Before adding testimonials to a practice website
For regulated health services, a familiar marketing pattern can create an advertising problem.
Do not start by copying another industry
A restaurant or design studio may display customer praise in ways that are inappropriate for a regulated health service. Ahpra’s advertising guidance addresses testimonials about clinical aspects of a regulated health service, alongside other restrictions on advertising. The relevant question is not simply whether the reviewer gave permission. It is whether the proposed use complies with the rules applying to the service and practitioner.
Separate public comments from your advertising
A person posting on an external review platform and a practice selecting that comment for its own homepage are different situations. Before embedding a review widget, quoting a message or turning a patient story into a social post, check the current Ahpra guidance and the circumstances of the proposed use. Do not assume a third-party widget removes responsibility for what appears in your advertising.
Use factual information to build confidence
A useful alternative is to explain the appointment process accurately: who provides the service, what qualifications and registration are relevant, where appointments occur and how to ask an administrative question. Clear arrival information and transparent booking steps can help a visitor without promising a clinical result. Every factual claim still needs to be checked, and professional titles need particular care.
Audit more than the homepage
Review service pages, profile pages, landing pages, social biographies and any automatic feeds. Look for claims that imply a guaranteed outcome or create an unreasonable expectation. Keep a record of the issue, where it appears and who is responsible for resolving it. If an outside agency publishes on the practice’s behalf, make the review process part of the working agreement.
Use the regulator as the starting point
Read Ahpra’s current advertising guidelines and FAQs in full for your situation, and seek appropriate professional advice where needed. This article is a general publishing prompt, not a legal assessment of a particular advertisement. We do not provide clinical testimonials, treatment comparisons or a template guaranteed to comply with every profession’s requirements. The aim is to help practice teams ask the right questions before content goes live.
Sources & further reading
Primary sources used for this guide. Practical arrangements can change; follow the official source for current details.
Researched from the linked sources, with editorial interpretation and practical suggestions. No visit, interview or product test is claimed. Our editorial standards.
Put the ideas to work.
Write down what a new visitor needs before making their first booking. This is a communication tool, not clinical guidance.
Open first-visit website audit ↗