What is User Feedback? Types, Tools + How To Guide

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User feedback is fundamental for companies looking to build a fantastic product - it helps you identify aspects that could be improved and figure out innovative ideas you haven't yet thought about.

Almost every successful product is built by closely listening to users and their feedback. However, the bar for a great user experience has increased with consumer expectations.

Understanding how to deal with different types of feedback and having a proper system to capture, organize, and close the feedback loop is more important than ever.

This article gives you a full overview of user feedback, the different types, and how to level up your feedback game - from collection to closing the feedback loop and the tools to help you get there.👇

A short summary:

• Definition: User feedback refers to the insights users share about their experiences with a product or service, highlighting likes, dislikes, issues, and suggestions for improvement.
• Why is it important: Collecting user feedback helps companies understand user needs, improve their products, enhance customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition.
• Different types: Feature requests, bug reports, usage data, satisfaction scores, and much more.
• Best user feedback tools:
  • Featurebase ✨– Best modern user feedback tool for SaaS teams
  • Google Forms – Best for basic surveys and free feedback collection
  • Hotjar – Best for user behavior analytics and qualitative feedback
  • SurveyMonkey – Best for advanced survey customization and analytics
  • Typeform – Best for interactive and user-friendly surveys
  • Qualtrics – Best for enterprise-level feedback and in-depth analytics
  • Canny – Best for product feedback management and prioritization
• When to collect: Key moments include post-onboarding, after major updates/releases, during customer support interactions, at regular intervals, upon user cancellations or downgrades, after user milestones, and during beta testing phases.

What is user feedback?

User feedback is the information users share about their experiences with a product or service. It includes their likes, dislikes, suggestions, and any issues they encounter, helping companies understand user needs and improve their offerings.

User feedback can have many shapes and forms, including comments on usability, satisfaction levels, bug reports, and ideas for new features or improvements.

It is a crucial source of information for businesses and organizations, offering detailed insights into what is working well, how users interact with a product, and what areas require attention or redesign.

By systematically collecting, organizing, and analyzing user feedback, companies can make informed decisions to enhance their offerings, tailor their user experience, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Why is collecting user feedback important?

Listening to your users provides direct insight into what people who use your product think about it.

Customer feedback is invaluable because it highlights the strengths and weaknesses of your core offering.

1. Understand what your users really want

You might think you know your customers' needs, but assumptions don’t always match reality.

Feedback gives you a direct line to what users love, what frustrates them, and what they wish you’d improve. Without this insight, you’re just guessing.

For example, user feedback tools allow you to collect feature requests and learn what features you're really missing instead of having to learn from user behavior or basic assumptions.

2. Improve your product with real insights

There’s no better way to refine your product than by listening to the people who use it daily. Whether it’s a buggy feature, a confusing interface, or a missing tool, users will tell you what needs fixing—if you give them the chance.

Regular feedback loops help you tweak and improve based on user experiences, not just internal discussions.

For example, you can use an active feedback survey to ask what users need in a specific part of your product. You get instant feedback without creating focus groups or running expensive usability tests.

3. Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty

People appreciate feeling heard. When you take action on feedback, users notice. It builds trust, strengthens relationships, and keeps customers coming back. A company that listens is a company people want to stick with.

This is especially the case with negative feedback: these customer interactions are easy to spot, and the way you react to them matters greatly for your reputation.

4. Make better business decisions

Data-driven decisions beat gut feelings every time. Feedback helps you prioritize what to work on next, where to invest resources, and which problems need urgent attention. Instead of guessing which feature will be a hit, you can use actual feedback to guide your roadmap.

Likewise, if you have a gut feeling you think is on point, you can get quantitative data from user feedback tools to back up your claims or dispel an idea before spending time and money on it.

5. Catch problems before they become significant issues

Unhappy customers don’t always complain—they leave. By actively collecting feedback, you can spot pain points early and fix them before they drive people away. Retaining customers by addressing issues is much easier than winning them back after they’ve left.

For example, you get visual feedback from your user feedback software that a particular feature is broken. You can react immediately without spending time and money on user research. Not only will you retain existing users, but you'll also make it easy for future users to love your product.

6. Stay ahead of the competition

Your competitors are improving their products, too. You risk falling behind if you’re not actively listening to users and evolving based on their needs. Customer feedback helps you stay relevant and build a product that continues to attract new users.

