Clients delay approval when they are not sure what to approve, or when approving takes effort. Make it easy. Say exactly what needs approval and by when. Explain what happens to the timeline if it is late. Show what changed since last time. And give them one link where they can approve or ask for changes.
Why clients go quiet
- The email has five things in it, and approval is one of them.
- They do not know what "approve" commits them to.
- They need to ask someone else, and have not yet.
- Approving takes effort: downloading files, opening attachments, writing a reply.
The approval email
Subject: Approval needed by Thu: homepage design (round 2)Hi Jordan,The homepage design is ready for your approval: [link]What changed since round 1: new headline, shorter form, no pricing table.Please approve or request changes by Thursday 5 PM.If we have approval by then, the page goes live June 13.If not, launch moves to June 20.Thanks,Dana
Five rules
1. One ask per email. Approval gets its own email with its own subject line.
2. Put the deadline in the subject.
3. Explain the timeline effect. "If not, launch moves to June 20." It is not a threat. It is information.
4. Show what changed. Clients who must re-read everything delay. Tell them where to look.
5. Make the action easy. One link. Approve or describe changes. No login if you can avoid it.
When they still do not reply
- Day after the deadline: a short, friendly nudge, with the new date.
- Second miss: call. Ask if anything is blocking them.
- Repeated delays: raise it in the next review. Agree an approval turnaround in the contract.
Get it right before you send it
Most re-approvals happen because the work missed something in the brief. Check the work against the brief before the client sees it.
Write it calmly
The free email tone checker reads your approval email and tells you how it is likely to land.
One link to approve
M-Tracker lets clients open a link with no account and either approve the work or describe the changes they need. Change requests never count as approvals, and the team is told right away. No screenshots and no activity tracking.
Where M-Tracker fits
M-Tracker gives every task a clear brief and every finished piece of work a first review, in plain words, before it reaches the manager. No screenshots, no scores.
Try M-Tracker free14-day trial. No credit card. No employee surveillance.
Questions people ask
Is an email reply a valid approval?
Usually yes, in writing. Save it. A dedicated approval link keeps a cleaner record.
What if the client approves, then changes their mind?
Work you can trust, without redoing it.
Your team gets feedback before work reaches you, or your client.
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