This article explains how to set up Slack’s Request Approval action to create a Slack approval bot. Learn how to interact with it in Slack.

Use cases for Slack approval workflows

Here are some examples of how to incorporate a Slack approval bot into your organization:

• Purchase requests: You can submit requests with details like item description, quantity, vendor, and cost. These requests go directly to the appropriate manager or finance team for approval.
• Checking AI content: When you use AI to make content, you can send it to the editor for approval. They can check if it’s accurate and follows your editorial rules before it's published.
• Time off requests: You can send requests for vacation, sick leave, or other time off directly to managers through Slack.

1. Add a trigger to your Zap

• Set up your Zap trigger.

2. Set up the Request Approval action

• Click the Action step, or click the plus + icon to add an action to your Zap.
• Search for and select Slack.
• Click the Event dropdown menu and select Request Approval.
• In the Configure tab, complete these fields:
  • Approval request message: Enter the message that will be displayed in the Slack message.
    • You can use mapped fields from your trigger step to display information specific to that request.
  • Channel: Select the channel where the approval message will appear.
  • (Optional) Approvers: Select members who can approve or deny requests.
  • Bot name: Enter the name of your approval bot.
  • Bot icon: Enter an image URL or emoji code.
    • For example, https://static.helpjuice.com/helpjuice_production/uploads/upload/image/30153/5613402/authn-request.jsp or :robot_face:.

Tip

You can add styling to your Slack messages such as mentioning approvers’ usernames.

3. Customize approval options and appearance

Approve button

• Approve button URL: Enter a URL that will open in a new tab or window in the authorized approver’s browser once they confirm their decision.
• Approve button label: Enter a label of up to 75 characters that will appear on the button. If left blank, the default is “Approve”.

Decline button

• Add a Decline button:
  • Select Yes to include a “Decline” button with your approval request.
    • Learn more about setting up the approval options.
• Decline button URL: Enter a URL that will open in a new tab in the authorized approver’s browser once they confirm their decision.
• Decline button label: Enter a label of up to 75 characters that will appear on the button. If left blank, the default is “Decline”.

(Optional) Details button

You can include a “Details” button to share more information with approvers, such as additional request details or the approval criteria.

If you select Yes on the Add a Details button field, two new fields will appear:

• Details button URL: Enter a URL that will open a new tab in the authorized approver’s browser.
• (Optional) Details button label: Enter a label of up to 75 characters for the button. If left bank, the default is “Details”.

(Optional) Confirmation message for approvals or declines

You can enable an additional confirmation message for responders after they click to approve or decline a request. You can customize the confirmation dialog box for both approvals and declines.

If you select Yes on the Require confirmation field, you can customize the appearance of the approval and decline confirmation messages.

4. Test your Request Approval action

• Click Continue.
• If you want to perform the action live to test the step, click Test step.
  • If you do not want to test the step live, click Skip test.

5. Create conditional or branching logic 

You can create filters or paths (conditional and branching logic) that will run different steps based on the outcome of this action. Once the approval request is approved or denied, the Status output field will change from “Pending” to “Approved” or “Declined”.

However, the available output for this logic depends on what you select for the “Include a Decline button?” field:

• Yes: The Status output field can change to “Approved” or “Declined”.
• No: The Status output field can change only to “Approved”.

Monitor pending approvals

• When an approval request is sent:
  • The Zap run will appear as Waiting / Delay in Zap history.
  • The Status output field will appear as “pending”.
    • Once a request is approved in Slack, the Status output field will change to “Approved”.
    • Once a request is declined in Slack, the Status output field will change to “Declined”.
• If you create and publish a new version, any pending Zap runs using the previous Zap version will not run.
• Pending approval requests will expire after 30 days.

Data retention for pending approvals

Pending approval requests' data are kept for a maximum of 30 days. You can find pending approvals in Zap history. It can display up to 10,000 runs. Learn more about Zap history storage limits.

Next steps

• Once you’ve completed your Slack trigger and action steps, you can then add subsequent actions steps.
• If this workflow is shared with other teammates, use Zap notes to explain how the Slack approval bot works.