Guide
How to move clients off email
Clients do not want a new tool. They want to review the work and move on. The move from email attachments to a review link works when the link is easier than the attachment and the studio does not ask the client to create an account.
Start with one project
Do not announce a new process for every client at once. Pick one project, send the link with a short explanation and see how the client responds.
Choose a client who is comfortable with technology and a project with a clear decision. A successful first review gives you a story for the next client.
Make the email about the work
The email should say what the client is reviewing, what decision you need and when. The link is the method, not the message. Do not lead with the software.
Say that the client does not need an account and can open the link on a phone. Those two facts remove most of the resistance.
Keep the old channel for the relationship
Email is still the place for the project conversation, the invoice and the thank-you. The review link is for the file, the comments and the decision.
If the client sends a comment by email, move it into the review thread and reply there. The client learns the link is the record without being scolded.
Measure the change
Compare the number of review rounds, the time to a decision and the number of status emails before and after. A process that feels better but takes longer is not an improvement.
Ask the client at the end of the project whether the review was easier. The answer is more useful than an internal preference.
Questions
Do clients need an account to use a review link?
A good review link does not require an account. The client opens the link, reviews the work and comments or approves. A name and email may be requested at the decision, not at the door.
What if the client insists on email?
Keep the relationship and move the comments into the review link yourself. The client can stay in email while the studio keeps one record.
Should we use the link for every project?
Start with one project and expand when it works. A client who has a good first experience will accept the link on the next project.
Sources
Reviewed November 3, 2026. Public pages can change; check the source before relying on a date or a price.