How to get client feedback on a staging site without asking them to install anything
Bottom line: MarkLayer lets clients annotate a staging URL in their own browser with no extension, no account, and no PDF screenshot loop. Open the web app at marklayer.app, paste the staging URL, share the link. The client sees the live page with a comment-pin tool already loaded. Works on any URL, including password-protected staging sites the client can already access.
Asking a client to install a Chrome extension before they can leave feedback on your staging site is friction you can't afford. With MarkLayer, you paste the staging URL into the web app, share the generated link, and the client opens it in their browser. They annotate the live page in place. No install, no signup, no PDF screenshot dance.
The problem
The default flow is broken. You ship a staging URL. The client opens it on their phone, takes a screenshot, types 'this is broken' in iMessage, and you have no idea which button they meant. You ask for screenshots in your project management tool, and the screenshots arrive without URLs. You suggest a paid annotation platform, and the client refuses to sign up. Half your feedback cycle becomes 'which page were you on when this happened?'.
Why MarkLayer fits agencies, freelancers, and product teams sharing staging URLs
The recipient does not need a Chrome extension or any other install — they open the link in their browser and the comment-pin tool is already loaded.
No account, no signup, no email collected from the client. The friction that kills review cycles is gone.
Works on any URL — your staging environment, production, a third-party page you do not own.
For password-protected staging sites, the client uses the same credentials they already have. MarkLayer does not need its own access; it overlays the page they see.
Real-time cursors mean you and the client can review the page together on a call, with each cursor visible — no screen-sharing, no "click the thing under your cursor."
Free for every client engagement with no per-seat math.
How it works
1. Open the MarkLayer web app. Go to marklayer.app in your browser. You do not need the Chrome extension for this flow — the web app is the no-install path.
2. Paste the staging URL. Drop the staging environment URL into the input. MarkLayer loads the live page inside a viewer with the annotation toolbar overlaid.
3. Walk through the work. Optionally pre-annotate sections you want feedback on, or pin questions for the client to answer in place. Skip this if you want the client to come at it cold.
4. Share one link. Click Share. Copy the generated link. Email, Slack, or text it to the client. No account on either side.
5. Client annotates in their browser. The client opens the link, sees the live staging page with the comment tool loaded, and drops pins where they have feedback. Threaded replies anchor to the spot on the page they refer to.
6. Review async or together. You see new comments in real time. Jump on a call with live cursors when you want to walk through them, or pick up the thread async.
Frequently asked questions
Does my client need to install a Chrome extension to leave feedback?
No. The whole point of this flow is that the client uses the web app on marklayer.app — no extension, no account. The Chrome extension is only useful for annotating pages that cannot be loaded inside the web-app viewer (some heavy-CSP single-page apps), and only for the person creating annotations, never the reviewer.
Does this work on a password-protected staging site?
Yes, as long as the client can already access the staging site with their own credentials. MarkLayer overlays the page the client loads in their browser; it does not need its own login. For staging behind a corporate VPN, the client needs VPN access; MarkLayer rides on top of whatever they can already see.
How long does the share link stay live?
Annotations on a share link persist for 30 days from last activity (see the cleanup cron in the codebase). For longer review cycles, a single comment or page view resets the timer.
Can multiple clients review the same staging URL at once?
Yes. Open the same share link in multiple browsers and you see real-time cursors for everyone on the page. Useful for stakeholder reviews where three people argue about the same button.
What's the difference between this and asking for feedback in Loom?
A Loom video is 90 seconds of the client narrating what is wrong. MarkLayer is a 3-second pin saying 'this button.' For specific, visual feedback the pin wins. For walkthroughs where motion or voice tone matters, Loom is the better fit. Use both.
How is this different from Markup.io or Pastel?
Markup.io and Pastel are agency-grade paid platforms with project workspaces and version tracking. They charge per seat. MarkLayer is free, has no per-seat fee, and skips the project-workspace layer. If you want the workflow scaffolding, Pastel is the better fit. If you want the annotation to work in 30 seconds with no client onboarding, MarkLayer is.