How to send updated files to clients without version confusion
One link per deliverable, new versions behind it, a clearly named final and a separate source handover.
To send updated files to clients without version confusion, give every deliverable one link, replace the file behind that link each round, and say in plain words which round is final. Source and project files go in a separate, expiring, password protected link after approval. This guide shows the habit first, then how to set it up in Tarkle.
You need a place where the file lives once, a way to replace it without losing the earlier round, and a short message template. The habit works with any tool that can do those three things.
Why renaming files fails
Everyone has seen contract_FINAL, contract_FINAL_v2 and contract_FINAL_clientedits in the same folder. Renaming feels safe because the name carries the history. In practice it breaks in three places.
First, the name is a promise nobody keeps. "Final" is written before the client has seen the file, so it stops meaning anything by round three. Second, every rename is a new file, and every new file needs a new email or a new link. The client ends up with three attachments, and the one they open is the one at the top of the inbox, not the newest. Third, you cannot tell afterwards what the client actually received and when.
Stop putting "final" in a file name until the client has approved it. Use the round instead, for example Brochure_round3_for-approval, and let the approved file be the only one that gets the word.
One link to send updated files to clients without version confusion
The fix is to separate the name of the deliverable from its history. The deliverable keeps one name and one link for the whole project. Each round replaces the file behind that link, and the earlier rounds are kept out of the client's sight but still available to you.
In Tarkle this is file versions. It is available on Pro, Agency and lifetime plans, because the plan belongs to your organization. To upload a round:
In your Library, open the three-dot menu on the file and choose New version.
Pick the new file. It must have the same extension as the one it replaces, so a PDF replaces a PDF.
If the file is already in a transfer, Tarkle asks Update the transfer too? Choose Upload and update transfer.
From then on, recipients who open the same transfer link get the new file. They see only the latest version, marked with a small version tag, and the date column shows when it last changed. Anyone who already downloaded the previous round keeps their copy, and Tarkle does not email recipients about the change, so you still send a message. Your own history is under Version history on the file, where you can preview, download or Restore an earlier round. Restoring adds a new version rather than deleting anything.
On the Transfers list, a green New version tag shows you which transfers have a fresh file behind them. Earlier versions are kept for 90 days after they are replaced and count toward your storage, so download anything you need for longer.
If you want the transfer to update without being asked each time, there is a setting called Update transfers automatically in Settings, under File settings. It is off by default and available on Pro, Agency and lifetime plans. Leave it off if you want a moment to check the file first.
Tell the client which version is final
A single link removes most of the confusion, but the client still needs to know what they are looking at. Put three things at the top of every message: the round, what changed, and what you need from them.
A message that works for a third round: "Round 3 is on the same link as before. I changed the headline and the colour of the footer. Please reply by Friday with approval or your last changes." When the client approves, send one more message that says "Approved version" and names the file. That message is your record of what final meant.
Tarkle can help with the wording. The wand next to Title in the new transfer window writes a title and summary for you, which is useful when you are sending many rounds in a week. It is part of AI descriptions and file names, is available on Pro and Agency plans, and is not included on lifetime plans. Read what it writes before you send.
Open the Transfers list after sending. The transfer status badges show whether the transfer was viewed or downloaded, and how many times. If a client says they never saw round 3 and the badge says otherwise, you have a calm answer.
Hand over source files after approval
Clients often ask for the project files once they approve: the layered design file, the editing project, the raw exports. Deliver the finals first, in the same transfer the client already knows. Then treat source files as a second delivery with different rules, because they carry more than the client paid to see.
Create a new transfer for the source files and set two controls in the new transfer window:
Tick Password protected and type a password. Recipients must enter it before the files load. Password protection only works while the password stays private, so send it by a different channel than the link, for example by text message while the link goes by email.
Tick Expiration date and pick a day from the calendar. Link expiration lets you choose any day from tomorrow to three years ahead. A week or two is usually enough to let the client download everything.
If the client has not downloaded in time, make a new transfer rather than extending the old one, since the password and date are set when the transfer is created. When you want to close a link early, open the transfer's three-dot menu on the Transfers list and choose Pause transfer. This is how you revoke access in one click, and Enable transfer brings the same link back.
For a video project, the same approach applies to delivering the cut itself. The article on delivering video to clients covers that side.
Keep a delivery record
When a dispute starts, the person with the dates wins it. Record, for each round, the date you sent it, the link, what changed and what the client said. A shared spreadsheet or the project notes are fine.
Tarkle keeps part of this for you. The activity log is a searchable record of what happened across your workspace, including views and downloads, with the time and, when known, the place. Select rows and choose Export selected to save them as a CSV with the date, action, resource, user and type. The page shows the 50 most recent entries, so export at each handover and store the file with the project.
Export the activity rows on the day the client approves, and save the CSV next to the approval message. Together they show what was delivered, when and to whom.
A checklist for every round
One deliverable, one name, one link for the whole project.
Upload each round as a new version, never as a renamed copy.
Source files go in a second transfer, with a password and an expiration date.
Export the delivery record at each handover.
Common mistakes
Replacing the file without telling the client, who then assumes nothing changed.
Putting finals and source files in the same transfer, so the client holds more than they approved.
Forgetting that earlier versions are kept for 90 days only.
Next step
Pick the project you are sending this week and set up one transfer for it. Password protection works on a free account, while file versions need Pro, Agency or a lifetime plan. Start for free. For a wider look at how to send work to clients, read how to share files with clients without Google Drive.
