An approval form is the written yes at the end of a review: which files, which version, approved as they are or once the last changes are made. It protects both sides when someone asks, months later, who signed off on what.
A starting point, not legal advice. Laws differ from state to state, so have a lawyer where you work read your version once before you rely on it.
What’s in it, and why.
What was reviewed
The project, the date, and the exact versions. “Version 3 of the 60-second cut” settles a question that “the video” doesn’t.
What is approved
Approved as it is, or approved once listed final changes are made. The second option keeps a project moving when one small fix is left.
What approval means
No further changes within the agreed price, and work starts on the final files. Changes after this are billed.
Payment
What is due on approval and when the final files are released, matching your contract.
Usage stays as agreed
Approval doesn’t change the license. The contract still decides where the work can be used.
Who is approving
The person with the authority to approve, by name and role. If several people reviewed, one person signs for all of them.
The template.
Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. The Word file has the same words, ready to change.
Client Approval Form
This form confirms that [Client name] (“the Client”) has reviewed and approved the work listed below, produced by [Studio name] (“the Studio”) for [Project name].
1. What was reviewed
Project: [Project name]
Files and versions reviewed: [for example, the 60-second film, version 3, and 24 edited photos from the product set]
Reviewed on: [Date]
2. Approval
The Client approves the work above. Initial one:
[Initials] As it is, with no further changes.
[Initials] Once the following final changes are made, with no further review: [list the changes]
3. What approval means
Approval confirms that the work matches what was agreed. Changes requested after this form is signed are new work, billed at [rate] under the agreement dated [Date].
The Studio will prepare and deliver the final files within [number] days of approval.
4. Payment
The balance of [balance amount] is due [on approval / within number days of approval], as set out in the agreement. Final files are released when it is paid.
5. Usage
Approval does not change the license in the agreement. The Client may use the approved work as the agreement allows.
6. Authority
The person signing below confirms they are authorized to approve this work for the Client. Name and role: [name and role]
A starting point, not legal advice. Laws differ from state to state, so have a lawyer where you work read your version once before you rely on it.
Or approve on the link.
For many jobs, Approve on the review link is the approval form. Use this form as well when a client’s own process asks for a signature, and send it from Signatures.
1Approve records the yes
Your client presses Approve and gives their name. The link keeps who approved and when.
2Photos and film apart
On a job with both, the photos and the film can be approved separately, so the one that’s ready doesn’t wait for the other.
3The watermark comes off
Approval takes the watermark off and makes the full-quality files ready to download, on the same link.
4You hear about it
You get an email when it’s approved, with the name of the person who approved it.
Send it for signature.
Signatures is part of DropYourFiles, on every plan including Free. Your client signs on the same kind of link they review your work on.
1Download it for Word
Open it in Word, Pages or Google Docs and change anything: your terms, your prices, your name. Save it as a Word file or a PDF.
2Upload it to Signatures
In DropYourFiles, open Signatures and upload your file. Put a signature, initials and the date where each person signs, and fill-ins like the client’s name, the date and the price.
3Send your client a link
Your client opens it on a phone or a computer, agrees to sign electronically, and draws or types a signature. No account, no app.
4Countersign and keep the record
You sign in the studio. When everyone has signed, each person gets the signed copy by email, with a record of who signed and when, and it stays with that client in your studio.
Questions.
What is a client approval form?
A short document the client signs to say they’ve reviewed the work and approve it, naming the exact files and versions. It marks the end of the changes included in the price.
Do I need a signed approval form?
Not always. An approval with a name and a time, given on the review link, is a clear record. Some clients, like agencies and corporate teams, need a signed form for their own files, and that’s when this one helps.
Can my client sign it on a phone?
Yes. Upload the form to Signatures and send the link. Your client agrees to sign electronically and draws or types a signature, with no account. You countersign, and everyone gets the signed copy.
What if my client approves with changes?
Use the second line of the approval section and list the changes. They’re made without another review, and the project is final once they’re done.