Client Approval Best Practices for Freelancers

Why Approvals Are the Most Overlooked Part of Freelancing

Ask any freelancer about their process and they'll talk about contracts, deliverables, and invoicing. Rarely does anyone mention approvals. Yet the approval process — or lack of one — is behind most of the painful disputes freelancers face.

Consider these scenarios:

• You deliver a website that matches the design the client loved in the mockup phase. But now they say "this isn't what we wanted" and refuse to pay.
• A client approves copy verbally on a call. Two weeks later, they claim they never approved it and want a full rewrite — for free.
• You complete 80% of a project based on approved milestones. A new stakeholder joins and wants to change direction on everything already done.

Every one of these situations is preventable with a proper approval process. The goal isn't to be bureaucratic — it's to ensure both you and the client are genuinely aligned at every step, with a clear record to prove it.

What a Good Approval Process Looks Like

A solid approval process has four elements: clear deliverables, defined reviewers, structured requests, and immutable records. Let's break each one down.

1. Clear Definition of What's Being Approved

Vague approvals are almost as dangerous as no approvals. "Client liked the design" isn't an approval. A real approval specifies:

• The exact deliverable: Which file, which version, which page
• The scope of approval: Are they approving the overall direction, the specific details, or the final output?
• What happens next: Does approval mean you move to the next phase? Begin development? Send the invoice?

2. Defined Approvers

One of the most frustrating freelance experiences is getting approval from one person, only to have another person on the client's side reject the work later. At project start, establish:

• Who has the authority to approve deliverables?
• Is there more than one approver? (If so, do they all need to approve, or just one?)
• What's the escalation path if the primary approver is unavailable?

Document this. Include it in your scope agreement. It prevents the "my boss didn't like it" problem that surfaces after you've already moved forward.

3. Structured Approval Requests

Don't bury approval requests in long email threads. Make them explicit and easy to act on. Every approval request should:

• Clearly state what you're asking the client to approve
• Include or link to the deliverable being reviewed
• Specify any conditions (e.g., "Approval of this mockup means we proceed to development. Changes after this point will be billed as additional work.")
• Give a clear deadline for response (e.g., "Please review and approve by Friday. If I don't hear back, the project timeline will shift accordingly.")
• Provide a simple way to approve or request changes

4. Immutable Records

The approval itself needs to be recorded in a way that can't be altered after the fact. This is where many freelancers fall short. A Slack message or email can be deleted. A shared document can be edited. You need records that are permanent and verifiable.

This doesn't mean you need a legal department. It means you need a system where approvals are logged with a timestamp that neither party can change. ClearTimeline's Proof Timeline stores all approvals on an immutable timeline, so there's never a question about what was agreed.

When to Request Approvals (The Approval Map)

Timing is everything. Request too many approvals and clients feel micromanaged. Request too few and you risk working for days on something the client doesn't want. Here's a practical framework:

Common Approval Problems (And How to Solve Them)

Problem 1: The Client Who Never Responds

You send an approval request and... silence. Days pass. Your project timeline is stalling because the client won't review your work.

Solution: Build response timelines into your process from the start. Your scope agreement should include a clause like: "Client will respond to approval requests within 5 business days. Delays in approval will shift the project timeline accordingly." Then follow up systematically — Day 3 reminder, Day 5 formal notice of timeline shift.

Problem 2: Approval by Committee

Multiple people on the client's side need to approve, and they all have different opinions. One approves, another requests changes, a third hasn't even looked at it.

Solution: At project start, insist on a single point of contact who has final approval authority. You'll work with that person only. Internal disagreements on the client's side need to be resolved before they respond to your approval request.

Problem 3: "I Approved It But I Didn't Really Mean It"

A client approves a milestone, then later claims they only approved "in principle" or "with the understanding that changes would still be possible." This retroactive reframing of approvals is incredibly common.

Solution: Make your approval requests unambiguous. State explicitly what approval means: "By approving this mockup, you are confirming that the layout, visual design, and content structure are finalised. Changes after approval will be treated as additional scope." When the client clicks "Approve," there's no room for reinterpretation.

