Customer CAD Approval

Before you commit a custom piece to casting, get the customer’s sign-off on the design. The Customer Approval card on a custom work order sends them a private link where they can approve, request changes, or decline — and every response is timestamped on the job, so you have a clear record of what was agreed and when.

It’s two approval gates, both optional:

• CAD design — approve the render before casting.
• Wax / model — approve the physical proof before production.

Sending an approval request

On a custom work order, find the Customer Approval card and click + Request approval:

1. Pick the gate — CAD design or Wax / model.
2. Add an optional label (e.g. “Round 1”) and a note to the customer.
3. Optionally tick Send the link now and choose Email or Text + the recipient — or leave it off and copy the link to send however you like.
4. Click Create link.

You get a unique, private link (e.g. …/approve/abc123). It requires no login — the customer just opens it. If you didn’t auto-send, use Copy to paste it into your own email/text.

What the customer sees

A clean, branded page with your shop name, the piece, the design images, and your note — then three buttons: Approve, Request changes (a comment is required), or Decline. The moment they respond:

• The response + their note are recorded on the work order.
• You get an email letting you know.
• The activity timeline shows “Customer approved the design” (or requested changes / declined).

The link shows design images (renders, sketches, vendor drawings). Heavy 3D files (STL/STEP) aren’t rendered on the public page — share a render image for approval.

Tracking rounds

Each request is one round, listed on the card with its status:

• Awaiting customer — sent, no response yet. You can re-copy the link or Cancel request.
• Approved / Changes requested / Declined — with the customer’s note.

Need a revision? Make the changes, then send a new request — that’s a new round, so the full back-and-forth is preserved as a record.

Why it matters

Getting written design approval before casting prevents the most expensive custom-job disputes (“that’s not what I asked for”). The timestamped log is your proof of what the customer signed off on.

See also

• Custom Jobs — the bespoke workflow this fits into
• Quote a Custom Job — versioned quotes + customer signature
• Photos, CAD Files & Attachments — where the design images live