Updated September 2026: in March 2020 the offshore delivery contact and I finished most of a request in two days, sent a work-in-progress version to onsite and heard nothing. We decided that no comments meant we were on track, and completed the rest. I have rewritten it into advice on when to treat silence as approval.
We worked quickly and covered nearly all the client's requirements within two days. On the first day we sent a work-in-progress document to onsite for review. By the next day there were no comments or even an acknowledgment. We decided that if nobody commented, we would assume we were on the right track and complete the rest.
Is it safe to treat silence as approval?
Only if you say so in advance. Proceeding quietly on the assumption of approval can backfire if the reviewer later claims they never agreed. Stating it openly makes the assumption legitimate and gives the reviewer a fair chance to object.
How do you state it?
In the email that shares the draft: "Please send comments by 3 pm tomorrow. If we do not hear by then, we will proceed on the current approach." Clear, polite and hard to dispute later.
What if the reviewer objects after the deadline?
- Point back to the deadline in your email.
- Assess what the late feedback would change.
- Agree whether it can fit before submission, or goes into the next version.
Why do reviewers go silent?
Usually because they are busy, waiting for client input, or satisfied and not thinking to say so. Silence is rarely rejection, but it is not a formal yes either.
Is moving fast worth the risk?
Often, yes. Finishing early leaves time to absorb late feedback. Waiting passively for comments tends to push all the work into the last day, which is where mistakes happen.
What should you record?
The version shared, the deadline for comments and the decision to proceed. A short note in the thread is enough.