How to get client approval in writing (templates)

Most freelance disputes do not start with bad work. They start with a missing record. The client says they never approved the design, you remember them saying "looks great" on a call, and neither of you can prove anything. A written approval takes thirty seconds to collect and can save days of argument. This guide covers what a good approval request looks like and gives you templates you can adapt.

Why approval needs to be written

A verbal "sounds good" is real in the moment and useless a month later. People forget, stakeholders change their minds, and a manager who was not on the call may ask why something was built a certain way. A written approval does three things:

• It fixes the version. The client approved this specific draft, not a vague idea of it.
• It fixes the date. Later changes are clearly changes, not corrections.
• It protects the client too. They have a record of what they agreed to pay for.

None of this is about distrust. Good clients like clear records because it makes their own internal sign-off easier.

What a good approval request contains

A message that simply asks "is this ok?" invites a vague answer. A strong request has five parts:

1. What is attached. Name the file and the version, for example "Homepage design v2".
2. What you are asking them to approve. Layout, copy, colors, or all of it.
3. What approval means. State that after approval, further changes count as a revision under your agreed terms.
4. A deadline. Give a date by which you need an answer to keep the schedule.
5. An easy way to answer. Ask for a reply containing the word "Approved", or a list of changes.

Keep it short. A client who has to read four paragraphs will postpone the answer.

Template 1: approving a design or draft

Hi [Name], attached is [Deliverable] v[X]. Please review the [layout / copy / colors] and reply with "Approved" if you are happy to proceed, or send me a list of changes. Once approved, we will move on to [next step]. To keep to the [date] delivery, could you reply by [day]? Thanks!

Template 2: approving after a call

Calls are where verbal approvals happen, so follow up in writing right away.

Hi [Name], thanks for the call today. To confirm what we agreed: [point 1], [point 2], [point 3]. I will proceed on that basis. If anything here is not right, please tell me by [day]. Otherwise I will treat this as approved.

This is sometimes called a confirmation email. It turns a spoken decision into a written one without asking the client to do extra work.

Template 3: approval with a deadline

Sometimes you wait days for a reply. Do not stay silent, and do not assume.

Hi [Name], a quick reminder about [Deliverable]. I need your approval or feedback by [day] so we can keep the launch date. If I do not hear back, I will pause work on [next step] until I do, which may move the delivery date.

The last sentence is not a threat. It is a plain statement of how the schedule works, and most clients respond quickly after reading it.

Template 4: approving a change in scope

When the client asks for something outside the original agreement, get approval for the extra work before doing it.

Hi [Name], the request to add [feature] is outside the original scope. I can do it for [price] and it would add [time] to the timeline. Please reply "Approved" to confirm and I will include it in the next invoice.

Collecting this approval before you start is the difference between billing extra and arguing about extra.

Where to keep the approvals

An email thread works, but threads get long and messy. Keep a simple log with one line per approval: date, what was approved, who approved, and a link or quote of the exact message. A spreadsheet is enough. When a question comes up months later, you can answer in a minute instead of searching your inbox.

Useful columns for the log:

• Date and time
• Project and deliverable
• Version
• Approved by (name and role)
• Where the proof lives (link to the email or message)
• Notes, such as conditions the client attached

Common mistakes to avoid

Asking for approval too late. If you only ask once everything is finished, a rejection is expensive. Ask at each stage: concept, draft, final.

Accepting "looks good" in a chat. It is better than nothing, but follow up with a one-line confirmation: "Great, I will treat the homepage design v2 as approved and start development."

Approving something unclear. If the client approves "the design" but your project has six pages, name the pages. Specific approvals are the only ones that hold up.

Letting the wrong person approve. Ask early who has the authority to approve work. Approval from someone who later gets overruled does not help you.

Want ready-made messages?

If you would rather not write every message from scratch, the Client Approval Log + 50 Client Messages pack includes a log template and 50 short messages for approvals, scope, revisions and deadlines. Use the button below to see it on Gumroad.