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Ask someone to approve

Workspace admin4 min readUpdated 3 Sep 2026
In this article

Automation should stop where judgement starts. This is the step that hands over — and because the decision is recorded on the record with a note, you can answer "who approved this?" later.

  • A walkthrough video, then four shapes of approval worth building
  • The seven steps, and why the Title goes first
  • What the approver sees, and what happens when they answer
  • Two things that will surprise you, including one during a backfill

01 · Video

Feature walkthrough

Video · sending something for approval · 2:30

02 · Why

Why do we have this?

Automation should stop where judgement starts. This is the step that hands over, and because the decision is recorded on the record with a note, you can answer "who approved this?" later.

03 · Use cases

Use case 1
Anything over a limit

Check the total with an If / Or step, then ask for approval on the Yes path.

Use case 2
Anything with no PO

Same shape, different check.

Use case 3
Two signatures on big payments

Set Approval Type to All Required and name two approvers.

Use case 4
A quiet nod rather than a stop

Use Review instead. It asks someone to look but does not pause the workflow.

04 · How

Add an approval step

  1. Press ADD STEP and choose Approval under Logic & Control.
  2. Type the Title first. It is what the approver sees in their inbox.
  3. Write the Description — say what you want them to check.
  4. Choose the Mode: Single Approver, Multiple Approvers, or Auto Approve.
  5. Choose the Approval Type: Any One (first answer settles it) or All Required.
  6. Choose the Approvers — the whole organization, a department, a job title, or named people.
  7. Add steps to the APPROVED and REJECTED branches if you want something to follow.

05 · Expected result

The step appears with two branches under it. When the workflow runs, the person gets a task in My Tasks reading:

Approval Request: Check invoice HD-1001 before payment · muttayyab · Help Docs Invoices · Just now

The workflow waits. When they answer, it continues down the matching branch, and the decision and note are kept against the record.

06 · Troubleshooting and notes

There is no "any 2 of 5"

Your only choices are Any One and All Required.

Auto Approve approves without asking anyone

It is for keeping the shape of a process in place while switching the human step off.

Choosing the whole organization or a department clears the rest

Job titles and named people can be mixed; those two cannot.

Nobody gets an email

Approvers get an in-app notification and the task in their inbox.

07 · FAQ

Common questions

What happens if nobody answers?

The workflow stays paused. There is no automatic reminder or timeout in the builder.

Can I approve my own request?

Yes, if you are one of the approvers. Nothing stops it.

What's the difference between Approval and Review?

Approval pauses the workflow and needs a yes or no. Review just asks someone to look, and the workflow carries on without waiting.

Where do I see what was decided?

On the record, and in the approver's Completed tab in My Tasks, with their note.

Can I change the approvers after it is running?

Yes, but it only affects requests made after the change. Ones already waiting keep their original approvers.