GUIDE
The website sign-off checklist agencies can send before launch.
A sign-off is a shared decision that the agreed version is ready to launch. This checklist makes that decision easier to make and easier to record.
What sign-off actually protects
A good sign-off confirms that the client has reviewed the agreed deliverables and accepts them for launch. It does not promise that a website will never change again. It separates the completed scope from future work.
That distinction protects the agency from open-ended changes and protects the client from assuming an important issue was overlooked. Keep the final approval attached to a specific version and date.
Before you ask for sign-off
Give the client enough time to review and tell them exactly what needs a decision. Include the final website address, the version or date reviewed, the deadline and the person who can approve on behalf of the business.
Resolve genuine defects before asking for approval. Record any agreed after-launch items separately, with an owner and a date, so they do not muddy the decision about the launch version.
The checklist (content, design, mobile, forms, SEO basics, legal pages, analytics, access/handover)
Content: check page copy, names, phone numbers, calls to action, images, downloads and spelling. Design: confirm logo use, colours, spacing, headings, navigation, footer and the final designs supplied by the client.
Mobile: check the key pages on a phone. Forms: submit every lead form, test confirmations, inbox delivery and error states. SEO basics: confirm page titles, descriptions, headings, indexability, redirects and the sitemap. Legal pages: confirm privacy, terms and cookie requirements with the client’s adviser where needed.
Analytics and handover: check the authorised analytics property, conversion events, domain access, hosting access, CMS roles, renewal contacts and the location of source files. Use the printable form if the client needs a paper record.
- Content, headlines and contact details are approved.
- Design, navigation and mobile layouts are approved.
- Forms, links, legal pages, analytics and handover access are checked.
Getting a clear yes in writing
Ask a single question: ‘Do you approve this version for launch?’ Do not settle for a thumbs-up beside a list of unresolved ideas. If the answer is conditional, list the condition and keep the project open until it is met.
Record the person approving, the date, the version and any terms accepted. A signed form is useful, but a reliable approval record also needs enough context to show what was actually approved.
After sign-off: what changes cost
After approval, move changes into a new request. Quote the work before starting, especially if it affects layout, copy, integrations or launch timing. This keeps launch momentum without turning the final checklist into another hidden revision round.
Read the guide on limiting revision rounds, use the free sign-off form and compare the formal approval workflow on the MarkUp alternative page before choosing a process for your agency.
Make the process repeatable
The useful part of a review process is that it removes small decisions from the project manager’s day. Give every client the same starting note, the same review deadline and the same definition of a completed round. Repeat the language in proposals, kickoff notes and review reminders. The client then understands that the process is a normal part of delivery, not a rule invented for a single difficult project.
Name one person on each side to consolidate feedback. They do not need to write every note, but they should confirm that the list represents the people who need to sign off. If several stakeholders contribute directly, ask the nominated owner to resolve conflicting requests before the agency begins another version. This protects the relationship as much as the margin because the client sees the decision happening inside their team, rather than receiving competing work from yours.
Keep a short project record after each round: the version reviewed, the deadline, the agreed list, the changes delivered and the next decision. It makes handover easier when a team member is away, gives the client a clear answer when they ask what changed, and avoids the familiar problem of reopening an old email chain. A record is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It is the evidence that turns a vague request into a completed piece of work.
When a client asks for a change outside the agreed round, acknowledge it before estimating it. Explain whether it is a correction, a deferred launch item or a new request. Give a price and a delivery date where appropriate. The client is much more likely to accept an extra cost when it is connected to a visible choice and a clear outcome, rather than appearing as an unexplained invoice after the work is done.
Before the first review, send the client a short note that answers four practical questions: what they are reviewing, who should collect internal feedback, when the response is due and what happens after they submit it. Keep the note close to the project link. If a client can find the rules without searching an old email, they are more likely to use the process well. It also gives your project team one consistent explanation when a new stakeholder joins late.
After each version, close the loop in the same format. Name the version, summarise the material changes, state whether the next step is another review or approval, and include the date by which a decision is needed. A simple update makes progress visible and stops clients treating a delivered version as an invitation to restart the conversation. It gives the agency a fair record if a schedule or scope question arises later.
Related reading
How Approvela helps
Approvela gives clients one private link to review a website, keeps feedback in defined rounds and records the final approval. See how it works, then try the client demo.
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