AI has made the first cut of a video fast. It has not made the client’s opinion fast. Agencies rarely lose margin on AI video at the generation stage. They lose it in the loop that follows: “Can we try another version?”, feedback arriving by email, chat and phone, and a third round nobody priced.
This guide sets out a six-step approval workflow built for AI video specifically, plus a clause you can paste into your proposals.
Why approvals work differently for AI video
Most advice on video approval comes from traditional production, and most of it still applies: stream the video instead of sending files, keep comments in one place, and know who has the final say. Review-tool vendors such as Cinema8 describe the same four stages: preparation, feedback, approval and delivery.
AI video changes three things:
- Every change is a re-render, and re-renders cost money. With a human edit, a small change is a small job. With AI video, changing a line of script or a visual usually means generating that part again, and generation is billed by the second or minute.
- The cheapest moment to change anything is before you render. A script costs nothing to rewrite. A rendered scene costs time and credits. Approval should happen at the script stage, not only at the final cut.
- Speed raises expectations. When clients know a new version takes minutes rather than days, they ask for more of them. Without a limit in the contract, rounds multiply.
Approval also takes longer than most teams expect. Filestage, a review platform, reports that files on its platform take 4.5 days on average to go from first version to final approval. A clear process is how you bring that down.
The 6-step approval workflow
1. Lock the brief in writing
Most “revisions” are really a changed brief. Before any work starts, get written agreement on:
- the audience and the platform (for example, Instagram Reels for new customers)
- the offer and the single action the viewer should take
- length, aspect ratio and tone
- must-have claims, and claims to avoid
- who on the client side gives final approval
Keep the brief with the project, not buried in an email thread.
2. Get the script approved before you render
This is the step generic approval guides leave out, and the one that saves the most money with AI video. Share the script, scene by scene, and get an explicit “approved” before you generate anything.
In Fabeo, the AI writes a scene-by-scene script first, and writing and editing it uses no render credits. Credits are only used when you render. That makes the script the natural point for the client to steer the wording, the order of scenes and the call to action, at no cost.
3. Check internally before the client sees it
Watch the full render once with fresh eyes before it goes out. Check brand colours and logo, product accuracy, captions, pronunciation in the voice-over and the end card. Fixing an issue you spot yourself costs one re-render. Fixing one the client spots costs a re-render and some of their confidence.
4. Share one review link, not files
Send the client a single link where they can watch and respond, rather than files over email, shared drives or messaging apps. Streaming in the browser means no downloads, no version confusion and no “which file is the latest?”
On Fabeo’s Agency plan, you share a video for review from the app:
- you choose the recipient’s email and how long the link stays active (14 days by default)
- the client opens the link and confirms a one-time code sent to their email, so only the people you invite can review; they don’t need a Fabeo account
- they watch in their browser and can approve or request changes, with comments
- you can see whether the link has been viewed and whether the video was approved
5. Keep feedback in one place, with one decision-maker
Ask for every comment on the review link, not in side channels. If several people on the client side review, agree up front that one person consolidates their feedback and resolves conflicts before it reaches you. Two stakeholders giving opposite notes in separate emails is the most common cause of an extra round.
When changes come back, fix only what was asked. With AI video you rarely need to start over: in Fabeo you can re-prompt specific scenes and update their text and voice-over, and each regeneration is billed only for the seconds you render.
6. Cap revision rounds and price the extras
Put the number of included rounds in your proposal. Two rounds is a common default. Then price additional rounds so they stop being free. For help setting those prices, see how to price AI video for clients.
Here’s a clause you can adapt:
This project includes one script review and two rounds of revisions on the rendered video. A round is one consolidated set of feedback from [client contact]. Additional rounds are billed at [price] each. Changes to the approved brief or script after rendering are treated as a new request.
What a revision actually costs
Rendering itself is the small part. Fabeo charges $3 per rendered minute, or about $2.60 on the Agency plan ($39 a month for 15 minutes), so re-rendering a 30-second ad twice costs about $3 in rendering (pricing).
The real cost is time. Every round means reading feedback, deciding what to change, re-rendering, checking and sending again, often an hour or more per round across a busy client roster. That is why the workflow puts approval at the brief and script stages, where changes are free, and why extra rounds should be priced. To estimate rendering costs for a whole month of client work, use the AI video cost calculator.
Approval checklist
- Brief agreed in writing, including who gives final approval
- Script approved, scene by scene, before rendering
- Internal check of brand, product accuracy, captions and voice-over
- One review link shared, with an expiry date
- Feedback consolidated by one client contact
- Only the requested scenes changed
- Rounds capped in the contract, extras priced
- Approved version exported and delivery recorded
FAQ
How many revision rounds should I include for an AI video?
Two rounds on the rendered video, plus one script review, is a common starting point. State it in the proposal and price extra rounds.
Should clients approve the script or the finished video?
Both, in that order. Script approval catches most changes while they cost nothing; video approval confirms the visuals, voice and pacing.
How do clients review and approve videos in Fabeo?
On the Agency plan you share a review link with the client’s email. They confirm a one-time code sent to that email, watch in their browser, then approve or request changes with comments. You can see when the link was viewed and approved, and the link expires after the number of days you set.
Can I change one part of a video without redoing everything?
Yes. In Fabeo you can re-prompt specific scenes and update their text and voice-over; you pay only for the seconds you re-render.
Does this work across many clients?
Fabeo’s Agency plan supports up to 50 clients, with up to 10 brands per client, so each client’s brand assets and reviews stay separate. See Fabeo for agencies.