Client Downloads

What is Client Downloads?

Client downloads are the settings and practices that govern whether, when and what a client can download from a shared delivery, and how you know it happened. They include turning downloads on or off, choosing which files are available and tracking when files are collected. Where Video Downloads is about the files and their quality, client downloads is about control.

Why it matters

The download is the moment a client takes possession of the work. Once a clean file leaves your hands, you cannot take it back, so the timing matters. Allow it too early and an unapproved draft might be published, or a client might stop answering invoices. Make it too hard and you create friction on a delivery the client has paid for.

Tracking matters as well. Knowing a client has collected their files closes the project, gives you a record that the deliverable was received and, for payment-on-delivery contracts, tells you when to invoice. It also lets you warn clients before a link expires if they have not downloaded yet.

How it works

Common download controls include:

• On/off toggle. Viewing-only galleries for review, embargoed launches or unpaid balances; downloads enabled for final delivery.

• Per-file or bulk downloads. Individual files for quick grabs, whole-gallery downloads for clients collecting everything.

• Watermark linkage. Some tools disable downloads whenever a watermark is on, so a clean file cannot slip out during review.

• Expiry. A deadline after which the gallery, and its downloads, stop working.

• Notifications and logs. Alerts or records showing who downloaded what, and when.

A practical download policy might look like this:

1. During review, downloads are off and the preview is watermarked.

2. After approval, the watermark comes off but downloads stay off until the final invoice is paid.

3. On payment, downloads are switched on and the client is told what to grab and by when.

4. A notification confirms collection, and your contract's availability window starts.

Communicating the policy up front, ideally in your contract, avoids awkward conversations later.

Common approaches

Transfer services such as WeTransfer let recipients download until the link expires, and paid plans may confirm downloads. Google Drive and Dropbox allow owners to restrict downloads for some share types, though controls vary by plan and file type, and tracking can be limited. Review tools like Frame.io let you toggle downloads on review links. Client gallery and delivery platforms tend to treat download control and tracking as a core feature because the handoff is their main job.

Can I control client downloads in DLVRD?

Yes. Downloads are a per-gallery setting in DLVRD, so you can share a gallery for viewing only and enable downloads when you are ready. Turning on the watermark switches downloads off automatically. When downloads are on, clients receive your untouched original files, and download notifications tell you when a file is collected.