How to Archive an Approved Video Project So You Can Prove Sign-Off Months Later
Save the approved master, the timestamped approval certificate, and a short project note in one folder, so a months-old sign-off is easy to find and easy to prove.
Archive the approved master, the approval certificate, and the final review link together, in one folder you can find in under a minute. That simple habit is what turns a polite approval into proof you can show months later, when a client asks for a change, a new stakeholder questions the cut, or a payment dispute brings up what was actually signed off. A clean archive protects your time, your payment, and your reputation.
What should go in an approved project archive?
Start with the exact file the client approved, not a later export and not a near-identical version. Name it clearly, for example with the client name, project name, and the word APPROVED, so nobody mistakes an earlier draft for the final cut. Next, save the approval record. In File Approved, an approval produces a timestamped certificate that records the reviewer, the time, the file, and the version, and that certificate is the written record of sign-off.
Add the final review link details and a short note about what was approved. A one paragraph note is enough: the version number, the delivery specs, the platforms it was made for, and any conditions the client agreed to, such as a caption change or a logo swap that was already handled. Keep the last round of feedback too, with the fixes marked as done.
How long should you keep proof of approval?
Keep proof at least until the final invoice is paid and the project has had time to go live without complaints. Clients change teams, campaigns get reused, and a video approved for one platform often gets repurposed for another.
A practical rule is to treat the approval record as part of the invoice record. If you would keep an invoice, keep the certificate beside it. Storage is cheaper than a dispute. File Approved Pro costs $25 per month and includes 5 TB of storage with unlimited review links, while the Free plan at $0 includes 1 active review link and 10 GB of storage, and extra storage on Pro is $10 per month per 1 TB block. Keep the essentials locally too, so you are not dependent on any single account.
How do you name and organize the archive?
Use one folder per project, with the same structure every time. A simple structure works: a folder for the approved master, a folder for the approval record and final notes, and a folder for delivery files such as captions, thumbnails, and platform cutdowns. Keep the folder name consistent, with the year first, then the client, then the project.
Inside the folder, keep version discipline. The approved file should be read only in practice, even if you do not lock it technically: do not overwrite it with a tweaked export, and do not save a new version over it. If a client later asks for a revision, save that as a new version with a new date and a new review round. That separation keeps the original approval meaningful.
Should source files live in the same archive?
Keep source files separate from the approved delivery, and be clear about what the client bought. The approved master is what the client paid to publish. The project file, raw footage, and editable assets are a different package, with different licensing and value. Keep the packages apart, and hand over source files only when that was agreed.
This distinction also helps when a project grows beyond a single editor. A larger commercial shoot may involve a full production team, and a studio such as Envy Creative would treat the approved delivery and the working project as separate assets for the same reason: one is the published result, the other is the working material behind it.
What do you do when a client comes back months later?
Start from the archive, not from memory. Open the approval certificate, confirm the reviewer, date, file, and version, then compare the request against that record. If it matches what was approved, point to the record calmly. If it is a new request, price it as new work and start a new review round.
Close every project with a short archive checklist: approved master saved, certificate saved, final notes written, delivery files stored, and the review link noted. It takes a few minutes, and it saves hours later. You can try this workflow on your next delivery by sending the final cut through a single review link at File Approved, saving the certificate the moment the client approves, and filing it before you move on to the next edit.
Frequently asked questions
What if the client approved by email instead of clicking approve?
Save that email as a PDF in the approval folder and note the date, sender, and version in your project note. A timestamped certificate from a review link is easier to find and harder to dispute, so use it for final sign-off whenever you can.
Should I keep every draft, or only the approved version?
Keep the approved version and the final round of feedback. You do not need every rough cut forever. Never delete the approved master while the invoice or reuse question is still open.
What if a new stakeholder disputes an old approval?
Share the certificate and the approved file, not your recollection of the conversation. The record usually ends the dispute quickly. New changes become a new revision round with its own approval.