The Complete Guide to Client Approval Workflows
Some agencies deliver projects on time, every time. Others are constantly stuck waiting. The difference almost never comes down to talent or team size. It comes down to whether they have a clear approval workflow.
Not a complicated one. Not a 47 step process document that nobody reads. Just a simple, repeatable system that answers three questions: What does the client need to review? How do they give feedback? When is something considered approved?
This guide walks through building that system from scratch.
Why most approval processes don't work
Before building something better, it helps to understand what typically goes wrong.
Everything lives in different places. Feedback is scattered across email, Slack, text messages, Google Docs comments, and that one phone call where the client said "it looks great, maybe just tweak the blue a little." Nobody knows which version is current or where the latest feedback lives.
Deliverables aren't clear. Sending a Dropbox folder with fifteen files and asking the client to "take a look" isn't a deliverable. It's homework. And busy people avoid homework.
There's no clear action. When a client gets an email with five attachments, they don't know what "done" means for them. Should they reply with detailed notes? Forward it to their marketing director? What if they like three out of five?
There's too much friction. If reviewing work requires downloading files, switching between tools, or learning new software, clients will put it off. Every extra step reduces your response rate.
Building a workflow that works
Step 1. Package every deliverable as a task
Stop sending zip files. Instead, package each deliverable as a named task with four things:
A clear title, like "Homepage Hero Banner, Version 2." Not "hero_v2_final_FINAL2.jpg."
A short description explaining what the client is looking at and any context they need.
The attachment itself, whether that's an image, a PDF, or a link to a staging site.
And most importantly, a simple binary action. Approve or Request Changes. Nothing else.
When each task needs exactly one decision, everything moves faster.
Step 2. Use a dedicated portal instead of email
Email attachments get buried. Links to random tools look unprofessional. Asking clients to join your Asana workspace is an imposition, not a service.
The better approach is a dedicated client portal that uses your branding, requires no account creation, and works on any device. The client gets a link, clicks it, and sees exactly what needs their attention.
With TryApprove, this takes about two minutes to set up. You create a project, add tasks with your deliverables, and share the magic link. The client sees your logo, your colors, and a clean list of items to review.
Step 3. Collect structured feedback
"I don't love it" isn't actionable feedback. Your workflow should guide clients toward being specific.
The best way to do this is visual annotations. When a client can click on the exact spot in a design and say "this text is hard to read against the background," you know exactly what to fix. No more interpreting vague emails.
Pair annotations with binary approve or request changes actions on each task. This eliminates the gray area between "I have some thoughts" and "this is approved to go live."
Step 4. Iterate in the same place
When a client requests changes, the usual process is: make revisions, send a new email with the updated file, hope they remember the previous context, and wait again.
A better process keeps everything in one place. Update the task with the new version. The client reviews it in the same portal, in the same thread, with the full conversation history visible. No email archaeology required.
Step 5. Keep a record
Once a client approves something, that approval should be documented with a timestamp. This isn't about being legalistic. It's about having a clear record when someone asks "did we ever actually approve that?" three months later.
Every approved task becomes a small piece of documentation that protects both you and your client.
A template you can start using today
Before the project starts: Set expectations about what the client will review, how they'll review it, and how quickly you need their feedback. Agree on the number of revision rounds included in the project scope.
During the project: Complete a deliverable. Upload it to your portal as a task with a clear title and description. Share the portal link. The client reviews and either approves or requests changes. If changes are requested, revise and re-upload. Repeat until approved.
After the project: All approvals are timestamped and documented. Archive the project. Reflect on what slowed things down and adjust your process.
Common mistakes
Sending everything at once. Twenty deliverables dropped on a client at the same time guarantees either silence or overwhelming, unfocused feedback. Send in batches of three to five.
Using multiple channels. Pick one place for approvals and commit to it. The moment feedback splits between email, Slack, and a portal, things slip through the cracks.
Skipping deadlines. Without a clear review deadline, your approval request sits at the same priority as everything else in your client's inbox. Which is to say, very low.
Confusing feedback with approval. These are different things. Feedback is "I have thoughts about the color palette." Approval is "yes, this is final and ready to use." Your workflow should clearly separate the two.
How long should approvals take?
Based on what we see from agencies with structured processes:
| Deliverable type | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|
| Logo concepts | 2 to 3 business days |
| Website mockups | 3 to 5 business days |
| Social media content | 1 to 2 business days |
| Print materials | 2 to 3 business days |
| Video edits | 3 to 5 business days |
If your average approval time is consistently longer than this, your process has a friction problem somewhere.
Getting started
You don't need fancy software to build a good approval workflow. You need three things: a way to organize deliverables as individual tasks, a client facing portal that's frictionless, and clear approve or reject actions.
TryApprove handles all three. The free plan is enough to test it on your next project. Two minutes to set up, and you'll see the difference in your very first client interaction.
Still spending too much time chasing feedback? Read why your feedback process might be the real problem and how to fix it.