How to get client approval for social media posts

By Inkrush · Reviewed 6 October 2026. This is an agency process guide, not a client case study.

For a small agency, the hard part of social content is often knowing which version the client saw, whether their “looks good” covered the media as well as the caption, and who has the final go-ahead to publish.

A workable process is simple: agree on a reviewer and deadline, send the exact content for review in one place, ask for specific notes when changes are needed, keep the decision with the post, and publish only after the agency completes its final checks. Silence should not count as approval unless that rule has been explicitly agreed with the client.

Agree the rules before the first review

Set these rules at onboarding, not when a post is already overdue:

• Who decides: one named primary approver and a backup when they are away.
• What they approve: caption, media, destination platform, any link or offer, and intended date. A preview may not perfectly reproduce the final platform layout.
• When they respond: a deadline in the client’s time zone, with room for revisions.
• What happens after a change: agree which edits need a fresh sign-off, especially changed claims, creative or offers.
• Who publishes: name the agency person responsible for the final platform check and publish action.

A five-step example

Imagine a fictional agency, Harbour Studio, preparing a promotion for a fictional client. The names and details here are made up; this is a workflow example, not a customer case study.

1. Keep the client’s work together. Create a separate client workspace and check the draft against the latest brief.
2. Prepare the review version. Choose the intended platform, caption, media, link and timing. Check spelling, rights and any claims before asking for approval.
3. Send one review request. In Inkrush, add the people who approve that client’s content and send the selected posts. They receive a private link and do not need an Inkrush account. Keep that link out of public documents and screenshots.
4. Capture the decision. The client can approve or request changes. A change request needs a note, so the agency knows what to revise. For several pending posts, the client can act on a selection.
5. Check, then publish. Approval clears the sign-off step in Inkrush; it does not publish by itself. The agency checks the final version and schedules or publishes through the available platform path. TikTok videos upload from Inkrush, then you finish and post them in the TikTok app.

This process creates a clearer hand-off, but it does not replace professional review. The agency remains responsible for accuracy, rights, platform requirements and the final publishing decision.

Pre-send checklist

Copy this into your team’s own process and check it against the actual post:

• Correct client workspace, platform and account selected.
• Caption, image or video, offer, dates and links match the latest brief.
• Spelling, tags and factual claims checked by the agency.
• Media rights, music permissions and required disclosures checked.
• Platform format checked, including video requirements and any finishing step outside Inkrush.
• Named approver can see the intended review version.
• Proposed publish date and response deadline use the correct time zone.
• Team knows who revises, checks and publishes.
• No private review link or client-only material shared publicly.

When feedback arrives in three places

Do not silently combine a chat message, an email reply and a comment on an older draft. Ask the client to put the final decision or specific change request against the current review version. If that is not possible, have one agency owner consolidate the feedback into a dated record and confirm which version it applies to.

If you materially change an approved post, seek sign-off on the revised version under the policy you agreed with the client. If the reviewer is late, use the agreed backup approver or move the publish time; do not assume the absence of a response is permission.

If you are not using approval software

The same discipline can work with a shared document or email. Give each post a unique name and version, attach the final creative, list the platform and planned time, and ask the reviewer to reply with one clear decision: “Approved for this version” or “Changes requested”, followed by specific notes. Keep that reply beside the final asset. Your agency will need to maintain the version record manually.

Questions agencies ask

Does a client need an Inkrush account to approve a post?

No. An agency can send a private review link to its client approver. Handle the link as confidential.

Does approval automatically publish the post?

No. Approval records sign-off. The agency still needs to schedule or initiate publishing, and the result depends on the connected platform and its permissions. TikTok videos upload from Inkrush, then you finish and post them in the TikTok app.

What if the client wants changes?

They can request changes with a note. The agency revises the post and should send the changed version back for sign-off under its agreed policy.

Can a client review several posts at once?

Yes. Inkrush can send selected posts in one review request, and the client can act on selected pending posts. Make the scope and timing of each post clear.

Try the process with one client

If you want the review decision alongside planning and publishing, see Inkrush client approvals and the agency workflow. Start with one client, one named approver and one post.