Problem 4: Verbal Approvals That Vanish

"Yeah, looks good" on a video call feels like an approval — until it isn't. Verbal approvals have almost no evidentiary weight in a dispute.

Solution: After any verbal approval, immediately follow up in writing: "Just to confirm our call today — you've approved the homepage design and we'll move to developing the inner pages. Please reply to confirm." Better yet, use a formal approval tool that requires written confirmation.

Writing Effective Approval Requests

The way you write your approval request directly affects how quickly and clearly clients respond. Here's a template that works:

Structure of a Good Approval Request

1. Subject line: Clear and specific. "Approval Request: Homepage Design v2" not "Quick question"
2. Context: One sentence reminding them where we are in the project. "We've completed the second round of revisions on the homepage design based on your feedback from last week."
3. The deliverable: Attach or link to exactly what they're reviewing. Make it easy to access.
4. What you need them to do: Be explicit. "Please review the attached design and reply with: (a) Approved — ready to proceed to development, or (b) Changes needed — with specific feedback."
5. Deadline: "Please respond by Wednesday 12th. If approved, we'll begin development Thursday."
6. What approval means: "Approval of this design means the visual direction is finalised. Subsequent changes to layout or visual elements will be scoped as additional work."

Approval Tracking: Manual vs. Automated

You can track approvals manually or use a dedicated tool. Here's the comparison:

Manual Tracking (Email/Spreadsheet)

• Pros: Free, no new tools
• Cons: Easy to lose track, relies on searching through email threads, no immutable record, clients can claim they missed or didn't send the email

Automated Tracking (Purpose-Built Tools)

• Pros: Structured, immutable, clear audit trail, clients can approve with one click, automatic reminders, integrated with project timeline
• Cons: Requires adopting a new tool

For freelancers managing multiple clients and projects, automated approval tracking pays for itself the first time it prevents a dispute. The time savings alone — not having to dig through old emails searching for "did they actually approve this?" — make it worthwhile.

Approvals and Your Client Relationship

Some freelancers worry that formal approvals make them seem difficult or untrusting. In reality, the opposite is true. Here's why:

• Professional clients expect it. Any client who's worked with agencies or other professionals is accustomed to formal sign-offs. It signals that you're experienced.
• It reduces ambiguity for everyone. Clients benefit from clarity too. They know exactly what they've committed to, and there are no unpleasant surprises.
• It accelerates projects. Clear approval checkpoints mean projects move forward decisively instead of lingering in an undefined "feedback" state.
• It protects clients from internal confusion. When a client has their own stakeholders, a clear approval record helps them manage those internal relationships.

If you frame it correctly — "I want to make sure we're aligned at every stage so there are no surprises" — clients almost always respond positively. If a client pushes back on providing approvals in writing, treat it as a yellow flag.

Integrating Approvals With Your Overall Project Documentation

Approvals are most powerful when they're part of a complete project documentation system. Each approval connects to a deliverable, which connects to the original scope, which is tracked on a timeline.

With ClearTimeline, approvals sit alongside your proof timeline, scope tracker, and client portal. Your client can see the full picture: what was agreed, what was delivered, what they approved, and what changed. This transparency eliminates disputes before they can begin.

Key Takeaways

• Formal approvals are the most overlooked but most valuable part of the freelance process
• Every approval should specify what's being approved, by whom, and what approval means for the project
• Verbal approvals are nearly worthless in disputes — always get it in writing
• Define who has approval authority at project start to avoid the "committee problem"
• Build response deadlines into your approval process and enforce them consistently
• Immutable approval records (timestamped, uneditable) are your strongest protection
• Professional clients expect and appreciate a structured approval process

Start Getting Proper Approvals Today

You don't need to overhaul your entire process overnight. Start with your next project: define the approval points, write clear approval requests, and get them in writing. If you want to automate the process and build an immutable record, tools like ClearTimeline make it effortless.

The goal is simple — never again be in a position where a client says "I never approved that" and you can't prove otherwise.