You should get written permission before you show a client’s logo in your portfolio, on your website, or on a case study, unless your signed contract already covers that exact use. A logo is usually a registered trademark, and showing it can suggest that the client endorses you. A short, specific written request, approved by someone with authority at the client, settles the question and protects you for years.
This guide covers what to check in your contract first, what a request should say, how to word it, and what to do when a client says no or changes its mind. It is written for freelancers, consultants, designers, engineers, and anyone who needs to show real work without creating a legal or relationship problem.
Key Takeaways
- A client logo is usually a trademark, so get express written permission that names the materials, channels, and purpose, unless your contract already authorizes the exact use.
- Read your signed contract and any NDA (a non-disclosure agreement, which is a promise to keep certain information private) before you ask. Those terms may restrict publicity even if the client would happily agree.
- A good request is short and specific: which logo, where it appears, for how long, and how the client can withdraw consent.
- If the answer is no, you can often show the same work anonymously, such as “a national retail chain”, and describe the outcome without the name.
- Build permission into the process from the start of each project, not after the work ships.
Table of Contents
- Why a client logo needs permission
- Check your contract before you ask
- What a logo permission request should say
- Examples across career stages
- Showing proof without exposing the client
- Build a portfolio that holds your approved work
- If a client says no or withdraws permission
- A short checklist before you publish
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Why a client logo needs permission
A client logo is an identifier of that company in the market. Using it without clear permission can create confusion about endorsement, partnership, or approval. A visitor who sees a row of famous logos on your homepage reasonably assumes those companies recommend you. If that assumption is wrong, the client has a legitimate complaint.
There is also a regulatory angle. When a logo wall works like an endorsement or testimonial, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC, the U.S. consumer-protection agency) can become relevant, because advertising should not mislead customers about endorsements or material relationships. The FTC has also stressed in an enforcement letter that disclosures about endorsements should be easy for consumers to notice rather than buried in small print.
None of this means clients usually object. Many are happy to be listed, especially once a project is live and has gone well. The point is that the decision is theirs, and a written yes is what makes your portfolio safe to publish.
What counts as “using a logo”
People often think of a homepage logo strip, but the same question comes up in many places:
- A “clients” or “trusted by” section on your website
- A case study header or thumbnail
- A slide deck shared with prospects
- A portfolio page that shows screenshots with the client’s branding visible
- A social media post announcing a launch
- An interactive portfolio where a recruiter can browse the project files
Screenshots matter more than most people realize. If the client’s logo sits in the corner of your mockup, you are displaying it, even if you never uploaded the logo file itself.
Check your contract before you ask
Start with the paperwork you already signed. Professional guidance recommends reviewing the contract for publicity, brand-use, confidentiality, trademark, and approval clauses. Three outcomes are possible.
- The contract grants the use. A portfolio clause may already say you can show the work. Even then, confirm it names the logo and the channel you plan to use.
- The contract is silent. Ask for written consent. Do not assume silence means yes.
- The contract restricts the use. Confidentiality or publicity terms may bar it. Violating a restriction could breach the contract, so ask for an exception in writing or use an anonymous description.
What a portfolio clause looks like
In creative-services contracts, a portfolio clause sets your right to show the work. Legal commentary suggests approving likely uses at the outset and listing the types of use: website, digital media, print, social channels, competitions, and displays. It should also expressly address use of the client’s name and logo, because a general right to show work does not always include the brand marks.
The same source notes that stating the client is not owed compensation for portfolio use helps prevent misunderstandings. If you are drafting your own template, add that line.
NDAs and third-party assets
Confidentiality agreements may bar portfolio use unless a specific exception exists, and internal systems or branding can be trade secrets or strategically valuable to the client. Another trap: a license the client bought for stock photography or music may not extend to your portfolio, so you may need additional rights before you display that material.
For a deeper walkthrough of showing work under confidentiality terms, see our guide to an NDA-friendly portfolio. For contract questions about a specific agreement, a business attorney in your state is the right person to ask.
What a logo permission request should say
Keep the request short enough that a busy client contact can answer it in one sitting. Written permission should identify the marks and channels, the purpose, approval rights, brand guidelines, ownership, and when the logo must be removed. In plain terms, answer these five questions:
- Which logo? Name the company and attach the version you plan to use, or say you will download it from their brand page.
- Where will it appear? Your website, your portfolio, a pitch deck, social posts. List each one.
- What for? For example, “to show that we worked together on the 2026 checkout redesign”.
- What do they approve? Offer to share the final page or slide before it goes live.
- How can they withdraw? State that you will remove the logo promptly if they ask or if the relationship ends.
A sample request you can adapt
Hi Jordan, thanks again for the work on the new onboarding flow. I would like to list Northwind on my portfolio site and mention the project in a short case study. I would use your current logo, unaltered, on my website and in my pitch deck, and I would send you the page for review before publishing. If you would rather not be named, I can describe the project without the company name. If you ever want it removed, I will take it down within a week of your note. Could you confirm by reply that this is fine?
That is about 100 words. It names the work, the channels, the review step, an anonymous alternative, and a removal promise. Adjust the details for your situation and keep the reply email with your project records.
Who should approve it
When a contract is silent, the practical route is a release form that specifies the work and the portfolio format, signed by an authorized client representative. That is usually a marketing lead, communications manager, or the executive who signed your agreement. A friendly project manager may like your work but may not have authority over the brand. If in doubt, ask your contact who handles brand approvals.
