Operations
Build an approval workflow with a human decision
Route requests to an authorised person and preserve a clear decision history.
Understand the process
Approvals scattered across email and chat are hard to audit. A workflow can collect a request, route it to an approver and act on the decision. The approval system must verify who made the decision and which exact version of the request they approved.
The workflow at a glance
- 01Request submitted
- 02Select approver
- 03Await decision
- 04Validate decision
- 05Apply outcome
Illustrative process map. The exact nodes and connections depend on your applications.
How to approach the implementation
Define authority
List who may approve each request type and amount or scope. Keep the requester from approving their own request when the business policy requires separation.
Create a decision record
Store a request ID, version, approver and expiry. Use an authenticated approval interface or an appropriately protected single-use mechanism.
Revalidate before executing
Check that the approver is still authorised and that the request has not changed. Reject expired or repeated decisions and return altered requests for fresh approval.
Record the outcome
Store the decision, actor and timestamp. Execute the authorised action once and show whether the action itself succeeded after approval.
What to prepare
- Approval matrix and escalation policy
- Identity verification approach
- A system to store decision history
Watch out for
A forwarded link should not grant unrestricted approval authority. Opening a link should not itself execute a consequential action.
How to check whether it is working
Track decision time, expired requests and actions awaiting completion after approval.
Technical reference: Official n8n documentation . Confirm the available options against your n8n version and connected services.
MAKE IT WORK FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Want Esperto to implement this?
Share the tools you use and the part of the process you want to improve. We will help define the scope, dependencies and delivery approach.
Tell us about your workflow
Your request will include this guide so our team has the context. Please share requirements, not passwords or API keys.
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