Sometimes, the best way to become better than competitors is not to research them. Instead, focus on your product, fix your user engagement, identify usability issues, and try to build a better version of your product each day.

7. Build a community around your brand

When users see that their feedback shapes the product, they become more engaged and invested. They feel like part of the journey rather than just another customer. This sense of involvement can turn casual users into passionate advocates for your brand.

What are the different types of user feedback?

Here are the top types of user feedback you're likely to encounter and should pay close attention to:

1. Feature requests

Feature requests are direct suggestions from users about new features they'd like to see in your product or improvements to existing features.

These ideas are incredibly valuable because they come straight from the people using your product, indicating what could make it more useful or enjoyable for them.

Paying attention to these requests helps you a lot with prioritizing development efforts and making sure your solutions directly meet user needs.

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2. NPS (Net Promoter Score)

The Net Promoter Score is a widely used metric that measures customer loyalty and overall satisfaction with your product or service.

It's derived from a single question: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?"

Customers are categorized as promoters, passives, or detractors based on their responses.

NPS and its alternatives give you a clear picture of your company's performance from the customer's perspective and can guide improvements in customer experience. There are also lots of alternatives you could pick from.

3. Bug reports

Bug reports highlight the issues or glitches within your product that negatively affect the user experience.

Users submit these reports when they encounter a problem, helping product managers identify and fix bugs that might not have been caught during testing. Many powerful bug-tracking tools on the market help with this.

Addressing bug reports promptly improves product quality and shows your users that their feedback is valued and taken seriously. Check out our detailed guide on prioritizing bugs and features →.

4. New release feedback

Whenever you launch a new feature, update, or version of your product, gathering feedback on this new release is crucial.

Effective product announcements help you understand how well the new addition meets user expectations and impacts their experience. This type of feedback can reveal unforeseen issues and inform future iterations or updates.

5. CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)

The Customer Satisfaction Score is a straightforward measure of how satisfied users are with your product or service. It's usually obtained by asking a single question, such as "How satisfied are you with our product/service?" with a corresponding rating scale.

CSAT scores help you understand overall user satisfaction and identify areas that need improvement to enhance the customer experience.

How to collect user feedback

Collecting and managing user feedback is incredibly easy with the proper tools and user feedback collection methods. Here's an overview of how you could start capturing different types of user feedback today:

1. In-app feedback

The advantage of in-app feedback tools is that they provide a frictionless user experience when submitting feedback.

They don't have to visit yet another website but can do it all directly from your dashboard, in the user interface of your app.

This website feedback method also provides a unique opportunity to capture bug reports where they happen. Featurebase, for example, offers a screenshot-reporting tool that allows users to highlight problematic areas of the website. This way, you won't have to replicate specific user behavior when a bug report comes in - you have all the data in front of you.

2. Public feedback portals

Public feedback portals are online platforms where users can submit their feedback, including feature requests, bug reports, general suggestions, and valuable user feedback.

These portals often allow other users to vote on submitted ideas, helping you prioritize which features or fixes are in most demand.

Public portals create a community around your product and showcase transparency, as users can see what others are suggesting and how the company responds.

With Featurebase or other feature voting tools, you can create a customizable public suggestion portal to level up your user feedback collection in a few minutes.

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3. Email surveys

Email surveys are a direct and effective way to gather customer feedback for various survey types, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), Customer Effort Score (CES), and others.

You can target specific customer base segments by sending surveys directly to your users' inboxes. You can also reach out following significant interactions, such as a purchase or customer support experience, asking the right user feedback survey questions at the right time.

Feedback emails benefit from higher personalization and can achieve good response rates if they are concise and sent at the right time.

With Featurebase's user feedback software, you can add surveys to your roster of user feedback collection methods.

4. Forms

Forms embedded on your website or shared via links provide a simple yet effective way to gather user feedback.

They can be tailored for various purposes, from general feedback and contact forms to specific surveys about user experience or new feature requests. The key to great user insights from feedback forms is making them accessible and easy to use.

Tools like Typeform or Google Forms offer user-friendly design options that can encourage more of your customers to share their thoughts.

By strategically placing these forms on your website, particularly on pages where users are most engaged, you can collect valuable product insights when users are most motivated to provide them.

