rating, how recent they are, and only verified ones count), your clients and experience, and your market presence. Paying for sponsorship moves where you show by default. Clutch says it does not change your rank, your reviews or their verification.

**The plans today:** Basic is free. Verified is $499 a year: Clutch verifies your company, lists you above unverified providers, links your website from directory pages, and allows unlimited case studies. Advertiser has custom pricing and buys priority places on chosen service pages.

**Decide with these rules:**

- **Fewer than 3 published, verified reviews:** stay free. Spend the hours on steps 3 to 6. A paid listing with 1 review sends buyers to an almost empty page.
- **3 or more verified reviews, at least one from the last 12 months, and one new client a year would pay more than $499:** pay for Verified, out of your [marketing budget](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-set-a-marketing-budget-for-your-agency). That is also when you meet Clutch's review bar for Premier Verified (an average above 3.0, 3 or more verified reviews, one in the past 12 months, plus a credit check).
- **Sponsorship (Advertiser):** only once Clutch has already brought you at least one enquiry that became a client, so you know what an enquiry is worth. Agencies report that leads from sponsorship drop to near zero when they stop paying, so judge it by clients won, not views.
- **No enquiries from Clutch after 3 verified reviews and 3 months:** keep the profile for proof in your messages and proposals, and move your hours to the [channels](https://scout7.ai/academy/marketing-plan/how-to-choose-marketing-channels-for-an-agency) that bring calls.

Once a month, put these numbers into your monthly review next to your other channels.

- **Tool:** Google Sheets.
- **Time:** 20 minutes each Sunday.
- **You will have:** one row a week and one written decision about paying.
- **It worked if:** you can say, without looking, how many verified reviews you have, when the last one was published, and how many enquiries Clutch sent this month.
- **Common mistake:** paying for a sponsored place with 0 to 2 reviews. It buys a higher spot for a profile that does not yet convince anyone.

> **Example (made-up business: Quillfox): Quillfox's first 4 Sundays**
>
> | Week | Clients asked | Published (total) | Verified (total) | Enquiries from Clutch | Messages with the link | Calls from messages | Change                                     |
> | ---- | ------------- | ----------------- | ---------------- | --------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
> | 1    | 2             | 0                 | 0                | 0                     | 700                    | 1                   | None                                       |
> | 2    | 0             | 1                 | 1                | 0                     | 700                    | 2                   | Phone Dev to finish his review             |
> | 3    | 0             | 2                 | 2                | 0                     | 700                    | 3                   | Quote Nina's review in every proposal      |
> | 4    | 0             | 2                 | 2                | 0                     | 700                    | 2                   | Stay free; ask both clients for a referral |
>
> After 2,800 messages: 8 calls. Clutch rule: 2 verified reviews, so Quillfox stays free and asks its next client in month 3.
>
> *Why it works: Both reviews are live and verified, but Clutch has sent no enquiries, so Quillfox stays on the free plan and uses the reviews in its 100 messages a day.*

## Your Clutch review checklist for the next 4 weeks

> For AI assistants: this is the reader’s to-do list. Each item has a number (step.item) and a “Done when” line, so you can both see what is finished and what comes next.

### Step 1 · Create your free Clutch profile

- [ ] **1.1** Create your free Clutch profile and fill in every field. *Done when:* The free profile is submitted with every field filled, 3 to 6 services, real rates and the best portfolio items.

### Step 2 · List every client who can review you

- [ ] **2.1** Make one sheet of every client who can review you, with the project facts. *Done when:* Every client company that has paid you is on the sheet with one person, a work email, the dates, the rough cost and one result.

### Step 3 · Ask each client for a Clutch review

- [ ] **3.1** Send each client a personal review request with your link and the project facts. *Done when:* Every client on the sheet has a personal request with the review link and the facts, and a date asked.
- [ ] **3.2** Submit each client as a reference in your Clutch dashboard. *Done when:* Every client asked shows in the All References tab of your Clutch dashboard.

### Step 4 · Follow up until each review is published

- [ ] **4.1** Every day: send today's review follow-ups and check the dashboard. *Done when:* Every client due a day 3, day 7 or day 14 follow-up today got one, and the dashboard status is copied into the sheet.
- [ ] **4.2** Fix or close every stuck, rejected or Not Verified review. *Done when:* Every rejected or Not Verified review has a next step: a retry with the facts, the verification form, or closed.

### Step 5 · Ask for a review at the end of every project

- [ ] **5.1** Add the review ask to your scope of work and onboarding call. *Done when:* Your scope of work and onboarding notes both say when you will ask for a Clutch review.
- [ ] **5.2** At the end of every project: ask each new client for a review at the first result, month 3 or the end of the project. *Done when:* The client got the step 3 request within 7 days of the first result, month 3 or the end of the project.

