Add approval steps to a workflow

An approval step pauses a workflow run until a person signs off. Use it to put a human gate in the middle of an automation: archive stale tasks only after a manager confirms, or hold a status change until QA approves.

If you have not built a workflow yet, start with Build a workflow.

Add the step

1. In the workflow builder, add a step and pick the Approval kind.

2. Write a Summary. This text is shown to approvers with the request, so say what they are deciding and why.

3. Tick the Approvers. Any member can be an approver; they do not need to be workflow admins themselves.

4. Choose the decision mode. By default the first decision wins: one approval continues the run, one rejection stops it. Turn on Require ALL approvers for unanimous mode: every approver must approve, and any single rejection rejects.

5. Connect the two outcomes. The approved branch continues the happy path; the rejected branch can notify someone, add a comment, or simply end the run if you leave it unconnected.

Caution

An approval step with no approvers selected does not block the run; it is skipped as approved. Always assign at least one approver to a step you intend as a real gate.

Where approvals appear

When a run reaches the approval step, it suspends and each approver gets an in-app notification. Pending requests collect in the Approval Inbox:

• On the Workflows page, an amber pending approvals counter appears in the header whenever something is waiting on you. Selecting it opens the inbox.
• The inbox itself lives at Workflows → Approval Inbox, with Pending, Approved, and Rejected tabs and a preview of the full run timeline for each request.

Approve or reject

From the Approval Inbox, open a pending request, optionally add a note for the record, and approve or reject. Your decision is stored with your name and note on the run’s timeline.

What happens next depends on the decision mode:

• First decision wins (default): the run resumes immediately down the approved or rejected branch.
• Require ALL approvers: the run stays paused until everyone has decided, unless someone rejects, which resolves it as rejected right away.

A paused run shows as waiting for approval in the Activity tab, so workflow admins can see exactly which step a run is stuck on and who has not decided yet.

FAQs

Can a regular member be an approver? Yes. Approvers are picked per step from your members, and anyone assigned can open the Approval Inbox and decide, even if they cannot see the Workflows entry in the sidebar. The notification they receive tells them a decision is waiting.

What if an approver never responds? The run stays paused indefinitely; there is no automatic timeout on approval steps today. A workflow admin can cancel the stuck run from the Activity tab if it is no longer relevant.

Can I have several approval gates in one workflow? Yes. Each approval step is independent, with its own approvers, mode, and branches, so you can chain a team-lead gate before a director gate.