5. Listening on social media

Social media platforms are not just channels for marketing and communication but also great channels for user feedback and new ideas.

Listening on social media involves monitoring mentions of your brand, product, or service across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to catch and respond to user feedback in real-time.

Social media analytics tools like Sprout Social or Buffer offer social listening features that can track brand mentions and keywords, making engaging with your audience and gathering insightful feedback easier.

By being active and responsive on social media, you collect valuable feedback and demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and service.

P.S. A big part of collecting feedback is learning how to say "no" to customers' requests.

Top user feedback tools to keep on your radar

1. Featurebase ✨

Featurebase is a user feedback tool designed for SaaS companies looking to collect, prioritize, and act on product feedback. It enables teams to manage feature requests and maintain a public roadmap efficiently.

Top features:

• Feature voting boards – Users can submit and vote on feature requests, helping teams understand demand.
• Customizable feedback boards – Organize feedback by product areas, user types, or any other category.
• Public and private roadmaps – Share product plans with users to keep them engaged and informed.
• In-app widget – Collect feedback directly inside your app or website.
• Changelog announcements – Notify users about new features and improvements.
• Knowledge base - build on-brand knowledge bases to capture all there is to know about your product.

It comes with a Free plan and affordable pricing. You can try the paid plans without a credit card, so there's no downside to giving it a go.

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2. Google Forms

Google Forms is a free and easy-to-use survey tool for collecting structured feedback. It’s great for small businesses, educators, and teams that need a simple way to gather customer insights.

Top features:

• Completely free to use – No cost for unlimited responses and forms.
• Multiple question types – Includes multiple-choice, short answers, and linear scales.
• Automated response collection – Stores responses in Google Sheets for easy analysis.
• Simple customization – Allows branding with images and color themes.
• Basic reporting tools – Provides summary charts for quick insights.

3. Hotjar

Hotjar is a feedback and analytics tool that helps businesses understand user behavior on their websites. It combines heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys to provide in-depth insights into user interactions.

Top features:

• Heatmaps – Visualize where users click, scroll, and move on your website without asking them.
• Session recordings – Replay actual user sessions to identify pain points.
• On-site surveys – Gather feedback directly from users while they interact with your site.
• Feedback widgets – Users can rate their experience with quick emoji or text-based feedback.
• Conversion funnels – Identify where users drop off in key flows.

4. SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is a powerful survey tool for businesses that need in-depth feedback collection and analysis. It offers a range of question types, analytics, and integrations for detailed customer insights.

Top features:

• Advanced survey logic – Use skip logic and branching for personalized surveys.
• Wide range of question types – Supports Likert scales, ranking, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions.
• Data analysis tools – Includes response filtering, trends, and AI-powered insights.
• Third-party integrations – Works with Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot, and more.
• Custom branding – Allows businesses to white-label surveys with logos and colors.

5. Typeform

Typeform specializes in creating engaging, conversational-style surveys. It’s ideal for brands that want to collect feedback in a visually appealing and interactive format.

Top features:

• Conversational design – Questions appear one at a time, improving engagement.
• Easy drag-and-drop builder – Create custom surveys with no coding.
• Conditional logic – Personalize the survey experience based on user responses.
• Integrations with popular tools – Connects with Notion, Slack, Google Sheets, and Zapier.
• Multimedia support – Add images, videos, and GIFs to enhance surveys.

6. Qualtrics

Qualtrics is an advanced feedback platform for large organizations that need comprehensive customer and employee insights. It offers powerful analytics and automation to drive business decisions.

Top features:

• AI-driven analytics – Identifies patterns and trends in user responses.
• Omnichannel feedback collection – Gather insights via email, web, mobile, and SMS.
• Advanced survey customization – Supports multiple question types and dynamic logic.
• Integration with CRM and BI tools – Connects with Salesforce, Tableau, and more.
• Predictive analytics – Uses machine learning to forecast trends based on feedback.

7. Canny

Canny is a product feedback tool that helps businesses collect, manage, and prioritize customer suggestions. It’s popular among SaaS companies looking to improve their product roadmap based on user needs.

Top features:

• Upvoting system – Users can vote on feature requests, helping teams identify demand.
• Feedback categorization – Organize feedback by themes, user types, or product areas.
• Public and private boards – Choose which feedback is visible to all users.
• Integration with project management tools – Works with Jira, Trello, and Slack.
• Changelog updates – Notify users about new features and improvements.

