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How approvals work in TaskFlow

This article explains the idea behind approvals: what needs a sign-off, who gives it, and what you see while you wait. Read it first, and the other approval articles will make sense.

Why approvals exist​

In TaskFlow, hours are a budget. When someone asks for work, they also ask for the hours to do it. An approval is the moment a manager agrees to the work and the hours. It keeps everyone working on what was agreed.

What can need approval​

Your workspace admin decides what needs approval. Depending on your workspace settings, these can go to an approver first:

  • New tasks. A team member's new request waits until a manager approves it.
  • Edits to an approved task. Changing the title, hours or subtasks of an approved task sends the change for approval. The task keeps its current values until then.
  • Subtask changes. Adding, editing or deleting a subtask on an existing task.
  • Time. Logging time by hand, fixing logged time, or asking for more hours. See Ask for more hours and Fix logged time.
  • Structure changes. Requests for a new space, project or list, and requests to archive, delete or restore a task.
  • Repeating tasks. A new repeating schedule can wait for approval before it starts creating tasks.

Anything your workspace doesn't require approval for is saved straight away. Managers' own changes generally apply straight away. See What needs approval.

Who approves​

By default, any manager in the workspace can approve. An admin can also name specific approvers for each type of request: tasks, subtasks, time, and structure changes. See Choose who approves.

Managers find most requests on Tasks & Approvals in the sidebar. Time requests have their own page, Adjustment Queue. Space, project and list requests are on the Approvals tab of Spaces.

What the approver can do​

An approver can approve a request, reject it with a reason, or send it back with Request Changes. A new task request can also be paused while the approver waits for more information. See Approve, reject or request changes and Pause and resume a request.

What you see as the requester​

  • While you wait, the task says Waiting for manager approval. You can still edit or cancel it.
  • When it's approved, you get a notification and can start work. You can't run a timer on a task that isn't approved yet, unless it's marked Urgent.
  • If it's rejected or sent back, you see the approver's reason on the task.

To follow everything you've asked for, see Tracking your own requests.

Screenshot

A task request page from the requester's side, showing the "Waiting for manager approval" banner.