proofpage System Requirements Document

Introduction

ProofPage is a lightweight SaaS web application designed to help independent consultants, freelancers, coaches, web designers, and small agencies collect strong client testimonials through a branded link and display approved testimonials on a public Wall of Proof.

Version 1 will focus on the smallest complete workflow required to validate customer demand. A Business Owner will create one collection page, share a public link, receive a testimonial submission, review it, and publish the approved testimonial.

ProofPage will not include advanced administration, billing management, analytics, widgets, team accounts, or multiple workspaces in Version 1.

System Overview

ProofPage provides a simple experience for collecting and publishing client testimonials.

The core workflow is:

1. A Business Owner creates an account.
2. The Business Owner creates one testimonial collection page.
3. ProofPage generates a public shareable URL.
4. A client opens the URL without signing in.
5. The client answers three testimonial questions.
6. ProofPage creates an optional AI-assisted draft.
7. The client reviews, edits, and approves the final wording.
8. The Business Owner reviews the submission.
9. The Business Owner approves or rejects the testimonial.
10. Approved testimonials appear on a public Wall of Proof.

The application will use original branding, layouts, written content, and code. It will not replicate competitors' visual designs, proprietary assets, source code, or written content.

Functional Requirements

• As a Business Owner, I want to create an account so that I can manage my testimonials.
• As a Business Owner, I want to sign in, sign out, and reset my password.
• As a Business Owner, I want to create one business profile.
• As a Business Owner, I want to create one branded testimonial collection page.
• As a Business Owner, I want to add a headline and welcome message to my collection page.
• As a Business Owner, I want to preview my collection page.
• As a Business Owner, I want to receive a public shareable URL for my collection page.
• As a Business Owner, I want to activate or deactivate my collection page.
• As a Testimonial Submitter, I want to open the collection URL without signing in.
• As a Testimonial Submitter, I want to enter my name, email, job title, company, and professional URL.
• As a Testimonial Submitter, I want to answer three guided testimonial questions.
• As a Testimonial Submitter, I want the AI to create an optional draft testimonial from my answers.
• As a Testimonial Submitter, I want to review and edit the AI-generated draft.
• As a Testimonial Submitter, I want to submit my original answers without using AI.
• As a Testimonial Submitter, I want to explicitly approve the final testimonial before publication.
• As a Business Owner, I want to receive an email notification when a testimonial is submitted.
• As a Business Owner, I want to view pending testimonial submissions.
• As a Business Owner, I want to view the submitter's original answers and approved testimonial.
• As a Business Owner, I want to approve or reject a testimonial.
• As a Business Owner, I want to publish an approved testimonial.
• As a Business Owner, I want to unpublish a testimonial.
• As a Business Owner, I want approved testimonials to appear on one public Wall of Proof.
• As a Business Owner, I want to copy and share the public Wall of Proof URL.
• As a Business Owner, I want to see the number of testimonials received, pending, and published.
• As a Business Owner, I want an Upgrade button that links to an external payment page.

The following features are not required in Version 1:

• Embeddable testimonial widgets
• Widget editor
• Billing dashboard
• Subscription management
• Admin Health tab
• AI usage dashboard
• Advanced analytics
• Multiple workspaces
• Multiple collection pages
• Team accounts
• Video testimonials
• Audio testimonials
• Custom domains
• CRM integrations
• Testimonial importing
• Tags and advanced filters

User Personas

1. Business Owner: Creates one testimonial collection page, shares the public link, reviews submissions, and publishes approved testimonials.
2. Testimonial Submitter: Provides a testimonial without creating an account, reviews the final wording, and provides publication consent.
3. Platform Operator: Handles support, moderation, and maintenance through existing infrastructure tools. A separate administrator interface is not required in Version 1.

Core User Flows

1. Business Owner:

   • Create account -> Create business profile -> Create collection page -> Receive shareable URL -> Share URL -> Review testimonials -> Approve or reject testimonials -> Publish approved testimonials

2. Testimonial Submitter:

   • Open public URL -> Enter personal details -> Answer three questions -> Review optional AI draft -> Edit or approve final wording -> Provide publication consent -> Submit testimonial

3. Returning Business Owner:

   • Sign in -> View dashboard -> Review pending testimonial -> Approve or reject testimonial -> View updated Wall of Proof

Visuals Colors and Theme

• primary: #2C3E50 (dark slate blue)
• primary_light: #34495E (light slate blue)
• secondary: #E67E22 (warm orange)
• accent: #F39C12 (vibrant orange)
• highlight: #F4B942 (warm gold)
• bg: #F7F8FA (light neutral gray)
• surface: #FFFFFF (white)
• text: #1F2933 (dark charcoal)
• text_muted: #667085 (muted gray)
• border: #D9DEE5 (light gray)
• success: #237A57 (green)
• error: #B42318 (red)

Color must not be the only method used to communicate status.

Signature Design Concept

ProofPage will use a simple, professional, card-based layout focused on trust, clarity, and ease of use.

