A creative handoff should identify the approved export, intended placement, accompanying text, destination URL, and approval record. Keep editable source files separate from ready-to-publish files, and treat any later change as a new version requiring the relevant checks.
Start with a small delivery manifest.
| Field | Illustrative coffee delivery |
|---|---|
| Asset ID | COFFEE-CHOICE-01 |
| Purpose | Help a shopper choose a grind. |
| Format | Three-slide carousel; ordered images 01, 02, 03. |
| Approved version | v03; approved by the named business reviewer on the recorded date. |
| Caption | Caption document with the same asset ID and version. |
| Destination | The current grind-selection page, verified before scheduling. |
| Publishing owner | Named person responsible for the selected account. |
The manifest can be a simple table. Its job is to remove ambiguity, not to become another large system. Link to a single approved folder, and keep drafts in a clearly separate place. For source files used inside those exports, keep an asset inventory with the recorded use decisions. The input inventory and the final delivery manifest answer different questions.
Name files so the sequence survives a download.
For the example above, use COFFEE-CHOICE-01_v03_slide-01.jpg, then slide-02 and slide-03. Keep the same zero-padded ordering across the set. A video could use COFFEE-CHOICE-02_v02_master.mp4 with a matching caption file.
Avoid filenames such as final-final-new.mp4. A file modified after approval is a different deliverable even if its name did not change. Keep a version ID or a file hash in the record when several people can replace files in the same folder.
Check the publishing package as one experience.
- Open every export from the delivery folder, not from the editor’s timeline.
- Confirm the carousel order and that no slide is missing or repeated.
- Match the caption’s offer and product wording to what appears in the creative.
- Open the destination on a phone and check that it resolves to the intended page.
- Preview the asset in the actual publishing interface to inspect crops, overlays, and account-specific requirements.
- Confirm that the account and schedule match the approved plan.
A correctly edited video can still lead to an outdated offer. A valid destination can still be wrong for the story. Review the creative and its destination together before publication.
Separate corrections from a new brief.
If a caption contains a typo, correct the text and record the revised approved version. If the offer or product claim changes, send those facts back to the business reviewer. If the core message changes, reopen the brief instead of quietly substituting a new export.
For an urgent change, identify who can approve it and what must be rechecked. A changed voiceover can affect captions and timing. A replaced product image can change the crop. A local fix can create a second issue elsewhere.
Close the handoff with a receipt.
After publication, record the live post or ad identifier alongside the approved asset ID. This connects later performance observations to the actual creative used. If the publisher modified the material, record that too.
Keep the production record and performance record separate but linked. Approval means the deliverable met the agreed review criteria; it does not establish that the campaign achieved its objective. When you analyze results, start with the correct version and the context in which it ran.
Use one handoff record per publishing package.
Download the editable creative handoff record. It includes a blank record and a fictional coffee example. Copy it for each combination of asset, language, account and placement; link shared files instead of duplicating them. You can fill it in a text editor or paste it into your team's document system.
List the exact export and version alongside the approved post copy, cover, image descriptions and caption files that the placement needs. Record what is included, not applicable or still missing. A subtitle file and the text beneath a post serve different purposes. Check whether the selected publishing interface supports the files you intend to supply.
Also record the destination, intended account, scheduling time zone, decision owner and approval evidence. Keep passwords, access tokens and customer details out of the package. Give the publisher access through the account's normal permission controls. Editable project files belong in the handoff only when they are part of the agreed delivery and can be shared.
A changed caption can stop an approved export.
In this fictional example, COFFEE-CHOICE-02_v02_master.mp4 has creative approval. Before scheduling, the publisher adds “20% off” to the post caption. The recorded approval covers the earlier caption, and the destination has not been checked against that offer. The package is now on hold; the video’s approval does not approve the new promotion.
- Keep the approved export unchanged and identify the proposed caption as a new version.
- Ask the business owner to confirm the offer and destination, or restore the previously approved wording.
- Recheck the complete package and record the decision against the exact files and text.
- After publication, save the live post identifier and note any platform-side edits.
The record separates creative approval, permission to publish, and the publication receipt. An empty approval field means pending, not approved. A recorded approval is evidence of a decision; it does not prove ownership, grant usage rights, authorize ad spend or predict performance. For changes after a post is live, follow the outdated-creative review process.