How to get sign-off on a deliverable
To get sign-off on a deliverable: name one approver upfront, share a versioned link (not an attachment), collect all feedback in one thread, address every open note, then ask for written confirmation tied to that specific version. The most common failure isn't a difficult client — it's approval given on the wrong version, by the wrong person, with no record.
Name the approver before you share anything
Send a proposal to three people with no guidance on who decides and you'll get three contradictory replies. Before you share anything, ask: 'Who is the one person whose sign-off we need to proceed?' Copy only that person on the formal review request. If the client insists the whole team must approve, ask them to nominate a champion who consolidates the view before responding. Separate chains from five stakeholders produce contradictory feedback you're not hired to referee.
Share a link, not an attachment
An emailed attachment starts a version problem the moment it's sent. Someone marks it up in Preview and emails the annotated copy back. By round two you're reconciling feedback across renamed files. Share a link instead — a Google Doc, a PDF in a review tool, or a published spec. The link stays stable: update the doc and the link shows the new version. No new file, no guessing which version they were looking at.
Address every open note before asking for approval
Sending an approval request while open notes are still visible reliably gets you another review round instead of a sign-off. Before you ask, work through the thread. Mark each note resolved, or reply with a one-line reason you've left it as-is: 'Kept the payment terms unchanged — this matches the standard clause in our contract.' When the approver opens the link, they should see every previous comment either resolved or acknowledged.
Ask for written approval tied to the version, with a deadline
A thumbs-up in Slack is not sign-off. After addressing every open note, send a short email: 'Version 2 of the proposal is at [link]. All first-round notes are addressed — see the thread. Please reply confirming you're happy to proceed, or leave any remaining notes by [date].' The version reference scopes the approval: a later change request on something already approved in writing is new scope, not a correction you owe them. A deadline stops silence from becoming a stalled project.
The hardest part of getting sign-off isn't the approval — it's proving what was approved and when. When a client emails 'looks good!' on an attachment, you have no record of which version they saw or whether the right person was in the thread. Drop the deliverable into Drafty and share the link: your client opens it in any browser, clicks the exact paragraph or section, and pins a note there — no account. Push the updated version to the same link. The thread carries over. When the client confirms, the approval sits alongside the version that earned it.
Open a live demoQuestions
- What counts as formal sign-off on a deliverable?
- A written response — email, a reply in a review thread, or a signed document — that explicitly confirms approval of a specific version. A verbal 'looks great' on a call or a Slack emoji is not formal sign-off. The record needs to be timestamped and tied to an identifiable version so if scope is disputed later, you can point to exactly what was approved and when.
- How do I get a client to approve a deliverable faster?
- Three things cut approval time: one named decision-maker, a link the client can open on their phone without an account, and a deadline on every review request. Tying the approval to the next step — 'once confirmed, I'll move to production' — gives the client a reason to respond beyond courtesy.
- What if the client says they approved something but later asks for changes?
- Point to the written record: 'You confirmed this version on [date] — here's the email.' Happy to make the change as a scope addition. A written approval record shifts from a formality to the only thing protecting your timeline and budget the moment this conversation happens.
- How do I get sign-off from multiple stakeholders on one deliverable?
- Nominate one consolidator before you share. Send to one link, not five email chains. When all stakeholders comment on the same artifact, conflicting opinions are visible to each other and the person with final authority can resolve them in the thread — rather than you receiving three contradictory emails.
- What is the difference between a deliverable sign-off and a project sign-off?
- A deliverable sign-off approves one specific output — a proposal, a brief, a design. A project sign-off confirms all deliverables are complete, closing the engagement. Getting sign-off on each deliverable as it's finished is far easier than asking a client to approve the whole project at the end, when memories of what was agreed are hazy.
Keep exploring
Stop emailing files back and forth.
Share one link. They comment on the exact spot — no account, always the current version.