Client sign-off on designs and deliverables, from a Google Sheet
Keep your deliverables in a Google Sheet: one row per item, with a link to the file. Send a row and your client approves or requests changes from a link, without a Google account. If you change the item afterwards, the old approval stops counting, so nobody approves a version they never saw.
Why "approved by email" goes wrong
A client says "looks good" in an email thread, the design changes twice more, and later nobody can say which version was approved. Here each decision is tied to the exact item, link and details in the row, and the log shows who approved which version and when.
What it looks like
One row per deliverable, with approvers, rule and live status.
What your client sees: the item, a link to open it, and two buttons.
Full version: if you change an approved item, the client is asked to look again.
Set it up
- Make your copy of the template. Open the copy link, sign in to Google and click Make a copy.
- Deploy the approval page. Extensions, Apps Script, Deploy, New deployment, Web app, Execute as Me, Who has access Anyone; paste the URL into Settings.
- Add a deliverable. One row: what needs approval, a link to the file, details, the client's email, and the rule All or Any.
- Send it. Select the row and choose Approvals, Send selected rows for approval. The client gets the email straight away.
- Watch the status. Status, decisions and the log update in your sheet, and you get an email when the client decides.
Free or full?
Free edition (make your copy, setup guide): row approvals, links that work without a Google account, version reset and the log. No limit on requests.
Full version (£29 Personal, £79 Business, one-off): adds automatic reminders, and asks anyone who approved an older version to look again.
Questions
Does my client need a Google account?
No. They get a personal link by email and decide on a simple page. They never see your spreadsheet.
What counts as the version that was approved?
The item name, the link and the details in the row. If any of these change, earlier decisions no longer count and the row goes back to Waiting.
Can several people at the client approve?
Yes. List several emails and choose All (everyone must approve) or Any (one approval is enough).
Is there proof of who approved?
The Log tab records each request, decision, name, comment, time and version fingerprint. It is a sign-off record, not a legal electronic signature.
Does it work for agencies with many clients?
Yes. Each row has its own approvers. The Business licence covers team and client work.
Honest limits
- Google's email limits apply: about 100 emails a day on free Gmail, 1,500 on Google Workspace.
- During setup Google shows an "unverified app" screen, because the script runs in your own copy rather than as a published add-on. The guide shows the two clicks to continue.
- Workspace admins can block public web pages; then people outside your organisation cannot open approval links.
- It is a sign-off record, not a legal electronic signature.
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