Automate Your Review Requests with the ReviewForest API

Would you like to receive more reviews while saving time? With the ReviewForest API, you can automate review requests and seamlessly integrate them into your existing systems. This article shows you how to automatically send digital review requests via email and SMS – completely without manual intervention and at the optimal time for maximum response rates.

What You Need

A ReviewForest account with an active plan
Your personal API key (found under "Integrations" in your ReviewForest account)
The ID of your review forest (how to find this is explained below)
A CRM system or other software that can send API requests

ReviewForest API Overview

Our public API allows you to programmatically use ReviewForest functions and integrate them into your existing systems. You'll find:

The API documentation in your ReviewForest account under "Integrations"
An interactive "API Playground" for testing API calls

How to Find Your Review Forest ID

For API integration, you need the ID of your review forest. Here's how to find it:

Log in to your ReviewForest account
Go to "Review forests" in the left menu
Select the review forest for which you need the ID
The easiest way to find your review forest ID is through the API:

Use the API query /v1/forests to get a list of all your review forests with their IDs
In the response, you'll see an id field for each review forest, e.g., "id": "646223ed95d25a338950cf3f"
This alphanumeric string is the ID you need for API calls

Tip: If you have multiple review forests, note the IDs with their respective names for easy reference later.

Option 1: Automated Email Review Requests

How to Set Up Automated Email Requests:

Prepare API Key

Log in to your ReviewForest account
Go to "Integrations"
Copy your API key for authentication

Design API Request
For sending email review requests, a POST request is sent to the following endpoint:

https://api.reviewforest.org/v1/invitations/email

With these parameters:

{
  "forestId": "YOUR_REVIEW_FOREST_ID",
  "recipients": [
    {
      "email": "customer@example.com",
      "name": "Max Mustermann"
    }
  ],
  "subject": "Your opinion matters to us",
  "language": "en",
  "templateType": "formal",
  "sendAt": "2023-06-01T10:00:00Z"  // Optional: Time for sending
}

Timing of Review Requests

Timing is an important factor for the success of your review requests. With the ReviewForest API, you can send requests at exactly the right time:

Optimal timing: Send requests when customers have already been able to use the product/service, but the experience is still fresh
Automation: Integrate timing into your automation process with the sendAt parameter or through delayed triggers in your CRM

Delay Options in ReviewForest

You have three ways to control when your review requests are sent:

Immediate Sending
Without specifying a sendAt parameter, the email is sent immediately after the API request.

Delayed Sending via API
With the sendAt parameter, you can schedule the email for any time within the next 3 days, e.g.:

1 hour later: "sendAt": "2023-06-01T11:00:00Z" (if the current time is 10:00 AM)
5 hours later: "sendAt": "2023-06-01T15:00:00Z"
The next day: "sendAt": "2023-06-02T10:00:00Z"

Delayed Trigger in CRM
Your CRM or automation system can trigger the API call at a specific time, e.g.:

7 days after product delivery (ideal for electronics and clothing)
14-28 days after delivery (ideal for care products)
Upon reaching certain usage milestones (ideal for digital products)

Tip: You can also combine both methods – delayed triggers and the sendAt parameter – for precise timing control of your requests. For example, you could set a trigger 7 days after delivery and additionally schedule the sending for 7 PM, when email open rates are typically higher.

Option 2: Automated SMS Review Requests

The process for SMS requests is similar to that for emails:

Prepare API Request
For SMS review requests, a POST request is sent to the following endpoint:

https://api.reviewforest.org/v1/invitations/sms

With these parameters:

{
  "forestId": "YOUR_REVIEW_FOREST_ID",
  "recipients": [
    {
      "number": "+491701234567",
      "name": "Max Mustermann"
    }
  ],
  "companyName": "Your Company",
  "language": "en",
  "templateType": "formal"
}

Note SMS Quota
Remember that your SMS quota is limited depending on your plan:

Standard: 10 SMS per review forest
Premium: 50 SMS per review forest
Professional: 100 SMS per review forest

Note on Additional SMS: You can also send more SMS than are included in your plan. For each SMS beyond the included quota, a fee of €0.15 per SMS will be charged. These are automatically billed with your next invoice.

Benefits of Automation

Time savings: No more manual emails or SMS to send
Consistency: Every customer receives a request at the optimal time
Higher conversion: More reviews through timely and relevant requests
Scalability: The system grows automatically with your customer base
Avoiding common timing errors: Not asking too early (before the customer could use the product) and not too late (when the memory fades)

Avoiding Common Timing Errors

Automation helps you avoid these common mistakes:

Too early requests: Review requests sent before the customer has received or sufficiently used the product can lead to negative reviews.
Too late requests: If you wait too long, the customer's enthusiasm fades and the likelihood of a response drops dramatically.
Lack of personalization: Different products require different time windows for review requests.

Next Steps

Talk to your developer or IT team about integrating the ReviewForest API into your system
Test the API in the ReviewForest API Playground
Implement simple automation and expand it gradually


Do you have questions about the API or integration? Our support team is happy to help!

Updated on: 09/04/2025