Why approval needs a record
A misspelt letter or a wrong size comes back with its material and labour. The problem is rarely the design; it is how the approval was taken: the file goes out in a chat, the customer says yes on the phone, and someone marks it approved on their behalf. Months later nobody can show which file was approved.
In SignFlow, design approval is a rule. An order leaves the design stage only with a verified design file, and that move is written to the order's history with who approved it and when.
How the approval link reaches the customer
- 1
Pick the files
The designer picks which of the order's files the customer sees. Only files that passed the check can be sent.
- 2
The link goes by email and SMS
The link is sent to the customer email and phone on the order. The customer needs no account or password; the link is valid for seven days.
- 3
The customer approves or asks for changes
The customer sees only the chosen files of that order. Approving moves the order to its next stage; a change request reaches the designer as a notification with the comment.
The clock stops while the customer decides
Once the link is sent, the order is listed as waiting for the customer, and both the stage timer and the due countdown pause. The design team does not look late while the customer thinks it over; the clock picks up again when they answer.
What is recorded
An order has one live link at a time: sending a new one revokes the previous one. Even a double click decides only once.
- Who the link went to, at which email and phone, with which files
- The customer's decision, its date and the comment on a change request
- Who approved: a team member or the customer
- Links that were resent or revoked
Approving in the office follows the same rule
If the customer approved in person or on the phone, an authorised member presses “Approve design” on the order. That path also requires a file and is recorded the same way. Dragging an order out of design on the board or moving it in bulk runs the same check; there is no shortcut around the rule.