Client approval software for agencies
Clients review deliverables in your portal, leave feedback on the file itself and approve a specific version. Versioned proofing and annotation are on Pro; every plan can run a simpler comment-based sign-off.
v3 approved
One version, one approval, on the request
What does client approval software do for an agency?
It gives the client one place to review a deliverable, say what to change, and approve it, with a record of which version they approved. Without it, feedback arrives in three email threads and a Slack message, and the version that went to print is not the one the client thinks they approved.
In AgencyPro, approvals happen on the request inside your client portal, next to the brief and the files. On Pro ($79/mo) you get versioned proofing: upload versions, the client compares them side by side, and you collect the approval. On Basic ($39/mo) you run approvals through the Client Review status and client-visible comments.
For the process side (who approves, how many rounds, how to word the request), read our client approval workflows guide.
What do Basic and Pro each give you for approvals?
Plus includes everything in Pro. See the pricing page for the full plan list.
| Approval feature | Basic ($39/mo) | Pro ($79/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Client Review request status (or your own status names) | Yes | Yes |
| Allowed status transitions, so work cannot skip review | Yes | Yes |
| Client-visible comments, separate from internal notes | Yes | Yes |
| Deliver files to the client with in-browser preview | Yes | Yes |
| Upload versions and compare them side by side | No | Yes |
| Collect approvals on a version | No | Yes |
| Pin comments on design files | No | Yes |
| Frame-accurate comments on video | No | Yes |
| Included revision rounds per service, with a used and remaining counter | No | Yes |
| Client ratings on completed work | No | Yes |
Example: a 3-person design studio on Pro pays $79 + 2 x $20 = $119/mo for proofing, annotation and the portal. Clients and their reviewers add nothing, because client accounts are unlimited.
How does AgencyPro handle proofing and sign-off?
Four Pro features for versioned review, two that work on every plan. Annotation details are on the design and video annotation page.
Upload each round as a new version. The client compares it with the previous one side by side instead of hunting for the right attachment.
The client opens Review & approve in the portal and picks Approve or Request changes on a specific version. Once a decision is recorded on a proof it cannot be changed, so there is no argument later about whether they signed off on v2 or v3.
Clients pin comments to the exact spot on a design file they want changed, instead of describing it in an email.
Feedback on video lands on the exact frame, so "around the two-minute mark" stops being a brief.
Move a request to Client Review and it shows in the client's portal as waiting on them. Allowed transitions stop work jumping straight to Completed.
Feedback and the final "approved" sit on the request, next to the brief and files. Internal comments stay hidden from the client.
What does one approval round look like?
A hypothetical logo project on Pro, with the Basic equivalent at the end of each step. The button labels and statuses are the ones in the product.
Example: a logo package with 2 included revision rounds set on the service. The designer opens the request, clicks Submit new proof, titles it "Logo concepts v1", adds notes for the client and attaches the files. The request log records "Proof v1 submitted for review". On Basic, upload the files and move the request to Client Review.
The client sees "This version is awaiting your review", pins comments on the concept they prefer, and clicks Request changes with a note. The proof status changes from Pending review to Changes requested. On Basic, the client replies in a client-visible comment.
The designer submits v2 and the client compares it with v1 side by side. The revisions counter on the proof panel shows "1 of 2 used". A round beyond the 2 included is flagged on the proof: the revision limit is exceeded and additional rounds are billable.
The client clicks Approve on v3. The log records "Client approved proof v3" with the date, and you move the request to Completed and send the production files. On Basic, the client confirms in a comment and you close the request.
Limits and rules to know before you set it up
- Revision rounds: set per service in the Included revisions field (Pro). Leave it empty for unlimited rounds.
- One decision per proof: each version is either approved or sent back with changes requested. A new round means a new version.
- Deliveries from comments: with deliveries and approvals turned on, the team can mark a request comment as a delivery and ask for client approval from there.
- File size: files up to 10GB each, with unlimited storage on every plan.
- Reviewers: client accounts are unlimited, so every stakeholder on the client side can have a portal login at no cost.
Why do client approvals stall?
Software fixes where feedback lives. It does not fix who gives it. Most stalled approvals come from one of these, and each has a process fix:
- No named approver. Feedback comes from four people and nobody says "approved". Name one approver per client in the kickoff and add them as a portal contact.
- Feedback on the wrong file. The client comments on an export from last week. Deliver every round on the request, as a new version on Pro, and stop emailing attachments.
- Unlimited rounds by default. If the service does not say how many rounds are included, every round is included. Put the number in the service description. Our guide to preventing scope creep covers the wording.
- Vague feedback. "Make it pop" is not actionable. Pinned comments help, but so does telling clients how to give feedback; see how to give creative feedback.
Which agencies use client approvals?
Any agency that delivers work a client has to sign off before it ships.
Logo rounds, social graphics and print files. Clients pin comments on the file and approve the final version before you send production files.
Rough cut, fine cut, final. Frame-accurate comments replace timestamp lists typed into emails.
Ad creative and campaign assets for clients with several stakeholders. Agree up front who on the client side gives the final approval.
Approve mockups as image or PDF files before development starts, so the build begins from a version the client signed off.
When AgencyPro is not the right fit
AgencyPro approvals are built for agencies getting sign-off from their own clients. If that is not your situation, compare client feedback software options.
If every asset must pass legal, then brand, then an executive in a fixed order with required sign-off from each, a dedicated enterprise proofing tool is built for that. We do not document sequential approval chains.
Feedback on a staging URL, with comments pinned on the live page, is a job for a website feedback tool. AgencyPro annotation works on files you deliver.
Approving invoices, purchase orders or expenses is a different category of software. This page is about clients approving creative deliverables.
On Basic, approval is a comment on the request. If you need a recorded approval tied to a specific version, that takes Pro.
Frequently asked questions
Plans, versions and how clients sign off.
Versioned proofing (upload versions, compare side by side, collect approvals) and design and video annotation are on Pro at $79/mo and Plus at $149/mo. Every plan, including Basic at $39/mo, has the Client Review request status, client-visible comments and file delivery, which is enough for a simple comment-based sign-off.
They log in to your client portal, open the request, and review the deliverable. On Pro they approve a specific version. On Basic they reply in a client-visible comment, and your team moves the request from Client Review to Completed.
Yes, on Pro. Each round is uploaded as a version, and the client can compare versions side by side before approving.
Yes, on Pro. Design annotation lets clients pin comments on design files, and video annotation records feedback on an exact frame.
Clients review inside your client portal, so they log in with their portal account. Client accounts are unlimited on every plan with no per-client fee, so adding the client's marketing lead and their boss costs nothing.
On Pro, set the number of included revision rounds on the service. Each proof shows how many rounds are used and how many remain, and once the limit is exceeded AgencyPro flags that additional rounds are billable. Put the same number in your contract so the client sees it twice.