How to approve a sample before manufacturing in China
An approved sample should become a reference that purchasing, the factory and the inspector can all identify and use. This guide helps you close that approval and then check whether production matches what was agreed.
Updated: 15 September 2026
Written by the EC HolaHome team, based on our experience coordinating samples and quality control with factories in China.
In short
Before authorising production, close three elements: the identified sample, the specification sheet and the approval record.
1. What you are actually approving
A catalogue sample shows you an option. A prototype tests an idea. A pre-production sample should represent the configuration you intend to manufacture; confirm with the supplier which materials, components or processes still differ from series production.
An approved sample, often called a golden sample, is the reference accepted for one specific version of the product. The name alone is not enough: state which aspects the approval covers and which remain open.
QIMA uses reference samples to compare the expected appearance and performance during its inspections. They help with comparison; they do not replace the specification.
A photo can document a detail, but on its own it cannot confirm feel, fit, strength or function. If the review is remote, record what was checked and what is still pending.
Avoid approving with an “all good” in a conversation. Collect in one sheet everything the factory will have to reproduce.
From sample to specification sheet
Aspect
What to put in writing
How to check it
Identity
Reference, version and supplier
Sample code and specification sheet must match.
Materials and components
Agreed specification and substitutions that require approval
Documentation and checks suited to the material; appearance is not enough.
Dimensions and fit
Critical measurements and the allowance for each one
Defined method, measuring points and conditions.
Finish and colour
Physical reference or standard, visible areas and relevant defects
Comparison under the agreed viewing conditions.
Function
What the product must do and to what result
Described test and acceptance criterion.
Packaging and labelling
Final artwork, accessories, protection and presentation
Review of the complete unit and its documentation.
Tolerances are the allowances against a specification. They should reflect how the product is used and how it is made. Do not copy a generic tolerance, and do not confuse the dimensional allowance of a part with the defect rate of a batch.
If the sample and the specification sheet contradict each other, resolve the difference and record the valid version before producing.
3. Keep identified references at both ends
Where practical, keep one approved unit with the buyer and one with the factory. These are retained samples: identified units of the same version used to compare results. Check that both meet the approved criteria; do not assume they are equivalent because they arrived together.
Label every unit with code, version, date and owner, and add photographs of the product, the details and the packaging.
Agree where they are kept and when they are reviewed or replaced if they age, deteriorate or the design changes.
A seal helps detect tampering, but on its own it neither proves quality nor amounts to a certification.
If a test consumes or destroys the sample, agree additional units and record what was tested.
For large or expensive products, combine the physical references that are viable with drawings, sheets and evidence, and state clearly what that comparison cannot cover.
4. Record an approval that supports decisions
This sheet is reusable: copy it into your project document and complete it for each sample.
Sample approval record
Field
What to record
Project and reference
Internal name, product and related order.
Sample and version
Unique code, date received and current revision.
Linked documents
Technical sheet, drawings and packaging files with their versions.
Checks
What was reviewed, how, the result and the evidence.
Decision
Approved / pending correction / rejected.
Open points and scope
What is missing, who owns it and which activity stays blocked.
Confirmation
Buyer’s owner, date and the factory’s acceptance of the version.
A partial approval only authorises what is expressly stated. If colour is still open, approving dimensions does not automatically authorise producing every unit.
Fictional example: “Reference GEN-01, sample M-03. Dimensions and assembly accepted against sheet V3. Printing pending correction. Series production pending approval of the artwork and new evidence.”
Keep the confirmation in a shared record and make sure it reaches production and quality control, not only the sales contact.
5. Check the first production run and manage changes
Before manufacturing, confirm that the current versions have reached the people buying materials, producing and preparing packaging. If the risk justifies it, agree a first-off unit or a short pilot run to review the step from prototype to production.
When a material, component, process, sub-supplier or file changes, ask for a description, assess the impact and record whether a new sample or approval is needed. A substitution should not be taken as accepted because it is “equivalent”.
During order control, the sample works alongside the specification sheet and the inspection plan. SGS describes its final inspections as sampling-based checks covering quality, quantity, packing and marking; checking an approved sample does not prove that the whole batch conforms.
Six checks before authorising series manufacturing.
Reference and versions match across sample, specification sheet and order.
Open points resolved or expressly blocked.
Acceptance criteria defined for each check.
Retained samples and evidence identified and stored.
The factory confirms receipt of the current versions.
Control plan and change management agreed in writing.
FAQ
Common questions about sample approval
Can the factory produce with a sample approved from photos?
Only if the scope of that review is enough for the aspects being authorised. Leave open the checks that require a physical unit, a measurement or a test.
Does every order need a new sample approval?
Check whether the version, materials and process are still current. Changes or incidents may justify a new sample; agree the criterion before repeating the order.
Note
Commercial approval of a sample does not replace the testing or conformity assessment that applies to the product. This guide sets out our own operational guidance, not a legal standard or a universal protocol.
Need to close the sample before producing?
Tell us which product you are developing and what is still to be validated. We can coordinate samples, specifications and the agreed control with the factory.
