Guide

How to Send a Website to a Client for Review (Before It Goes Live)

Screenshots hide the details and screen shares eat meetings. A private preview link lets the client click around on their own phone, and you get feedback on the real thing.

Published Oct 20, 2026 · 5 min read

In short: upload the site to a preview address with a clear name, add a password so it stays private, send the link with three specific questions, and update the same link after each round of changes.

Why a link beats screenshots and PDFs

  • Clients check on their phone, where most of their visitors will be. Screenshots never show that.
  • Hover effects, menus, forms and animations only make sense when clicked.
  • One link replaces "homepage_v3_final_FINAL.png" threads.

Step 1: Build a static preview

If you work in plain HTML, zip the folder. For a site builder or framework, export or build the static version (see ZIP or HTML: what to upload). WordPress sites are better previewed on a staging copy of WordPress itself.

Step 2: Give it a name the client recognises

acme-redesign.droply.page looks professional in an email and is easy to find again. Avoid names that reveal anything confidential if the project is under wraps.

Step 3: Keep it private

  • Password: the simplest option. Send the password in a separate message from the link.
  • Hide from search engines: stops a preview from showing up on Google before launch.
  • Email capture: if several people at the client will look, this tells you who actually opened it.

Step 4: Ask for specific feedback

"What do you think?" gets vague answers. Ask three questions instead:

  1. Is anything wrong or missing on the page? (facts, prices, names)
  2. Does it work on your phone?
  3. What's the one thing you'd change first?

Turning on comments on the project lets the client leave notes right on the preview instead of in a long email.

Step 5: Update the same link

After each round, upload the new version with Update. The address doesn't change, so the client's bookmark and every old email always open the latest version. Visitor stats show whether they've looked since your last update.

A short email template

Hi Sam, the new homepage is ready to review: acme-redesign.droply.page(password in the next message). Please open it on your phone too. Three questions: anything wrong or missing, does it work on mobile, and what would you change first? I'll update the same link with your changes by Thursday.

When the client approves

Move the site to its real home, or keep it on Droply and connect the client's own domain (Plus plan). Then remove the password and turn search engines back on.

Send your next preview as a link, not a screenshot.

Create a preview link →