How approvals & sign-off work
How the approval and sign-off process works at Chykalophia — what you're approving, why it matters, and what happens once you give the green light.
At key points in your project, we'll ask you to formally approve something before we move forward. This guide explains what approvals are, how they work, and why they matter.
Quick summary
Approvals are formal green lights at key project milestones — designs, content, and the final site before launch. Once you approve, we proceed on that basis. Significant changes after approval may affect timeline or cost.
Why approvals exist
Approvals protect you and us. They ensure:
- You get what you reviewed — once approved, we build exactly what was shown
- No surprises — you've seen and agreed to the work before it's finalized
- Accountability — both sides have a clear record of what was agreed
Without approvals, it's easy to end up building something different from what was expected — and discovering the mismatch only at the end.
What we ask you to approve
There are typically three major approval milestones in a project:
Design approval. Before development begins, you approve the visual design of your site. This includes layouts, colors, fonts, and the look and feel of the key pages. See What happens in the design phase.
Content approval. Before launch, you confirm that all the text, images, and copy on the site are correct and final.
Pre-launch sign-off. A final review of the complete site on staging before it goes live. See What happens at launch & handoff.
There may be smaller approval moments too — for example, approving a sitemap, a content brief, or a specific integration setup.
How to give approval
We'll send you a task or message in ClickUp asking for your approval. To approve:
- Review the work thoroughly
- Leave a comment in ClickUp confirming your approval — "Approved" or "Good to go" is sufficient
- If you have feedback before approving, leave it as a comment and we'll address it first
If you're not yet in ClickUp, reply to the email thread with your approval.
A verbal OK is not a formal approval
Saying "looks good" on a call or in a text doesn't constitute a formal sign-off. Please leave your approval as a written comment in ClickUp or by email so there's a clear record.
What happens after approval
Once you approve:
- We proceed to the next phase based on what was approved
- The approved version becomes the agreed baseline
- Requests to change approved work may require a new scope discussion
This doesn't mean the project becomes inflexible — reasonable adjustments are always part of the process. But significant changes to approved work (for example, redesigning the homepage layout after design has been approved and development has started) affect timeline and may affect budget.
What if you're not ready to approve yet?
That's fine — just say so. Leave a comment explaining what's missing or what needs to change before you can approve. We'll address it and come back to you.
Don't let an approval request sit without a response. Delays in approvals delay the whole project.
Common questions
Related guides
- How to give feedback that gets results
- What happens in the design phase
- What happens at launch & handoff
- How we communicate (ClickUp, email, calls)
Need a hand?
How to give feedback that gets results
A practical guide to giving design and content feedback clearly and constructively — so your project moves forward faster and you get results you're happy with.
Understanding quotes & invoices
How Chykalophia's quotes and invoices work — what's included, how to read them, when payment is due, and what to do if something looks wrong.