The client approval checklist every freelancer should send before the final invoice

The most expensive words in freelancing are "just one last change". They usually arrive after the site is live and before the final payment, and they keep arriving. The fix isn't to be less helpful. It's to make sign-off a clear, written step that everyone saw coming.

Before the project starts

• Number of revision rounds. Two rounds of changes per page is common. Write the number in the proposal.
• Who approves. Name one person on the client's side. Others can comment; one person signs off.
• How feedback is sent. Agree on one channel for changes, like a review link, so nothing is lost in chats and calls.
• What counts as a change and what counts as new work. "Change the banner text" is a revision. "Add a careers section" is new work with a new quote.
• Payment milestones tied to approvals, for example 50% upfront, 30% on design approval, 20% on final approval.

The checklist to send before final approval

Send this to the approver when the last round of changes is done. Ask them to check each item on their own phone and laptop.

• All pages open and look right on mobile and desktop.
• Text, phone numbers, email addresses and the office address are correct.
• Logos, photos and colours are the final versions.
• Contact and enquiry forms send to the right inbox (send a test).
• WhatsApp, call and social media buttons open the right number or page.
• Prices, GST details and legal pages (privacy, terms, refunds) are correct, if the site has them.
• Page titles show the business name, so the site looks right on Google.
• Every change requested in earlier rounds is done or was dropped by agreement.

How to ask for the approval

Keep the message short and specific, for example:

"Hi Priya, all changes from round 2 are done. Please check the site against the attached checklist and approve it by Thursday. After approval, new changes will be quoted separately as per our agreement."

The deadline matters. Without one, approval drifts for weeks, and so does your payment. If the client doesn't reply, a polite reminder two days before the deadline usually does it.

Keep a record

An approval is only useful if you can show it later: who approved, which version, and when. A thumbs-up emoji in a group chat is easy to forget and hard to find.

In MarkFeed, the client approves each website version with one click, choosing either "Everything looks good" or "Changes are required". MarkFeed records their name, the version and the time. If they ask for changes after approval, you can see exactly what was signed off, and quote the new work with confidence. See how client approvals work, or read our guide for freelancers.