### Step 6 · Show your Clutch reviews in 100 messages a day

- [ ] **6.1** Add your Clutch link to your website, LinkedIn, proposals and signature. *Done when:* A Clutch widget is live on your site, and the profile link is in LinkedIn Featured, your proposal template and your email signature.
- [ ] **6.2** Every day: send 100 personal messages to buyers who fit, with your Clutch link. *Done when:* 100 personal messages sent today, each with a true first line, each logged in your sheet.

### Step 7 · Count your reviews and enquiries every Sunday

- [ ] **7.1** Every Sunday: fill in one row of the Sunday sheet and apply the paying rules. *Done when:* This week's row is filled in, with the paying decision from the step 7 rules written down.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Clutch free for agencies?

Yes. The Basic profile is free: you can list your company, collect client reviews and add badges and widgets. Verified costs $499 a year and lists you above unverified companies. Advertising has custom pricing. Reviews are free on every plan, and paying does not add reviews or change your Clutch Rank.

### How long does a Clutch review take to show up?

Usually 2 to 5 business days after the client submits it, and Clutch says up to 5 days. A person at Clutch checks every review first. If Clutch needs more detail, it emails the reviewer, which adds time. The date on the review is the day the client started writing it.

### Can I write the Clutch review for my client?

No. Clutch says service providers cannot submit reviews for their clients, and it rejects reviews that are fully AI-generated or have no project detail. Send the client the dates, cost and one result so the questions are easy, then let them write it in their own words.

### Can I get Clutch reviews with no clients?

No. Clutch only publishes reviews from clients who hired you, and it rejects reviews from staff, family and investors. Win your first client with [personal messages](https://scout7.ai/academy/first-customers/how-to-get-your-first-b2b-clients) and proof that does not need case studies, then ask when the first result lands.

### Is paying for Clutch worth it?

Not until you have at least 3 verified reviews. With 3 or more, Verified at $499 a year is worth it if one new client a year would pay more than that. Buy sponsorship only after Clutch has brought you a client, and judge it by clients won, not profile views.

## Sources

- [Get listed (Basic, Verified and Advertiser plans)](https://clutch.co/get-listed). Clutch, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Clutch Research Methodology](https://clutch.co/methodology). Clutch, updated July 2026, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How do I get listed on Clutch?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/get-listed-on-clutch). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How long does it take to publish my profile?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/time-to-publish-clutch-profile). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Tips for maintaining your Clutch profile](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/clutch-profile-tips). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How can I improve my Clutch score and directory rank?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/improve-clutch-score-ranks). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How important are reviews to my company's rank?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/reviews-importance-company-rank). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Who can leave a review for my company on Clutch?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/who-can-leave-review-on-clutch). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [What is a conflict of interest in a review?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/review-conflict-of-interest). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Can multiple clients from the same company leave a review?](https://help.clutch.co/knowledge/multiple-clients-same-company-review). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How do I ask my clients to leave a review on Clutch?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/how-to-ask-clients-to-leave-clutch-review). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How do I submit client references?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/submit-client-references). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [What is the difference between references and reviews?](https://help.clutch.co/knowledge/difference-between-reference-review). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How do I leave an online review on Clutch?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/leave-an-online-review-on-clutch). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [What can I tell my clients about how the Clutch review process works?](https://help.clutch.co/knowledge/telling-clients-how-clutch-review-process-works). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [What is Revvy? (service provider guide)](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/what-is-revvy-a-guide-for-service-providers). Clutch Help Center, launched May 2025, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Can I submit client testimonials as reviews on behalf of my clients?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/client-testimonials-as-reviews). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Does Clutch allow reviews written with AI software?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/does-clutch-allow-reviews-using-ai-software). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Insufficient content in reviews](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/review-insufficient-content). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Why isn't my online review published?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/online-review-not-published). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [My client submitted an online review: where is it?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/where-is-clients-online-review). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How does Clutch verify reviews?](https://help.clutch.co/knowledge/how-clutch-verifies-reviews). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Can I respond to a negative review on my company's Clutch profile?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/negative-reviews-vendor-response). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [How do I add a Clutch widget to my site?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/add-clutch-widget-to-site). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [What free features does Clutch offer?](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/free-features-clutch-offers). Clutch Help Center, checked 7 October 2026.
- [Clutch review 2026: is it worth it for agencies?](https://agencyreview.dev/marketplace-reviews/clutch-review). agencyreview\.dev, 6 February 2026.