Offer choices, not a single yes or no
Clients say yes more easily when they can pick a comfort level. Consider offering two or three tiers:
| Option | What you show | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Company name, logo, and project results | The client is proud of the outcome |
| Name only | Company name in text, no logo | The brand team will not approve logo files |
| Anonymized | A description such as “a regional healthcare network” | Confidentiality or competitive concerns apply |
The tiered idea is easy to build into your project kickoff form, so the question is answered before the work ships.
Examples across career stages
The same principle applies whether you are starting out or well established.
- College students and recent graduates. A capstone project with a real company sponsor often involves that company’s name and data. Ask the faculty advisor and the sponsor contact whether the company may be named in your portfolio, and whether any numbers need to be rounded or removed.
- Career changers. If you are moving from teaching or healthcare into operations, your examples may come from an employer, not clients. Your employer’s logo and internal documents carry the same questions, so check your employment agreement and use anonymous descriptions where needed.
- Returning professionals. After a career break, old client reports and slide decks may have been shared under terms you no longer remember. Reread any agreements, then email former clients with a short request. Most are glad to hear from you.
- Experienced professionals and consultants. Long-running engagements often have confidentiality terms. Ask at the end of each engagement, while the relationship is warm, and keep one signed approval per client in a single folder.
Showing proof without exposing the client
Permission is only one part of a credible portfolio. Recruiters want evidence of what you actually did. You can show impact without logos by describing the problem, your role, the method, and the measurable result, and by sharing only the pieces the client has cleared.
This is where a proof-of-work portfolio helps. At Alloquy, you link or upload your real work artifacts, such as slide decks, spreadsheets, GitHub repos, capstone papers, or client reports. Alloquy’s Google Drive access is strictly read-only: it reads your documents to build your profile and never edits or alters your original files. The AI assistant on your public portfolio answers recruiter questions using only the evidence you have added, so you decide what goes in. If a client has approved a named case study, include it. If not, add an anonymized version and keep the sensitive file out of your public profile.
Our guide on client consent for your portfolio goes further on the process, and our portfolio case study guide for designers shows how to structure a case study that stands on its own when a logo cannot appear.
Our Perspective
We built Alloquy around a simple belief: a resume claim is stronger when the evidence behind it is easy to find, and evidence is only worth sharing when it is shared responsibly.
Logo permission is a good example. Many professionals either skip the question and hope no one objects, or give up and publish nothing. Both choices cost them. A clear, written yes lets you show real work with confidence, and an anonymized case study still lets a recruiter see what you did and what changed.
That is why we treat a portfolio as a companion to your LinkedIn profile and PDF resume, not a replacement for them. Your resume states the claim, your LinkedIn profile gives the public summary, and your portfolio holds the proof you have the right to show. You choose which documents to link, and the assistant answers from those documents only.
Ask early, write it down, and keep one approved version of every project. It takes ten minutes per client and saves a great deal of trouble later.
Alloquy Team
Build a portfolio that holds your approved work
Once you have permission, you need one place to organize it. You can start with a free Alloquy profile, link the documents you are cleared to show, and generate tailored resumes and cover letters from the same verified material, so you are not rewriting from a blank page for every application. Plan details and feature limits are on the Alloquy pricing page.
If a client says no or withdraws permission
A no is not the end of the work’s value. If a client refuses or later withdraws consent, check the contract and generally remove the logo promptly. Then ask whether the project may be anonymized.
Follow these steps:
- Thank them and confirm in writing. Say you will remove the logo and name by a specific day.
- Remove it everywhere. Check your website, portfolio pages, slide decks, social posts, and any shared links. Screenshots with the logo in the corner count.
- Offer an anonymous version. Propose a generic description and ask the client to approve the exact wording.
- Set an internal trigger. Professional guidance recommends a rule to delete client logos when the relationship ends, permission is revoked, or contract terms expire. Add the expiry date to your project tracker.
Avoid the temptation to keep the logo up quietly. A removed logo costs you very little. A dispute with a former client costs far more.
A short checklist before you publish
- Did you read the contract, NDA, and any brand guidelines?
- Do you have written approval from someone with authority to give it?
- Does the approval name each channel where the logo appears?
- Are you using the current, unaltered logo?
- Does the placement avoid implying a testimonial or endorsement the client did not give?
- Do you have a removal plan and a date to review the permission?
- Have you cleared any stock images, music, or third-party assets visible in the work?
If you can answer yes to each, publish.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to show a client’s logo in my portfolio?
Usually yes. You should get written permission unless the customer’s terms clearly authorize the exact use. A portfolio clause in your contract can cover it, but check that it mentions the client’s name and logo and the channel you plan to use.
Is a verbal okay enough?
A verbal yes is better than nothing, but it is hard to prove later and easy to forget. Follow up with a short email that restates what the client agreed to, and ask them to reply “confirmed”. That reply becomes your record.
Can I describe a client’s work without using the logo?
Often you can, but check your contract first, because confidentiality terms may still restrict naming or describing the work. When naming is not allowed, describe the work anonymously, such as “a Fortune 500 logistics company”, and focus on your role and results. Avoid wording that implies the client endorses you.
What file and format should I use for a client logo?
Use the official version the client provides, usually from its brand or press page, and do not alter, recolor, or stretch it. Guidance on this varies by company, so follow any brand guidelines the client shares as part of its approval.
How long does logo permission last?
It lasts as long as the agreement says. Write an end point or a review date into the request, and treat it as expired if the relationship ends or the client withdraws consent. Add a calendar reminder to review permissions each year.
Sources
- Can You Use Customer Logos on Your Website? US Guide, Sprintlaw
- Understanding and Negotiating Your Portfolio Clause, Matchstick Legal
- Including clients’ projects in your portfolio, TechRepublic
- Warning Letter to Mary Ellen Phipps, Federal Trade Commission