Guide
Client approval process
A clear approval process protects both sides: clients know what they are buying; creatives know when work is done and payment is fair.
The approval process in six steps
Follow these gates in order so sign-off and payment stay defensible:
- Lock agreement terms and milestones (Agreement Lock)
- Submit deliverable version in Review Workspace
- Client consolidates feedback within revision limits
- Resolve scope drift via change order if needed
- Client binds Approval Lock on the accepted version
- Payment Release Gate opens invoice or escrow release
Why "looks good" in email is not approval
Informal OKs do not tie to a version, approver, or contract. Payment disputes happen when finance asks for proof and chat threads disagree.
Approval Lock records who approved what version and when — stored in the Agreement Vault for audit.
One designated approver
Multiple stakeholders may comment. One designated approver binds sign-off per milestone. Collaborators can view progress without binding approval authority.
FAQ
Common questions
- How many revision rounds should we include?
- Two to three consolidated rounds per milestone is common. See our revision policy template.
- Can clients approve on mobile?
- Yes. Review Workspace and Approval Lock work in the browser — no separate client portal to learn.
Related
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