Document approval software

Document approval software for engineering and documentation teams

The manual is ready to ship, but nobody can say who approved it or which revision they approved. zipBoard gives every document named approvers, a due date and a decision per revision, so "who still hasn't signed off?" has an answer.

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A product manual open for review in zipBoard, with reviewer comments pinned to the specifications table

A fictional product manual under review: comments sit on the exact table they are about.

What is document approval software?

Document approval software routes a document to the people who must approve it, records each decision against a specific version, and shows who is still outstanding. For technical documentation, engineers, SMEs, safety and regulatory reviewers sign off on the rendered PDF (manual, datasheet, app note, spec) in the browser, and every new revision starts a new sign-off.

Who has to approve this revision?Named approvers, separate from the people who only comment.

By when?A due date on the file, worked back from the release.

Has each of them decided?Approved or Changes Requested, recorded per person and per version.

Why does document approval stall in engineering teams?

The writing is usually done. The approval is what slips, for the same few reasons.

"Who still hasn't signed off?"

Approvals live in email replies, chat thumbs-ups and a spreadsheet someone forgot to update.

"Which revision did they approve?"

Rev B was approved, Rev C went out, and nobody asked again.

"I can't open the review."

Approvers have no CCMS or FrameMaker seat, and Acrobat shared review asks them to sign in or breaks after an update.

"Is that an approval or a comment?"

Twenty comments arrive, but nobody says "approved" or "changes needed".

"The release is waiting on one person."

Translation, a regulatory submission or a launch slips because one sign-off is missing.

"Who approved that warning?"

At release or audit time, proving who signed off means digging through inboxes.

SMEs are the bottleneck? Start with how to get SMEs to review technical docs on time.

Approval is faster when engineering, safety and marketing review the same revision on one copy.

How does a document approval workflow run in zipBoard?

Five steps from the review copy to a recorded sign-off.

STEPS 1–2

Upload the review copy and name the approvers

Export the PDF from FrameMaker, your DITA pipeline or docs-as-code and upload it, or review it by URL so the file stays on your servers.
Add the required reviewers whose sign-off you need: engineering lead, safety, regulatory. They get an email, and the file waits in their Needs my review list.
Everyone else can comment without holding the release up.

Required reviewers vs collaborators

STEP 3

Set the due date and see who is late

Every file gets a due date. Overdue files show red and files due within 7 days show amber, across all your projects, so the late approvals stand out.

PendingIn ReviewChanges RequestedApproved

Global Asset View lists every file across projects by review status, and My Work shows each approver what is waiting on them.

What the due-date colours mean

STEP 4

Collect decisions, with comments on the exact line

Each approver records Approved, Changes Requested, Feedback Given or Review Complete, and you see at a glance who is still outstanding.
Comments pin to a table, figure or safety warning, so nobody has to describe where the problem is.
Any comment can become a task with an owner, priority and due date.

Track reviewer progress and statuses

An SME comment pinned to the safety information section of a technical manual in zipBoard, with the comment thread on the right

A safety reviewer's comment pinned to the exact warning it is about.

STEP 5

New revision, new sign-off

Upload the next revision as a new version of the same file. Every reviewer's decision resets, so a yes on Rev B never counts for Rev C.
Approvers open the two revisions side by side, with changed text highlighted, and check only what moved.
The record of who approved which revision stays with the file.

Compare documents side by side · How it works

Two revisions of a document side by side in zipBoard, with removed text highlighted in red and added text in green

Text compare: what was removed (red) and added (green) between two revisions.

Try it: review a sample manual

This is a live zipBoard review of a fictional product manual. Click a pinned comment, or add your own on a spec table.

A technical manual open for review in zipBoard

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Watch · 3 min

How documentation teams run review without giving SMEs CCMS access

A walk-through of the review step between authoring and release: send the PDF from your pipeline, collect comments and decisions from engineers who never open your CCMS, and close the round.

Technical document review software

Email, Acrobat shared review or document approval software: what changes?

The same approval round, three ways.

	Email + spreadsheet	Adobe Acrobat "Share for review"	zipBoard
How approvers open it	Download the attachment	Email link; invited recipients sign in to comment. A public link skips sign-in, but Adobe says it isn't for sensitive information	In the browser. Required reviewers sign in; share links can require sign-in or a password
Who must approve	Listed in the email	Everyone invited	Named required reviewers, separate from people who only comment
Due date	Written in the email	"Add deadline" when sharing	Due date per file; overdue red, due soon amber
Who still hasn't signed off?	Your spreadsheet	Status of the shared file in "Shared by you"	Each required reviewer's decision on the file
New revision	New thread	Share the new file	New version of the same file; decisions reset; side-by-side compare
Record of approval	Inbox search	Comments in the PDF	Decisions per reviewer and version, comment export, PDF reports
Other file types	Any attachment	PDF	PDF, Office files, images, video, HTML/SCORM and live websites

Acrobat details from Adobe Help, Share PDFs for review (last updated 1 Apr 2026). zipBoard details from our help articles on required reviewers, due-date colours, reviewer statuses and exporting review comments.

