Request Approval On A Document

Document approvals are a convenient way to receive clear feedback on one or more files.

Creating an Approval Request

To initiate an approval request for a document attached to a task or project, in the Files tab of the task/project's details tray, click the 3 vertical dots ( ︙ ) icon to the right of the item for which you wish to request an approval, then choose Request approval from the drop down menu. You can select which users or groups of users to request an approval from by clicking in the appropriate type selection box and choosing the name(s), a Due Date for when they need to respond by, and any additional instructions they should have. Selecting the Continue button will provide a new overlay to send an email notification to those selected.

If an item has an existing approval request, an icon and Out for approval or All approvers have responded (if all the designated approvers have provided a response) shows next to the item in the file list view and in the details tray for the item, along with thumb icons and a ? icon noting the responses received and still pending.

Multiple Files

When dealing with multiple documents, click the Approvals button in the Documents area or Files section of the details tray when selecting the left checkbox for one or more files. From the dropdown, clicking Request approval will send out individual approval notifications for each document. You can also use the Approvals button to respond to checked files with approvals you're requested on or to close approvals that are finished.

External Approvals

External approval requests can be sent to any external email address. Once the external approver’s information is entered and the approval is initiated, an email with a unique link will be sent to each approver allowing them to access a document approval page to log their response.

After clicking the emailed link, a page displays for approving the document with a View link. For standard image format documents, Workzone will open the document in a new tab in the browser. For other file types, Workzone will download the document for local viewing on the approver's device.

Initiating an approval request for external approvers starts using the Creating an Approval Request described above, while checking the box labeled External Approvers.

For first-time external approvers, the first name, last name, and email address of a new external approver is entered in the respective boxes for the row below the Add new label. Workzone will automatically collect those details for future approvals. Those external approvers that have already been entered previously can be selected in the box labeled Select existing, avoiding having to reenter their name and email address as a new approver.

For those existing approvers retained by Workzone, the names and email addresses can be updated, or those approvers can be removed from the Select existing box for future approvals altogether. These settings are found in the gear icon in the top right, from the All Workspaces view, where both Managers and Administrators can select the External parties page on the left in the Users section.

The Remove link on each row will eliminate the record of that external approver from the Select existing box for future approvals, though they can be added as a new approver again anytime in the future, while the Edit link on each row allows for update the name and/or email address of the approver.