One version
A frozen proof — no moving targets.
One link
All reviewers on the same proof, no login.
One record
Approval documented with a timestamp.
The email proof vs. online proofing
Both move the work to the client. Only one comes back as something you can act on.
Email + attachments
Opinions about a stale copy
- Five reviewers, five versions of the file.
- “The section near the top” — location guesswork.
- Feedback trickles in for two weeks.
- Approval exists as a verbal “looks good”.
Online proofing
A round with a result
- One frozen version on one link.
- Comments pinned to the exact element.
- A bounded round with a deadline.
- A timestamped, documented approval.
Online proofing in 5 steps
The same cycle at every milestone: design sign-off, content approval, pre-launch.
- 1
Freeze a version
The proof is a fixed state — a staging URL, a layout, a document version. While it’s under review, nobody keeps building, or the client reviews a moving target.
- 2
Share one proof link
Reviewers open the proof in the browser, no login, no install. Everyone looks at the same version instead of five different attachments.
- 3
Collect annotations in one round
Comments land pinned to the exact spot, bundled into a round with a deadline — not scattered across inboxes over two weeks.
- 4
Revise and re-proof
You resolve the points, mark them done, and share the next version. Reviewers check the fixes — new wishes become change requests, not round reopeners.
- 5
Approve with a record
The proof ends with a formal approval, documented with a timestamp and the approved version. That record is what makes the round final.
The step teams skip
What proofing software actually needs
Collecting comments is table stakes. These six things separate a proofing workflow from a comment box.
Annotations on the proof itself
Comments belong pinned to the element — on the live page, not described in an email or drawn on a flattened screenshot.
No login for reviewers
Every account you require costs you a reviewer. A proof link that just opens raises the response rate.
Version discipline
Each proof is a fixed version. Feedback on version 2 never gets mixed into version 3 — the history stays clean.
Rounds with a deadline
Proofing works in rounds: bundle, review, close. Without a deadline, a proof is just an open thread.
Clarity checks on comments
“Feels off” isn’t reviewable. bepeq asks the reviewer a follow-up while they’re still on the page, so notes arrive actionable.
A sign-off that documents itself
Approval generates a timestamped PDF record with the approved version and any open points — no manual paperwork.
Proof your next website in bepeq
The proof is your live staging site: reviewers annotate the real, responsive page from one link with no login, rounds have deadlines, and the approval generates a timestamped PDF record. Start free with a full project.
Start bepeq for freeSign-off record generated automatically
Version: staging.clientsite.com
Jul 8, 2026 · 2:32 PM · IP recorded
2 open points (category B) with a deadline
Proofing websites, not flattened exports
Most proofing tools grew up on print PDFs and static images. Websites need more.
A website isn’t one picture — it’s a responsive system with breakpoints, states and interactions. Proofing a flattened screenshot of it means approving something the visitor will never see. That’s why bepeq proofs the live page itself: reviewers see the real rendering at desktop, tablet and mobile widths, comment on the actual elements, and the sign-off covers the site as it truly is.
For pages that can’t be embedded — hard bot protection, exotic staging setups — a full-page screenshot mode steps in, so every page of the project can be proofed one way or the other.
Common questions about online proofing
What is online proofing?
Online proofing is reviewing and approving creative work — a website, a design, a document — on a shared, fixed version in the browser, with comments pinned to the exact spot. It replaces the print-era paper proof and the email-era attachment round with one link, one version and one documented approval.
What does proofing software do that email can’t?
Four things: comments sit on the work itself instead of describing it; everyone reviews the same fixed version; rounds have a deadline and a close; and the approval is documented with a timestamp. Email can carry opinions — it can’t carry version discipline or a sign-off record.
What’s the difference between proofing and website feedback?
Website feedback is the broad collecting of input on a site. Proofing is stricter: a fixed version is reviewed in a bounded round and ends in a formal approval. Proofing is what you want at milestones — design sign-off, pre-launch approval — while feedback flows throughout the project.
Does online proofing work for websites, not just images?
Yes — that’s bepeq’s home turf. The proof is your live staging site: reviewers comment on the real, responsive page across desktop, tablet and mobile widths, and the approval covers the actual site, not a flattened export of it.
Who should be part of a proofing round?
Everyone whose objection could reopen the round later — but funneled through one named approver. Broad participation with a single decision-maker gives you complete feedback without contradictory verdicts.
About this guide
Written by David Malewski, founder of bepeq (DAMA Solutions GmbH), based on proofing and approval workflows run with web, design and marketing agencies. Last updated July 10, 2026.