How approval works

Brightproof never lets anyone set an asset to Approved by hand. The status is worked out from what the people and requirements on the current version have actually done. This page is the map; the pages that follow go into each part.

The four statuses

• Draft — the creative team is preparing the asset. No decisions can be recorded, and guest links do not open.
• In review — the asset is shared and at least one requirement is still open.
• Changes requested — a required approver, or a guest on a required sign-off link, asked for a revision. No amount of approving elsewhere overrides it. The round reopens only when a new version starts, or when the person who requested changes withdraws that request.
• Approved — every requirement for the current version is met.

Who takes part

Every reviewer on an asset holds one of two review roles:

• Required approver — their response is one of the requirements. This is the default.
• Feedback only — they can see and comment on everything, and mark their review complete, but they never hold up approval and are never reminded. Use it for subject-matter experts, copy editors, producers, or observers.

Guests on a review link take part without an account. A link marked Required sign-off is a requirement too; an advisory link is not. See Invite and manage reviewers and Share a guest review link.

What a required approver can say

Response	What it means	Effect on the version
Approve	This version is ready.	Counts toward the approval policy.
Request changes	It needs revision. A note is required.	Moves the asset to Changes requested, whatever anyone else has said.
Not applicable	This revision is outside my remit. Note optional.	Satisfies the slot without approving. Someone else's approval still has to carry the version.
Withdraw	Take back my latest response.	The slot reopens and the status recalculates — even from Approved. The original response stays in the history.

A comment is never a decision. The creative team can also record an approval or a not-applicable on a reviewer's behalf, with a reason, when the answer arrived outside Brightproof; those overrides are marked in the history and only the creative team can take them back. See Review an asset.

How responses combine: the approval policy

Each asset has an approval policy that says how required approvers' responses add up:

• All required approvers — everyone approves or marks not applicable, with at least one approval. The default.
• Any one required approver — the first approval completes it.
• Named final approver — everyone else responds first; then one named person gives the final approval and is emailed when it is their turn.

A request for changes blocks under every policy. See Approval policies.

Approved when

Three things have to be true at once for the current version:

1. The approval policy is met by the required approvers.
2. Every required guest link has an approval and no request for changes.
3. Every required checklist item is Passed or N/A.

Until then the asset stays In review, and the list tells you exactly what is outstanding. See What blocks approval.

A worked example

A campaign email has three required approvers — Ana (brand), Ben (legal) and Cleo (the marketing lead, named final approver) — one feedback-only copy editor, a required client link, and a launch checklist with one required item.

1. The creative shares version 1 and sends the client their link. Reviewers are emailed; the copy editor and Ana leave comments.
2. Ana requests changes on the headline. The asset is Changes requested. Cleo's Approve button is disabled anyway: it is not her turn.
3. The creative uploads version 2. Fresh round: every slot is open again; version 1's comments and decisions stay attached to version 1.
4. Ana approves. Ben marks it not applicable — no legal claims changed. The copy editor marks their review complete. Cleo receives “It's your turn” by email.
5. Cleo approves. The client approves through the guest link. The checklist item is still Not started, so the asset stays In review with one requirement remaining.
6. The creative passes the check. The asset is Approved.

If Ben later realises the claims did change, he withdraws his not-applicable: his slot reopens, the asset returns to In review, and everyone can see why.