How to send proofs to customers for Shopify orders

If the product depends on a name, a photo, a layout, or a design the customer has not seen, producing it before they approve the artwork is a gamble.

A proof is simply a chance to say: “This is what we will make. Is this correct?” The hard part is keeping that approval attached to the order, especially when the first version is not the last.

Why email-only proofs fall apart

Email works for a single attachment and a single “looks good.” It gets messy when:

• The customer replies from a different address than the order
• Version 2 and version 1 are both in the thread
• Someone on your team approves the wrong file
• The customer later says they never approved this version

You still need a record of what they saw, when they saw it, and what they decided.

What a proof workflow should accomplish

• Send the current artwork with a clear approve / request-changes action
• Keep older versions available to your team without making them the live file
• Pause production until approval, unless you deliberately override that
• Put the customer on a page that belongs to the order, not a generic file link that expires in a personal Drive folder

Practical options

Email attachments. Familiar. Weak version control.

Shared folders or design tools. Fine for internal design. Awkward for customers who just want to tap approve.

A review link on your store. The customer uses the same order lookup they would use to check progress, with a proof to review.

Common mistakes

• Starting production the day the order is paid, then asking for approval later
• Sending a new file without retiring the old link
• Asking for “changes” in a place your production staff never reads
• Showing customers an internal filename instead of the actual proof

Using Orstrax Orderflow

Proof Review is a Status Action. You attach it to a status such as Proof Sent. From Update Order, you upload the proof, add an optional message, and send it. Orderflow emails the customer a review link to your Shopify lookup page, with ?proof= in the URL. You do not need a separate proof block on the store.

The customer can approve or request changes. You can choose which status the order should move to after each response. You can also mark a proof approved yourself if they confirmed another way, or cancel a proof request that should no longer be waiting.

Orderflow requires a proof image or a message before the proof is sent.

Existing users: Using Proof Review.