A positive client reaction and a formal approval are not the same thing.

This page is for the specific blocker of not knowing whether a client response actually closed the review stage or only acknowledged the work. It does not replace the milestone delivery workflow or the broader review process. Its job is to give you one clear operational test before billing or the next stage begins.

What this page is not for

Do not use this FAQ to define the whole delivery or review workflow, fix a weak approval path from scratch, or decide how multiple stakeholders should route feedback. Those belong on the workflow and worksheet pages.

Start somewhere else first if…

  • the review stage itself is still poorly defined and you do not know who is supposed to approve,
  • multiple stakeholders are commenting but no routing path exists yet,
  • the main problem is that the client has gone silent without responding at all.

In those cases, go first to Milestone Delivery Workflow for Solo Service Businesses, Approval Owner, or FAQ: What Should I Do When a Client Goes Silent During Review?.

What does not count as approval

These responses do not count as approval for billing or next-stage triggering purposes:

  • “looks good so far” or “this is great” in chat,
  • verbal confirmation on a call with no written follow-up,
  • silence or no reply after a review window closes,
  • a positive comment from someone who is not the Approval Owner,
  • partial feedback that addresses some items but leaves the final decision open.

Informally positive language is common. It does not create a clear close point that billing or the next milestone can rely on.

What does count as approval

Approval counts when all of the following are true:

  • the named approval owner gave the answer,
  • the answer was explicit — accepted, approved, or go-ahead — not just positive,
  • it arrived through the agreed review channel,
  • it was recorded in the project record or confirmed in a reply thread.

If any of those conditions is missing, the stage is still open, even if the work itself looks finished.

What must happen before billing triggers

Before an invoice is issued or a billing milestone closes:

  • the deliverable or milestone review is formally closed with a named approval,
  • the outcome is in the project record,
  • any open revision or dependency is either resolved or explicitly deferred to a later stage,
  • the invoice trigger condition from the original agreement is met.

If the approval feels implied but was never stated, you have two options: ask directly, or wait. Sending an invoice on an implied approval is a common source of late payment friction.

What must happen before the next stage starts

Before moving from one milestone or stage to the next:

  • the approval for the current stage is recorded, not just assumed,
  • any handoff inputs for the next stage are identified,
  • the next action owner and their first task are clear.

Starting the next stage on an open review creates downstream confusion about what is finished, what is still in progress, and what revision requests belong to which stage.

When to ask for explicit approval

Ask directly when:

  • the client responded positively but did not clearly accept,
  • a call included positive feedback but no written confirmation arrived,
  • the original agreement names approval as a billing trigger,
  • the next stage requires the current one to be confirmed complete.

A short message works:

“Confirming — is this milestone approved so I can close it and move to the next stage? Or are there revisions you would like me to address first?”

This is not an unusual ask. It is the right ask. Getting a clear answer is cleaner than invoicing on an assumed close.

What to do if approval is genuinely unclear

If the client’s response is ambiguous and asking again feels premature:

  • check whether the original agreement or onboarding rules defined what approval should look like,
  • confirm whether the person who responded is actually the named approval owner,
  • if neither is clear, ask once, state what you need, and document that you asked.

If the review has stayed open long enough that silence is now the main issue, use FAQ: What Should I Do When a Client Goes Silent During Review? instead.

Where to go next