A sign-off is only useful if, three weeks later, everyone can tell what was approved. This template asks for the version, the pages and the person, at each of the five points where a web project needs a yes.
By Ali Demirci, founder of Woofocus. Updated October 24, 2026.
For years our sign-offs at Woofocus were emails that said "looks great, go ahead". They were friendly and they were useless when something was disputed, because nobody could say which version the client had looked at, or whether "go ahead" covered the mobile layout too.
So we started asking for the same few things every time: what exactly is being approved, which version or link, on which devices, who is approving and whether they can approve for the company. The template below is that list, split by the point in the project where it is used. Use the parts that fit your project and delete the rest.
The template
Website client sign-off
Fill in one block for each approval. Keep a copy with the project.
Project details
Project
Client company
Person approving (name and role)
Can this person approve for the company? (yes, or who else must)
Agreed scope or proposal it relates to (date or link)
1. Brief and sitemap
Before any copy or design starts.
The goals of the site and who it is for are as we discussed
The list of pages (sitemap) is complete for this phase
Who writes the copy, who supplies photos and by when
Forms: what each one asks and which address it sends to
In Proofyard a sign-off is a button rather than a form. The client opens the task's review link, which works for 30 days with no account, looks at the newest design version and presses Approve or Request changes. The answer is kept with the person, the time and the version, which covers the first three lines of each block above.
A workflow phase can need a recorded approval before a task leaves it, so a page cannot move from Design to Build without the client's yes. The rest of the template, such as forms tested or the launch contact, fits as a checklist on that phase.
It can be, if it says what was approved: the pages, the version or link and the devices. A reply to an email that has the design attached is better than one that does not. For contracts and signed scopes, use a contract or e-signature tool; this template is for the approvals during the work.
Who should sign off on the client side?
The person who can say yes for the company. Ask early, in the brief block, because the person you talk to every week is often not the one who approves the budget or the brand.
What if the client approves and then asks for changes?
Note it as a new request. Whether it is free depends on your agreed scope and the rounds left; the design block has a line for rounds used, so it is not a surprise to either side.
Do I need all five blocks?
No. A one-page site might only need design and launch. Keep the ones that match the points where your projects go wrong.