Docs / Strand / nodes/approval

Approval Node

The Approval node pauses workflow execution until a human approves or rejects continuation.

Both fields accept Jinja, so an approver sees the actual values rather than a generic prompt.

Overview

Approval nodes insert human-in-the-loop checkpoints into your workflows. When execution reaches an approval node, the workflow pauses and waits for a person to review the data and explicitly approve or reject before downstream nodes run.

How It Works

1. Workflow execution reaches the approval node
2. The node records the approval message and pauses (status: waiting_approval)
3. A notification appears in the app's notification bell
4. Optionally, an external notification is sent via a connector (Slack, email, etc.)
5. A reviewer approves or rejects, either in-app or via a signed external link
6. On approve: the workflow resumes and downstream nodes execute
7. On reject: the branch stops and the run is marked completed_with_errors

Configuration

Examples

Simple Approval Gate

Configuration:

{
  "message": "Please review this order before processing."
}

Pauses the workflow and shows the message to the reviewer in-app.

With Dynamic Data

Configuration:

{
  "message": "New order from {{ payload.customer_name }} for ${{ payload.total }}. Please approve to proceed with fulfillment.",
  "instructions": "Check that the order total is under $10,000 and the customer is in good standing."
}

Uses Jinja2 templating to include event data in the approval message.

With Slack Notification

Configuration:

{
  "message": "Content ready for review: {{ payload.title }}",
  "instructions": "Verify the content meets brand guidelines before publishing.",
  "notify_connector_id": "your-slack-connector-id",
  "notify_channel": "#content-approvals",
  "token_expiry_hours": 48
}

Sends a notification to the #content-approvals Slack channel with the approval message and a direct approve/reject link. The link expires in 48 hours.

With Email Notification

Configuration:

{
  "message": "Expense report from {{ payload.employee }}: ${{ payload.amount }}",
  "instructions": "Approve if amount is within department budget.",
  "notify_connector_id": "your-email-connector-id",
  "notify_recipients": "{{ payload.manager_email }}",
  "token_expiry_hours": 72
}

Sends an email to the manager (dynamically resolved from the event payload) with the approval message and a direct approve/reject link.

Approval Methods

Approvals always appear in the in-app notification bell. There are three ways to additionally notify reviewers and handle the approval:

1. In-App Approval

A notification appears in the notification bell. The reviewer opens the run detail page, sees an approval banner with the message, instructions, and approve/reject buttons with an optional comment field. No additional configuration needed.

2. Connector-Before-Approval Pattern

Place any connector node (Slack, email, HTTP, etc.) before the approval node in your workflow graph. This gives you full control over the notification format and destination. The workflow pauses at the approval node regardless.

3. Built-In External Notification

Select a notification connector (Slack, email, or text message) directly in the approval node config. When the workflow pauses, Strand automatically sends the approval message and a signed approval link to the specified channel or recipients. The recipient can approve or reject directly from the link, with no login required.

Statuses

Approval Metadata

After an approval action, the step run's execution_metadata includes:

On approval:

{
  "approval_message": "...",
  "approved_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "approved_via": "app",
  "approval_comment": "Looks good, proceed."
}

On rejection:

{
  "approval_message": "...",
  "rejected_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "rejected_via": "token",
  "rejection_reason": "Total exceeds budget."
}

The approved_via / rejected_via field indicates whether the action was taken in-app ("app") or via an external link ("token").

Best Practices

Related

• Node Types Overview - All available node types
• External Approval Links - Detailed guide on approve-from-link
• Jinja2 Templating - Dynamic data in approval messages
• Error Handling - Handling rejected approvals

← Back to Strand docs