Approval types and custom responses
1. Approval types and custom responses
Last video used the standard approval: one approver, binary Approve or Reject. But some decisions need multiple sign-offs, ordered responses, or aren't yes-or-no at all. This video walks through all four approval types.2. The four approval types
The Approval type dropdown exposes four options. First to respond fires the moment any assignee responds. Everyone must approve waits for every assignee, and only resumes if all of them approve. Custom Responses replace the binary Approve/Reject buttons with labels you define: Wait for one takes the first response, Wait for all waits for everyone. Sequential sends the request to the first approver, waits for their response, then moves to the next, one at a time in order.3. Parallel approvals: First to respond vs Everyone must approve
Both parallel types email every assignee at the same time, but they differ in when the flow resumes. First to respond is the right pick when any qualified approver is sufficient, like a team of three managers where any one can sign off. Everyone must approve is the right pick when every named person must agree. If even one rejects, the overall Outcome is Reject. Use Everyone must approve sparingly: every additional approver is another bottleneck. The more humans in series, the slower the flow.4. Sequential approvals
Sequential approvals are different from parallel in one important way, which is that only the current approver gets the email. When they respond, the next approver in the list is notified. The third only sees the request after the second has approved. This is the right pattern when seniority matters, so junior manager reviews first, director signs off second, VP approves third. It's also slower than parallel: total wait time is the sum of every step, not the longest single step. And if anyone rejects, the chain stops there; downstream approvers never see the request.5. Custom responses
Sometimes the decision isn't yes-or-no. A contract renewal might be renew as-is, renew with changes, or let lapse, three nuanced choices, not a binary. Custom Responses lets you replace the Approve and Reject buttons with up to five labels of your own. The `Outcome` token then comes back as whichever label the approver clicked. Branch downstream with a Switch action keyed on `Outcome`, one case per response. Beyond five responses, the actionable email no longer renders the buttons inline, so approvers have to click out to the Approvals app instead. Keep it at five or fewer for the smoothest inbox experience.6. Picking the right type
The picking logic is straightforward. Start by asking how many approvers are involved and what shape the decision takes. One approver with a binary outcome is First to respond in single-approver form. One approver with nuanced choices is Custom Responses, Wait for one. Multiple approvers where any one can decide is First to respond with several assignees. Multiple approvers where every one must agree is Everyone must approve. And if the order matters, junior, then senior, then executive, that's Sequential. Pick the question the decision actually is.7. Let's practice!
Match the approval type to the real-world decision. Let's wire one up.Create Your Free Account
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