Approvals in Acrobat keep breaking? See why Adobe shared review stops working, or the Adobe PDF alternative for team review.

Choosing a tool? See the best PDF review tools for teams compared, and what changed between revisions without rereading the document.

AUDIT AND RELEASE

Keep a record you can hand to an auditor

Each reviewer's decision is kept per version, with the date.
Comments become tasks with an owner, so you can show every comment was resolved.
Export review comments as a comment resolution sheet, and download project reports as PDF.

Export review comments

What does a slow approval actually cost?

The licence is the small number. The real cost is the review process.

The writer's timeChasing, merging comments from five inboxes, rebuilding the status sheet.

Extra roundsTwo approvers fix the same table differently, or someone reviews an old revision.

Late releasesTranslation, a submission or a launch waits on one missing sign-off.

Seats for occasional approversAuthoring-tool or Acrobat seats just so engineers can comment.

Proving it laterAn audit or a field issue asks who signed off on that warning.

In zipBoard, reviewers and collaborators are unlimited on every plan, so adding another engineer or safety reviewer doesn't add a seat. See plans · Work out what your review process costs

What else do documentation teams ask for?

Files on your own servers

Review PDFs by URL so the files stay where they are. Hosting options and security controls are on our security page.

Single sign-on

SSO is available on Enterprise plans, so approvers use their company login.

Integrations

Send comments to Jira, and get notifications in Slack or Microsoft Teams.

JiraSlackMicrosoft TeamsZapierAPI

Stamps and signatures

Add an approval stamp or signature to the PDF when your process needs a visible mark.

Coming next

Early access

AI review for technical documents

In private beta: a first pass that flags inconsistencies before the draft reaches your approvers.

Ask about early access

Coming soon

Image compare

See what changed in figures and diagrams between revisions, not just the text.

Get notified

When is zipBoard not the right fit?

Your approvers already sign off inside your CCMS review module and are happy there. A second tool adds a step.
You need comments written back into your DITA or XML source automatically. zipBoard reviews the rendered output and exports comments; it doesn't edit your source.
You need a validated e-signature system for a regulated record (for example 21 CFR Part 11). Talk to us about your requirements before you rely on zipBoard for that.
Your existing PDF comments must come with you. Comments already embedded in a PDF don't turn into zipBoard comments; see moving existing PDF comments.

Document approval questions

What is document approval software?

Software that sends a document to the people who must approve it, records each decision against a specific version, and shows who is still outstanding. Good tools also keep comments on the exact place in the document and a record of who approved what.

What is a document approval process?

The steps a document goes through before release: prepare the review copy, name the approvers, set a due date, collect decisions, fix and re-issue, and record the final sign-off. For technical documents, each new revision needs its own sign-off.

What is the difference between document approval and document control?

Document control manages the whole life of controlled documents: numbering, storage, versions, access and distribution. Document approval is one step inside it, where named people decide whether a version can be released. zipBoard handles the review and approval step and works alongside your CCMS or document management system.

Can I create a document approval workflow in zipBoard?

Yes. Upload the PDF, add required reviewers, set a due date, and each reviewer records a decision. Uploading the next version resets the decisions, and you can track files through your own phases on the Kanban board.

Do approvers need a zipBoard account?

Required reviewers sign in, so each decision is tied to a name. Other people can comment on a PDF through a share link, which you can protect with sign-in or a password. Reviewers are unlimited on every plan.

Do approvers need Acrobat, FrameMaker or a CCMS seat?

No. They review the rendered PDF in the browser, with nothing to install.

Does a new revision need a new approval?

Yes. Approval applies to the revision the approver read. In zipBoard, uploading a new version resets every reviewer's decision and returns the file to their "Needs my review" list.

Can we keep our files on our own servers?

You can review PDFs by URL so the files stay on your servers. Hosting and security options are on our security page.

How do I prove who approved a document?

zipBoard keeps each reviewer's decision per version, and you can export review comments as a comment resolution sheet and download reports as PDF. The export help article lists the options on each plan.