Approval Workflows

Approval workflows ensure contracts go through proper review before finalization. Configure multi-step approval chains for your organization.

Workflow Overview

Approval workflows define:

• Who reviews drafts
• In what order
• With what authority
• Under what conditions

Accessing Workflow Settings

1. Go to Settings > Workspace
2. Click Workflows tab
3. View and configure approval workflows

Default Workflow

Every workspace has a default workflow:

• Single approval step
• Any admin can approve
• No conditions

This applies unless you configure custom workflows.

Creating Custom Workflows

Basic Setup

1. Click Create Workflow
2. Enter workflow name
3. Add approval steps
4. Set conditions
5. Save workflow

Approval Steps

Add sequential approval steps:

Each step must approve before the next begins.

Step Configuration

For each step:

• Name - Step description
• Approvers - Users or roles who can approve
• Required - Must approve to proceed
• Timeout - Auto-escalate if not approved

Workflow Conditions

Apply workflows based on:

Condition Logic

Combine conditions with:

• All - All conditions must be true
• Any - At least one condition true

Parallel vs. Sequential

Sequential (Default)

Steps happen in order:

1. Step 1 approves
2. Then step 2 can review
3. Then step 3 can approve

Parallel

Multiple steps review simultaneously:

• Legal and Finance review at same time
• Both must approve
• Then final approval

Escalation Rules

Handle stuck approvals:

• Timeout - Escalate after X days
• Reminder - Send reminders before timeout
• Escalation Path - Who receives escalation
• Skip - Allow skipping unresponsive step

Workflow Assignment

Assign workflows to:

By Contract Type

NDA → Simple Workflow (1 approval)
MSA → Standard Workflow (2 approvals)
Enterprise Agreement → Full Workflow (3 approvals)

By Value

Under $10K → No workflow required
$10K - $100K → Standard approval
Over $100K → Executive approval

Managing Workflows

Edit Workflow

1. Click workflow name
2. Modify steps or conditions
3. Save changes

Changes apply to new submissions only.

Disable Workflow

1. Toggle workflow off
2. Workflow won't apply
3. Default workflow used instead

Delete Workflow

1. Click delete
2. Confirm deletion
3. Affected drafts use default

Monitoring Approvals

Track workflow progress:

• View pending approvals dashboard
• See bottlenecks by step
• Identify slow approvers
• Monitor SLA compliance

Best Practices

1. Keep it simple - More steps = slower approvals
2. Right-size by risk - Low-value contracts need fewer approvals
3. Set timeouts - Prevent indefinite delays
4. Use roles - Assign to roles, not individuals
5. Test workflows - Verify before going live

Troubleshooting

Draft stuck in approval?

• Check current step requirements
• Verify approvers have access
• Review timeout settings

Wrong workflow applied?

• Check condition matching
• Verify workflow priority
• Review contract type setting

Related Articles

• Draft Review & Approval
• Creating Contract Drafts
• Workspace Settings