When to collect user feedback?

Tracking user feedback is not just about the methods you use. The right timing can significantly affect the quality and quantity of feedback you receive. Here are key moments when collecting user feedback can be particularly valuable:

1. After product onboarding

Once a user has completed the onboarding process, it's the perfect time to ask for their initial impressions. Instead of going through lengthy and expensive user testing, you can get actionable insights that you can apply immediately.

This feedback can help you understand how intuitive and helpful your onboarding experience is and where users might face difficulties.

2. Following major updates or releases

After launching a new feature or a significant update, gather user feedback to measure what your users think about it and what else they want to see.

With a tool like Featurebase, this can be quickly done by publishing changes to a public changelog page and showcasing them via in-app widgets.

Each update you publish has a comment section and reactions for users to leave their valuable insights.

3. During customer support interactions

After a customer support session, asking for feedback on the experience can provide insights into how well your support team meets user needs and where there might be room for improvement in your support processes.

Instead of waiting for user interviews to happen so you can collect qualitative feedback, ask customers about their pain points as they ring up your customer support team.

4. At regular intervals

Setting up regular intervals for collecting feedback, such as quarterly or annually, helps you track changes in user satisfaction over time. This user feedback helps set benchmarks and see how you progress over time in your customers' eyes.

This can be particularly useful for long-term product development and customer satisfaction strategies.

5. When a user cancels or downgrades to a cheaper plan

Understanding why a user decides to cancel or downgrade their service can provide critical insights into potential issues with your product or areas where expectations were unmet. This feedback data is invaluable for reducing churn and improving the overall user experience.

Tools like ChurnKey help you set up a popup that triggers when customers cancel their plan to ask any follow-up questions.

6. After user milestones

Collect feedback after users reach certain milestones with your product, such as completing a project, achieving a goal, or using the product for a set period.

This helps you understand the value users get from your product and can highlight success stories and areas for enhancement.

7. During beta testing

Beta testing phases are ideal for collecting detailed feedback on new features or products before a full release. This feedback can guide final adjustments and help ensure the new release meets user expectations.

Timing your feedback collection strategically around these moments ensures that you're gathering feedback when it's most relevant and when users are most likely to have meaningful insights to share.

This approach leads to better and more actionable feedback that can drive meaningful improvements to your product and user experience.

FAQs

Why is user feedback important?

User feedback is crucial because it provides direct insights from your users about what's working well and what needs improvement in your product or service. It helps enhance user satisfaction, guide product development, build customer loyalty, and foster innovation.

What are the main types of user feedback?

The main types include feature requests, Net Promoter Score (NPS), bug reports, new release feedback, and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). Each type offers unique insights that can help improve your product or service.

How can I collect user feedback effectively?

You can use various methods like in-app feedback tools, public feedback portals, email surveys, website forms, and social media listening. Tools like Featurebase can streamline this process, making collecting and managing feedback easier.

When is the best time to collect user feedback?

Key moments include after onboarding, following major updates or releases, during customer support interactions, at regular intervals, when a user cancels or downgrades, after user milestones, and during beta testing phases.

How do I encourage users to provide feedback?

Make the process as easy and frictionless as possible. Use incentives where appropriate, clearly explain how their feedback will be used, and show users that their input leads to tangible improvements.

How can I ensure that the feedback I collect is helpful?

Ask specific, guided questions that are relevant to your goals. Segment your users to target feedback requests appropriately, and use a mix of qualitative and quantitative feedback methods to get a full picture.

Conclusion

Collecting user feedback helps you see your product through your users' eyes, revealing its strengths and improvement areas. With different types of feedback, from feature requests to NPS scores, you'll learn more about user behavior, get precise feedback about the upsides and downsides of your product, and get a deeper understanding of what to do next to unlock more revenue.

Featurebase is a modern feedback tool that helps you collect all user feedback in one place with the help of integrations, surveys, and a public forum. You can connect your customer data to the feedback and prioritize ideas based on revenue, company size, and more to build what really matters.

It comes with a Free plan, and the onboarding is super simple, so there's no downside to trying it out! 👇

✨ Start collecting & managing feedback with Featurebase for free →