To get clients to open a review link, send one link instead of attachments, skip the account sign-up, and write a short message saying exactly what you need and by when. Set access deliberately, send it to the real approvers at a sensible time, follow up once with the link again, and close it when the review is done.
Key takeaways
- One link with everything in it beats a bundle of attachments and folder paths.
- Every login screen between the client and the work is a reason to put it off.
- The message around the link matters as much as the link: say what you need, from whom, and by when.
- Password and expiry settings protect unreleased work without adding much friction.
- One clear follow-up that repeats the link works better than several vague nudges.
You send the review link on Monday. By Thursday there is no reply, so you check: the client never opened it. Not because they do not care, but because the email looked like every other email, the link asked them to sign in, and they assumed someone else on their team would handle it.
A review link is only useful if it gets opened, and most of what decides that happens before the client clicks. This guide covers how to build and send a link that gets used, from what goes behind it to how you follow up.
Step 1: Send one link, not a pile of files
Put everything for the round behind a single link. One link is one decision for the client: open it or not. Five attachments, a folder path and a note saying “the video is in the other thread” turn a five-minute review into a scavenger hunt.
Before sending, check what is behind the link:
- Only the files that need a decision this round. Older versions and reference material can live elsewhere.
- Files in a format the client can view in a browser, without downloading anything or opening design software.
- Clear names. “Spring banner, 300×250, v3” tells the client what they are looking at. “final_FINAL_2.png” does not.
If you are sending a mix of formats, say a multi-page PDF, a few static images and a short video, they should all open in the same place. Yesquill accepts PDF, common image formats and MP4, MOV and WEBM video in one project, but the principle holds whatever you use: the client should not need to switch tools to review one campaign.
Step 2: Remove the login barrier
The link should open straight to the work. Every screen between the client and the creative is a reason to close the tab, and the most common one is “create an account to continue.”
Senior approvers are the worst affected. They review rarely, they do not remember which tool your agency uses, and they are not going to reset a password on their phone between meetings. If the final decision maker cannot open the link in ten seconds, the review stalls.
What works better is a link where the client types their name once and starts commenting. That keeps feedback attributed to a real person without asking them to manage another login. This is how Yesquill client review links work: no account needed, the client enters their name, and they can comment and approve if you allow it.
Step 3: Write a message that says what you need
The message around the link should answer three questions in the first two lines: what is this, what do you need from me, and by when. If the client has to read a paragraph to find the ask, many will not get that far.
Here is a simple template:
Hi [name], the round 2 banners for the spring campaign are ready for your review: [link]
What we need: approve, approve with changes, or request changes on each of the four sizes.
Due: Thursday at 2 pm, so we can deliver to the media team on Friday.
Changes since round 1: new headline, updated product shot. Everything else is as you approved.
Notice what is in there. A specific decision, a specific deadline with a reason, and a short note on what changed so the reviewer knows where to look. What is not in there is a long recap of the project or an apology for the timeline.
If your approval emails tend to vanish, our piece on why clients ignore approval emails goes deeper into the message itself.
Step 4: Set the right access
Decide what the person opening the link can do before you send it. Not everyone needs the same rights, and getting this wrong either blocks feedback or lets the wrong person make a decision.
| Setting | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Comment only | Early rounds, wider stakeholder groups, or anyone whose input matters but who is not a named approver. |
| Comment and approve | The named approvers for this stage of your workflow. |
| Password | Unreleased products, confidential launches, or anything that would hurt if the link were forwarded. |
| Expiry date | Almost always. Set it a little after the review deadline so old links do not live forever. |
| Revoke | When the round is over, the project is cancelled, or someone leaves the client team. |
A password adds a small step, so use it when the work is genuinely sensitive and share it through a different channel from the link. For most routine reviews, an expiry date is enough protection without adding friction.
If you are not sure who should be able to approve at each stage, sort that out first. Our creative approval workflow guide walks through naming approvers per stage.
Step 5: Send it to the right people at the right time
Address the link to the people who actually make the decision. A review link sent to a general inbox or a junior coordinator who then has to forward it adds a day and loses context on the way.
A few things to check before you hit send:
- The named approver for this stage is in the “To” line, not buried in “Cc”.
- Commenters who should weigh in are included, with a clear note that their input is welcome but not a decision.
- You are not sending late on a Friday when the deadline is Monday morning. Give reviewers working hours to look.
- If the client is in a different time zone, the deadline in your message uses theirs.
Timing is easy to overlook. A link that arrives at the start of someone’s working day, with a deadline a couple of days out, has a much better chance than one that lands in the evening with a “need this by tomorrow” note.
Step 6: Follow up once, with the link again
Send one follow-up before the deadline, and include the link again. Do not make the client dig through their inbox to find the original message.
A good follow-up is short: “Quick reminder that the spring banners are due for your review by 2 pm tomorrow. Here is the link again: [link]. If it is easier, approve the sizes that are ready and flag the rest.” Offering a partial decision often unblocks a reviewer who was stuck on one item.
Tools with due dates and automatic notifications take some of this off your plate, but a human message still carries more weight when a deadline is close. If the deadline passes with no response, switch channels. A short call or a direct message usually works better than a third email.
Step 7: Close the loop
When the review is done, confirm the outcome and close the link. This is the step most teams skip, and it is what keeps the next link credible.
Closing the loop means three things:
- Confirm the decision. Send a one-line note: “Thanks, all four sizes approved. We are delivering Friday.” Clients like to know their review landed.
- Keep the record. Make sure decisions and comments are saved with the version they apply to, so nobody argues later about what was approved.
- Shut the link. Revoke it or let the expiry date do its job, so old versions do not keep circulating.
When clients learn that your links are always quick to open, always clear about the ask, and always followed by a confirmation, they start opening them sooner. That habit is worth more than any reminder. If you want to try this with your own clients, you can start a free Yesquill workspace; reviewers never need a paid seat.
Questions people ask
Should clients need an account to review designs?
In most cases, no. Asking a client to create an account adds a step that many will put off, especially senior approvers who review rarely. A link that opens straight to the work, where they type their name once, gets far less resistance.
Is it safe to share unreleased creative with a link?
It can be, if you use the controls available. Add a password for sensitive work, set an expiry date so the link does not live forever, and revoke it once the review is done. Avoid posting the link in places where people outside the project can see it.
How often should I follow up on a review link?
Once before the deadline is usually enough, ideally a day ahead or the morning of. Include the link again and the specific decision you need. If the deadline passes, a direct message or a short call works better than another automated reminder.
Why do clients ignore review links in email?
Usually because the email does not make the ask obvious, the link leads to a login screen, or it lands with someone who is not the actual decision maker. Fixing the message, the access and the recipient list solves most of it.