The authenticated dashboard will prioritize four actions:

• Copy the testimonial collection link
• View testimonials awaiting review
• View published testimonial count
• Open the public Wall of Proof

Testimonial cards will display:

• Client name
• Job title or company, if provided
• Testimonial text
• Submission status
• Publication status
• Review actions

The public testimonial collection page will feel welcoming and should take fewer than three minutes to complete.

The Wall of Proof will display approved testimonials using a clean and responsive card layout.

The design will avoid unnecessary visual complexity, decorative effects, and excessive dashboard elements.

Interaction Model & Motion Direction

The landing page and authenticated application will use a primarily static interaction model to prioritize clarity, accessibility, and reading speed.

Permitted motion includes:

• Simple loading indicators
• Short fade transitions
• Standard hover states
• Clear success confirmations
• Basic form progress indicators

The application will not require:

• Parallax scrolling
• Flipping testimonial cards
• Spring-based animations
• Decorative scrolling effects
• Complex page transitions
• Autoplay animations

All motion must respect the user's reduced-motion preferences.

Non-Functional Requirements

• Ensure the application follows WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility practices.
• Implement full keyboard navigation and semantic HTML.
• Provide visible form labels and clear focus indicators.
• Maintain sufficient color contrast.
• Connect error messages to the relevant form fields.
• Announce important status changes to screen-reader users.
• Ensure the public testimonial form can be completed without a mouse.
• Ensure the application works on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
• Prevent duplicate submissions caused by repeated clicks.
• Preserve form answers when recoverable errors occur.
• Provide a manual submission path if the AI service is unavailable.
• Ensure email delivery failures do not prevent testimonials from being stored.
• Validate all inputs on the server.
• Sanitize all publicly displayed content.
• Protect account data using server-side authorization.
• Rate-limit public testimonial forms.
• Include basic spam protection.
• Never display the submitter's email address publicly.
• Store publication consent and the approved testimonial version.
• Use encrypted connections.
• Protect API keys and application secrets.
• Avoid using submitted testimonial content to train AI models without permission.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js App Router, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Next.js server actions, route handlers, or FastAPI
• Database: PostgreSQL with a secure ORM
• Authentication: Secure email and password authentication with password reset
• Services: Resend for transactional email, OpenAI API for optional testimonial polishing, external Stripe Payment Link for payment validation

S3-compatible file storage is not required unless profile image uploads are retained in Version 1.

Assumptions and Constraints

• Version 1 supports one Business Owner per account.
• Version 1 supports one business profile per account.
• Version 1 supports one testimonial collection page per account.
• Version 1 supports one Wall of Proof per account.
• Version 1 supports text testimonials only.
• Testimonial Submitters do not need accounts.
• AI assistance is optional.
• A Testimonial Submitter must approve the final wording before publication.
• Publication consent must not be preselected.
• The Business Owner may approve, reject, publish, or unpublish testimonials.
• The Business Owner must not materially rewrite an approved testimonial without requesting new approval.
• The submitter's email address must never appear publicly.
• Payments may initially be handled through an external Stripe Payment Link.
• Subscription management will not be built into Version 1.
• A dedicated administrator dashboard is not required.
• Manual support and moderation are acceptable during validation.
• The design must be mobile-first, accessible, simple, and focused on trust.
• The dashboard must prioritize collection, review, and publication.
• The application must use original branding, layouts, written content, and code.
• Feature quantity is less important than a reliable end-to-end workflow.

MVP Acceptance Criteria

• A new user can create an account.
• A user can sign in, sign out, and reset a password.
• A user can create one business profile.
• A user can create and activate one testimonial collection page.
• The system generates a working public collection URL.
• A client can submit a testimonial without creating an account.
• A client can answer three testimonial questions.
• A client can review an optional AI-generated draft.
• A client can edit or reject the AI-generated draft.
• A client can submit a testimonial without using AI.
• A client can explicitly approve the final testimonial wording.
• Publication consent and the approved wording are stored.
• The Business Owner can review pending submissions.
• The Business Owner can approve or reject a testimonial.
• An approved testimonial can be published.
• A published testimonial appears on the correct Wall of Proof.
• The Business Owner can unpublish a testimonial.
• The submitter's email address never appears publicly.
• The complete workflow works on mobile and desktop.
• The complete workflow is keyboard accessible.
• An AI service failure does not prevent testimonial submission.
• Users cannot view or modify another account's data.
• Unnecessary Version 1 features are hidden or removed from navigation.

Glossary

• AI-Assisted Draft: An optional testimonial draft created from the submitter's answers. It remains a draft until reviewed and approved by the submitter.
• Collection Page: A public page shared by a Business Owner to request testimonials from clients.
• Publication Consent: The submitter's explicit agreement that the approved testimonial may be publicly displayed.
• Wall of Proof: A public page displaying approved and published testimonials.
• Business Owner: The ProofPage account holder who creates collection pages, reviews submissions, and publishes testimonials.
• Testimonial Submitter: A client or customer who submits a testimonial through a public collection page without creating an account.
• Platform Operator: The person responsible for product support, moderation, and maintenance during the validation stage.