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Freelance Client Approval Checklist: Get a Clear Yes Before You Start Work

Client approval is not a feeling or a friendly “looks good.” Before work starts, you need a record of what the client accepted, what they still need to provide, and what happens next. A simple approval checklist keeps the project from starting on assumptions.

Use it after sending a proposal, change request, design direction, or milestone deliverable.

Confirm What the Client Is Approving

Name the exact document, version, or deliverable. If the client is approving a proposal, list the scope, price, timeline, and payment schedule. If they are approving a creative direction, name the concept, channels, and the feedback deadline.

The approval record should let either person answer this question later: “What did we agree would happen next?”

Separate Approval From Feedback

Feedback asks for changes. Approval authorizes the next step. Mixing them can leave a freelancer working while the client believes the project is still open for review.

Give the client two clear paths:

Approve the current version and move forward
Request a defined change before approval

If the requested change falls outside the agreed scope, pause and send a revised estimate or change request instead of treating it as ordinary feedback.

Use a Checklist for Every Approval Point

Before recording an approval, verify:

The project or deliverable name and version
Included scope and explicit exclusions
Price, payment timing, and required deposit
Timeline, review window, and client dependencies
Revision limit or change-control rule
Approval method and person authorized to decide
Next action after approval

For a proposal, the client’s acceptance may also require a signed agreement. For a design review, a written reply can be enough if the process is already established in the contract.

Client Approval Message Template

Subject: Approval needed: [project or deliverable]

Hi [Name],

Please review [document/version]. Approval confirms:

[scope or deliverable]
[price/payment or milestone]
[timeline and review window]
[next action after approval]

If this works as written, reply “Approved” and [sign the agreement / submit the deposit / confirm the next milestone]. If you need a change, reply with the specific item you would like to adjust before approval.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Make Approval Part of the Proposal, Not an Afterthought

The Freelance Proposal Template gives you a dedicated landing page for presenting the scope, investment, and approval step in one professional document. Use clear approval language from the first proposal so every later project decision has a consistent standard.