Approval

The Approval activity extends the Action activity to provide a decision-making task with two distinct outcomes: Approved or Rejected.

Purpose

Use the Approval activity when you need a user to review and make a binary decision on:

• Data submissions
• Process continuations
• Workflow progressions

Configuration

Name

• Activity Name: Unique identifier for this approval in the workflow
• Used to reference the activity in workflow design and execution logs

User Instructions

• Instructions Field: Large text area for detailed instructions
• Provide clear, step-by-step guidance for the assigned user
• Supports multi-line text for comprehensive task descriptions

Files & Links

Add supporting materials to help users complete the approval:

• New File: Attach files from the application for reference
• New Url: Add links to external resources, documents, or systems
• Files and links appear in the approval view for easy access

Due Date Type

Configure when the approval should be completed:

• None: No deadline specified
• Fixed Date: Set a specific due date
• Relative: Set deadline relative to workflow start or previous activity

Owner

• User or Security Group: Assign the approval to a specific user or group
• The owner is responsible for making the approval decision
• Only one owner can be assigned per approval
• Click the icon to browse and select from available users and groups

Contributors

• Add Multiple Contributors: Users who can assist with the approval review
• Contributors can view and work on the task alongside the owner
• Click + New Contributor to add users or groups
• Useful for collaborative review processes

Supervisors

• Add Multiple Supervisors: Users who oversee the approval
• Supervisors can monitor progress and completion
• Click + New Supervisor to add users or groups

Advance Rule

Determines when this activity is triggered based on predecessor activities:

• When All: Activity starts only after all predecessor activities complete (default)
• When Any: Activity starts when any predecessor activity completes
• When First: Activity starts the first time any predecessor completes, then ignores others

Outcomes

The activity provides two exit paths that you can connect to different workflow branches:

• Approved: Workflow continues down the approved path
• Rejected: Workflow continues down the rejected path

Usage Notes

• Built on the Action activity with added outcome routing
• The owner must explicitly select either Approved or Rejected
• Use with conditional branching to handle different outcomes appropriately
• Can be combined with ClearState activity in rejection scenarios to reset previous steps
• Use clear, actionable instructions to ensure proper review
• Attach relevant files and links to provide context for the approval decision

Best Practices

• Clear Instructions: Write detailed, step-by-step instructions in the User Instructions field
• Appropriate Assignment: Assign to users who have the authority to approve/reject
• Include Context: Add files and links that provide necessary background information
• Set Deadlines: Use Due Date Type when timely approval is important
• Use Contributors: Add contributors for approvals that benefit from collaborative review
• Add Supervisors: Include supervisors when oversight or approval tracking is needed
• Document Criteria: Clearly state what criteria should be used for approval/rejection decisions

JSON Reference

{
  "discriminator": "ApproveWorkflowActivity",
  "activityId": "<uuid>",
  "name": "Approval",
  "positionX": 0,
  "positionY": 0,
  "advanceRule": 2,
  "ownerGroupOrUser": { "username": "approver@example.com" },
  "contributorGroupsOrUsers": [],
  "supervisorGroupsOrUsers": [],
  "dueDate": null,
  "dueDateCalculationMode": 0,
  "htmlDescription": "<p>Please review and approve or reject.</p>",
  "items": []
}

Property	Type	Description
ownerGroupOrUser	object | null	Corresponds to the Owner field. An object { "username": string } identifying the user or group who makes the approval decision.
contributorGroupsOrUsers	array	Corresponds to the Contributors list. Array of { "username": string } objects for users who can assist with the review.
supervisorGroupsOrUsers	array	Corresponds to the Supervisors list. Array of { "username": string } objects for supervisors.
dueDate	string | null	Due date duration (ISO 8601) used with dueDateCalculationMode. null means no due date.
dueDateCalculationMode	integer	0 = None, 1 = AbsoluteDate, 2 = FromWorkflowStartCalendarDays, 3 = FromWorkflowStartBusinessDays, 4 = FromWorkflowEndCalendarDays, 5 = FromWorkflowEndBusinessDays, 6 = FromActivityStartCalendarDays, 7 = FromActivityStartBusinessDays.
htmlDescription	string	Corresponds to the User Instructions field. HTML instructions shown to the approver. Supports {variable} interpolation.
items	array	Form items shown in the approval panel. Pass [] for a plain approval with no form.