Client work
Client approvals without the email chain
A client approval process for agencies: named approvers, review links that open without signing in, a clear decision with a note, and every version kept.
10 min read
Creative project management for design studios
From first draft to final file, signed off.
For design, video and content production. Each file goes up on the job it belongs to, each round gets a clear yes or no, and the hand-off zip holds only what was approved.
A comment thread on the Brand guidelines v3 job with messages from Leo, the client Tom, and Priya, including @mentions, an emoji reaction and a mention picker.
The problem
The work is good. The file trail isn't.
Rounds of feedback, near-identical file names and a client who approved something, somewhere. The final hand-off is where it shows.
- final_v3_FINAL.psd The file name is doing the job of a version history, and nobody trusts it.
- Feedback on the wrong round Notes arrive about a draft that was replaced two days ago.
- Briefs that miss what production needs Format, sizes and references arrive over three messages, or not at all.
- A hand-off folder with everything in it Drafts that needed changes sit next to the approved file, and someone downloads the wrong one.
How it works
Three steps from brief to hand-off
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1
Put the brief in the job type
Take a small studio, say Harbour Studio. Each kind of work, such as Design, Video or Copy, gets a job type with the fields its brief needs: text, a longer text area, a URL or a file upload. Fields marked as required have to be filled in before the job form moves on.
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2
Ask for approval on each round
Priya asks Tom at Northwind to approve hero-direction-b.png by Friday. Tom reviews it from the email, pins a comment on the spot, and approves, approves with changes or requests changes with a note.
A phone showing a review opened from an email. Tom Becker, the client, pins a comment on the homepage hero, “Logo a touch bigger?”, chooses Approve with changes and says what to change, and the request turns Approved with changes: Leo Ortiz has been told.
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3
New version, review again, hand off
When Tom requests changes, Priya uploads version 2 with a note on what changed, and Tom is asked again. Earlier versions and their decisions stay on the record. When the job is done, Download all zips the approved files and leaves the rest out.
Why it works
What changes when every round lives on the job
Versions without the file names
Version 2 sits on the same approval as version 1, so the history of rounds is on the job, not in the name.
Every round gets its own decision
Each new version asks everyone again, so an earlier yes never carries over to a file nobody has seen.
Feedback on the right round
Comments pin to the spot on the version they're about, and resolve as they're done.
Briefs that arrive complete
Job types carry custom fields, and a file upload field shows the brief's reference file in the job's details and in its Files tab.
The whole slate in one table
See every job in a project in a table, grouped by column, assignee or priority, sorted by due date, and exported as CSV for the production meeting.
Clients approve for free
A client joins as a single-project guest at no cost, sees only their own project and the people on it, and can comment, upload and approve the work they're asked to approve there.
- Up to 5 GB per file
- Images, video, audio, documents, archives and design files. Anything a browser could run, such as HTML, SVG or JavaScript, is refused.
- Only approved files in the zip
- Download all leaves out files that are waiting for approval, have changes requested or belong to an earlier version.
- Links that expire
- Files are stored privately, and every download link is signed and expires after 8 hours.
FAQ
What studios ask
Billing questions are on the pricing page. Anything else, email support@skybase.it.
What files can we upload?
Images, video, audio, PDFs, Office and iWork documents, archives and design files, up to 5 GB per file and up to 15 files at a time on a comment. Anything a browser could execute is refused, including HTML, SVG, JavaScript and installers, so share vector artwork as PDF or EPS. Free workspaces hold 2 GB in total, Pro holds 500 GB.
Can we upload full-length video?
Yes. Each file can be up to 5 GB, so masters fit as well as review cuts. A video browsers can't play, such as ProRes, gets a review copy made automatically, so clients watch it in the browser, and the original stays available to download.
What happens to the old version when we upload a new one?
Add a new version to the approval and everyone is asked again, with a note on what changed. Earlier versions and their decisions stay on the record, so every round is kept.
Who can approve a file?
The people you name when you ask: staff or client guests on the project, except you. Choose Everyone must approve or Any one approver. Approve with changes and Request changes both need a note, so the next round starts with what to change.
What goes into the hand-off zip?
Download all zips every file on the job that was approved or never needed approval, and leaves out anything still waiting for approval, with changes requested, or from an earlier version. You can add the files attached to comments too. To choose files by hand, use Select and download just those.
Can the client see our internal discussion?
Anyone who can see a job sees its whole comment thread, the client included. Keep internal discussion in a project the client isn't on, and use a job's Notes tab for notes only you can read.
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- Guide Board, table and calendar The same jobs three ways: drag them across the board, sort and group them in the table, and plan due dates on the calendar. Read the guide
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Put your next production on one board.
Free plan, no credit card. Clients join as guests and approve files at no cost.
Free plan · No credit card · Clients always free