Approval Tasks
Approval tasks present a binary decision — Approve or Reject — with an optional comment field. They are the most common HIL task type and appear whenever a workflow requires a human sign-off before proceeding.
Approval Task UI
Clicking an approval task in the list opens the full task detail view. Here is what an approval task looks like:
Expense Report Approval — Q1 Marketing
Workflow: Expense Approval Flow | Requested by: Sarah Chen | Due: 2026-05-27
Please review the Q1 Marketing expense report totaling $12,450 and approve or reject with a comment explaining your decision. Supporting documents are attached in the workflow context.
Your Comment (optional)
Approval Task Fields
| UI Element | Description | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Task Title | Set by workflow designer in HIL node config | Always shown |
| Context Description | Free-text instruction for the approver | Optional (depends on workflow) |
| Workflow Data Preview | Key fields from the workflow's data context (configured by designer) | Optional |
| Supporting Documents | Links to documents attached to the workflow context | Optional |
| Comment Field | Free text — reason for decision | Configurable (optional/required) |
| Approve Button | Submits decision: "approved" | Always shown |
| Reject Button | Submits decision: "rejected" | Always shown |
Submitting an Approval Decision
// Submit approval decision
POST /api/executions/{executionId}/resume
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json
{
"taskId": "3fa85f64-5717-4562-b3fc-2c963f66afa6",
"response": {
"type": "approval",
"decision": "approved", // "approved" | "rejected"
"comment": "Budget looks reasonable for Q1.",
"decidedAt": "2026-05-25T11:30:00Z"
}
}
// Response: 200 OK
{
"executionId": "7bc12d45-...",
"status": "resumed",
"taskId": "3fa85f64-...",
"taskStatus": "completed"
}What Happens After Approval
Response Submitted
WorkDesk POSTs to /resume. Task card shows a "Submitting..." spinner.
Process Engine Receives Response
The HIL node receives decision: "approved" as its output. The workflow branches based on the decision — approved path or rejected path.
Task Removed from Inbox
WorkDesk removes the task from the pending list. It appears in Completed Tasks with your decision recorded.
Workflow Completes or Continues
Downstream nodes execute based on the approval decision. If there are further HIL nodes, additional tasks may appear in the relevant actors' inboxes.
Multi-Party Approval
Some workflows require multiple approvals — all of a set of approvers must agree, or a majority must approve. Flow Studio's Multi-Party Approval node handles this. Each approver sees the task independently. WorkDesk shows a "N of M approved" progress indicator on multi-party tasks.
Workflow designers can configure rejection to require a comment. If requireCommentOnReject: true, the Reject button is disabled until a comment is entered. This ensures an audit trail for all rejected decisions.