How do approvals and sign-off work day to day?

Agree who approves new facts, quotes, and sensitive information, then let the agency handle routine work within those boundaries. One clear company contact and a backup usually make reviews easier than sending every draft to everyone.

Decide what needs your approval

At kickoff, discuss the materials the agency expects to use and where fresh approval is needed.

• Product, customer, financial, or performance claims need confirmation from someone who knows the facts.
• Attributed executive quotes need the speaker's agreement or an explicitly delegated approval.
• Customer names and quotes need the customer's permission.
• Releases and other company statements need an authorized company approver.
• Routine pitches can use agreed messages and facts without restarting the whole review.

If the content introduces a new claim, uses old facts in a different context, or reveals something confidential, pause for the relevant decision. Legal, regulated, safety, or security-sensitive material may require a specialist.

Make each review request easy to answer

The agency should send the current draft, explain what needs a decision, and state the real deadline. Highlight substantive changes rather than asking you to reread a document without context.

For example, a fictional request might say: “Please confirm the launch date and approve this quote by noon Thursday. The rest uses the product description you approved last week.”

Return one set of clear comments where possible. If colleagues disagree about a fact, resolve that point with the person who knows it rather than leaving the agency to choose.

Match the turnaround to the opportunity

Planned materials should leave enough time for a useful review. A reporter's request may have a much shorter window. Agree how the agency will flag genuine urgency and who it should contact if the main approver is away.

If you cannot decide in time, say so. The agency may be able to request more time, offer another spokesperson, narrow the response, or decline. Silence should not be treated as permission unless the work already falls within agreed authority.

Keep the approved version easy to find

Use the shared document or conversation where the work already happens. Make the final decision clear and keep the approved copy with supporting facts and permissions.

Revisit the arrangement if reviews regularly miss deadlines or routine work gets stuck. Remove people who only need visibility from the approval chain. Add specialist review when the subject requires it.

For paid content, disclosure may be necessary when readers could mistake it for independent material; the FTC's native advertising guidance explains the U.S. standard. Agree who reviews those arrangements when they are part of your scope.

The reviewing guide helps you give useful feedback without taking over the agency's writing.