Creative approval checklist before releasing a campaign

Download the editable campaign release checklist

The free template covers responsibilities, each asset's version, checks before sending and the final decision record. Download the English DOCX without signing up and fill it in with your document editor.

Duplicate the fields for each file or adaptation. Approval of one asset does not release the rest of the campaign, and a change request does not automatically approve the corrected version.

Download the editable campaign checklist (DOCX)

1. Is the current version clear?

Before asking for approval, confirm that everyone is looking at the same version. Scattered links to v1, v2 and v3 increase the chance of confusion.

In Aproova, the review identifies the current version and keeps the history available for reference. That reduces the manual comparison nobody wanted to do at the end of the day.

2. Are there still open comments?

An open comment is not necessarily a minor detail. It may concern required wording, a price, a logo, a deadline or a format.

Approval should proceed only after important comments have been resolved or recorded as changes that must be completed before release.

3. Is the decision-maker part of the workflow?

Campaigns often stall because everyone reviews but nobody decides. Define who can approve before sending the link.

For an external client, keep the path short: link, file, comment, decision. Configure the appropriate access so they can review without lengthy training.

4. Does the content work outside the design editor?

Review the asset in its intended format. Text may fit in the editor and be cut off in a story. A table may be accurate in the PDF and unreadable on a phone. The final check needs to consider the destination.

For video, watch with sound and without it. For a catalog, go through every page. For a campaign package, check that price, date and brand information are consistent across formats.

5. Does the decision say what may happen next?

‘I like it’ does not say whether the campaign can be published. The decision must state whether the material is approved, has conditions to satisfy or needs another version. Record any conditions and check them before release.

If approval covers only part of the package, record that scope. An approved post does not automatically approve the video in the same campaign.

Use the checklist to stop mistakes, not just tick boxes

If a check finds an outstanding requirement, the campaign should not move forward just because the deadline is close. The checklist exists to reveal the risk before publication.

When everything is ready, it also removes uncertainty at the end of the process. The team knows which file to use and can return to the record if a question comes up later.