The Problem with File Sign-Offs
If you work in a corporate environment, finalizing a document often requires formal sign-off. For example, before a new contract is sent to a client, it must be approved by the Legal department. Before a press release goes public, it must be approved by the PR Director.
Historically, this involved emailing a PDF back and forth, asking “Is this approved?” and saving the email chain as proof. If someone accidentally edits the file after it was approved, you have no way to prove the final version is authentic.
Google Workspace solves this with the built-in Request Approvals feature. This tool allows you to route a Google Doc, Sheet, Slide, or Drive file to specific reviewers, track their approval status, and most importantly, automatically lock the file the moment it is approved to prevent any further tampering.
Step 1: Requesting an Approval
You can request an approval directly from within a Google Doc, or from the Google Drive interface.
- Open the file you need approved (e.g., a Google Doc).
- In the top menu bar, click File.
- Select Approvals. A sidebar will open on the right side of the screen.
- Click the blue Make a request button.
A dialog box will appear. Type the names or email addresses of the people who need to approve the document. You can add multiple approvers (e.g., the Legal Director and the Finance Director).
Step 2: Adding Deadlines and Rules
Before you send the request, you can configure several important rules:
- Add a due date: If the contract must be signed by Friday, set a due date. Google will automatically send reminder emails to the approvers as the deadline approaches.
- Allow approvers to edit: By default, approvers can only view and comment. If you check this box, they can actively change the text before approving it.
- Lock file before sending: This is a crucial security feature. If you check this box, the file is instantly locked the moment you hit send. No one (not even you) can make further edits while the reviewers are reading it.
Once you are ready, click Send request.
Step 3: The Approver’s Experience
The reviewers will receive an automated email from Google Workspace stating that their approval is required. When they open the document, they will see a massive banner at the top of the screen.
They can read the document, leave comments, and when they are satisfied, they simply click the green Approve button in the banner. If the document is flawed, they can click Reject and leave a reason.
Step 4: The Final Lock
If you required multiple approvers, the document is not considered “Approved” until every single person on the list has clicked the Approve button.
Once the final person approves it, Google Workspace automatically locks the file. A badge appears at the top of the screen confirming it is an “Approved version.”
If anyone attempts to edit the file after this point, Google Docs will throw a warning: “Editing will reject this approval.” If the person forces the edit anyway, the approval is instantly voided, the green badge disappears, and the entire approval process must start over from scratch. This guarantees absolute compliance and ensures no one can quietly alter a contract after the Legal department has signed off on it.