What if I don’t receive many suggestions?
It’s about quality, not quantity. Sometimes one visitor uncovers a critical problem you did not know existed. That single report can make SuggestionBox worth having.
If suggestions remain sparse, look at two things first: traffic and visibility.
Traffic
SuggestionBox cannot create an audience for you. If your software has few users or little meaningful traffic, focus on reaching more of the right people first.
Visibility
People cannot participate if they do not know your SuggestionBox exists. Put your portal link somewhere easy to find, add the Website Widget where it makes sense, and invite suggestions through the marketing channels you already use.
A quiet SuggestionBox does not always mean something is wrong. People may be satisfied or simply have nothing to add yet. The goal is to be ready when someone notices something worth hearing.
Why not keep using email, notes, or GitHub Issues?
You can. Keep using the tools that already work for you, and add a few of ours that fit with the way that you like to work:
- Email: Send or forward ideas directly from email to your SuggestionBox Inbox.
- Command line: Send an idea from your terminal with
sb add.
- AI assistant: Ask an AI tool like Codex or Claude to save an idea.
- API: Send ideas from your own scripts, tools, or automations.
- Web app: User-friendly web interface for adding ideas.
You also get a public Suggestions Portal, because your customers probably have a thing or two to say.
Can I create more than one SuggestionBox?
Yes. One login can manage multiple SuggestionBoxes, with one for each product or brand. Each SuggestionBox is independent and has its own Inbox, Suggestions portal, branding, settings, and billing.
Will this become another Inbox I have to manage?
No. The SuggestionBox Inbox does not require constant attention; it privately holds project ideas from you or your small team until you decide to review them. There is no schedule to follow, and the only reminder is an optional weekly or biweekly review email.
Will my customers actually participate?
Not everyone will, but you only need to find the customers who care enough about your product to help make it better. Even a small group of willing participants can find bugs, clarify what to build, and tell you whether your solution worked.
What if I only use SuggestionBox occasionally?
That’s fine. You do not need to use SuggestionBox every day. It keeps collecting and preserving customer input while you are focused elsewhere, ready whenever you return.
How quickly can I get started?
You can be up and running in a few minutes:
- Create your SuggestionBox.
- Put the link somewhere visitors will see it.
- Add a couple of Suggestions to get things started.
That’s it. Your Suggestions portal is live.
Do I have to host the Suggestions portal myself?
No. Your SuggestionBox membership includes a public Suggestions portal that we host for you at a branded address such as yourcompany.suggestionbox.io. Add your name and branding, then link to it from your product. There is nothing to deploy or maintain on your own server.
Do I have to use the Website Widget?
No. You can collect submissions by linking directly to your hosted Suggestions portal. The Website Widget makes that invitation harder to miss: add it to a few important pages, a section of your website, or your entire website so visitors can send a suggestion at the moment they notice something.
Do I need to set everything up?
No. Start by sharing your hosted suggestion portal link. Add the website widget, email, command line, API, AI assistant, or direct Inbox entry only when each one is useful.
How can customers submit suggestions?
Customers have two ways to submit:
- From the Website Widget: A visitor clicks Suggest, writes what they noticed in the text area, and clicks Send. The submission enters Suggestions as Pending review with the source page attached.
- From the Suggestions portal: A customer clicks New suggestion, enters a title and details, chooses Improvement, New feature, or Bug report, and verifies their email. The Suggestion then goes live or waits for your approval, depending on your moderation setting.
What is the difference between the Inbox and Suggestions?
The Inbox is private and holds ideas captured by you or your small team. When an idea is ready for customers, turn it into a public Suggestion where people can vote, comment, and follow updates.
Suggestions can also begin with customers. They submit through your public Suggestions portal or the Website Widget. Widget submissions always wait for owner review, while portal submissions follow your moderation setting.
What becomes public, and when?
You control what becomes public. Inbox items stay private unless you turn them into Suggestions, Website Widget submissions wait for your approval, and verified portal submissions follow your moderation setting.
Keep sensitive or unannounced work private. Publishing a Suggestion invites customer input; it does not promise you will build it.
Can I ask customers follow-up questions?
Yes. When someone follows a Suggestion and agrees to participate, you can send that group a focused question or a few quick choices directly through SuggestionBox. They respond on their own time. No calls, meetings, or long email threads required.
Can I add the Website Widget to multiple sites?
Yes. Add each approved website origin in your Website Widget settings, then use the same installation script on those sites. Their submissions all enter the same Suggestions area with the source page attached.
Do my customers need accounts?
No. Your customers don’t need to create an account to participate. When they perform an action like submitting, supporting, commenting or following, they verify their email and they’re done.
Can I use my company branding?
Yes. Add your company name, logo, website, and a light, dark, or custom four-color theme to the public suggestion portal.
