6.2: Setting Up Approval Workflows

In the last section, you learned when to add human review. Now let's get hands-on and actually build an approval workflow!

By the end of this section, you'll have a working system where:

• ✅ AI drafts emails automatically
• ✅ You review and approve before sending
• ✅ You get notified when review is needed
• ✅ Everything is tracked and controlled

Let's build it!

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6.2.1: What We're Building

Before we dive in, let's be clear about what you're creating:

💡 The Approval Workflow

Scenario: Customer support emails

The Flow:

1. Customer sends email → Creates new row
2. AI reads email and drafts response
3. YOU review the draft ← This is the approval checkpoint!
4. YOU approve by checking a box
5. Email sends automatically once approved

The Result: AI does the writing, you do the quality control. Fast AND safe!

Why This Workflow Rocks

Think about it: Without this workflow, you'd either:

• ❌ Write every email yourself = Slow, exhausting
• ❌ Let AI send everything = Fast, but risky

With approval workflow:

• ✅ AI writes, you approve = Fast AND safe!
• ✅ Takes 30 seconds to review vs. 5 minutes to write
• ✅ You keep quality control
• ✅ Nothing sends without your OK

Let's build this!

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6.2.2: Step 1 - Add the Review Checkbox

The heart of any approval workflow is a simple checkpoint: a checkbox that gates the next action.

Here's how to add it:

1. Open Your Table

• Go to your "Support Tickets" table (or whatever table you want to add approval to)
• You should already have an AI column that generates responses

2. Add a New Column

• Click "+ Add Column" button
• Choose column type: "Boolean" (this creates a checkbox)
• Column name: ready_to_send
• Column label: "Ready to Send?"
• Default value: Unchecked (false)
• Click "Add Column"

3. Position It Correctly

• Drag the new "Ready to Send?" column to the right spot
• It should come after your AI draft column
• But before your send email column

Column Sequence with Approval

The key to approval workflows:

Position your approval checkbox after the AI creates something, but before it gets sent. This creates a pause point where you can review.

1

Customer Message

Incoming email or message

Filled Automatically

↓

2

AI Draft

AI generates response automatically

AI Column

↓

3

Ready to Send? ⚡ APPROVAL CHECKPOINT

You manually check this box after reviewing

Manual Checkbox

↓ Waits here until checked!

4

Send Email

Only runs after checkbox is checked

Email Action

This is the magic! The "Send Email" column waits for "Ready to Send?" to be checked. Nothing sends until you approve it. You have complete control.

💡 Why Position Matters

The position creates the flow:

1. AI Draft runs first (creates the content)
2. Ready to Send? comes next (you review and check it)
3. Send Email comes last (only runs if checked)

This order creates a natural pause point where you can review before anything sends!

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6.2.3: Step 2 - Configure the Send Action to Wait

Now we need to tell the "Send Email" column to wait until you've approved. This is the magic that prevents emails from sending before you're ready.

Here's how:

1. Edit Your Send Email Column

• Click the column menu (three dots) on your "Send Email" column
• Choose "Edit Column"

2. Add a Dependency

• Look for the "Dependencies" section
• Click "+ Add Dependency"
• Select: "Ready to Send?"
• Make sure it says "Required" (not optional)
• Click "Save"

What This Does:

💡 Understanding Dependencies

When you add "Ready to Send?" as a dependency, you're telling the system:

"Don't send any email until the Ready to Send checkbox is checked."

The "Send Email" column will now:

• ⏸️ Wait when the checkbox is unchecked
• ⚡ Run immediately when you check the box
• 🛡️ Never send unless you explicitly approve

You're in complete control!

Run Configuration

When should this column be triggered?

Controls when this column executes

Columns needed to trigger a refresh:

Email Company Data

Select which columns must complete before this column runs

EmailCompany Data

Run Column with Delay

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How Dependencies Work

When you configure columns to use data from other columns, the system automatically detects these dependencies. You can then control exactly when and how this column should run based on those dependencies.

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6.2.4: Step 3 - Add Notification (Optional but Smart!)

Here's the thing: You don't want to constantly refresh your table to check if new drafts are ready. Instead, let the system tell you when something needs review!

Let's add an email notification:

1. Add a Notification Column

• Click "+ Add Column"
• Choose type: "Send Email" (yes, another email column!)
• Name it: notify_for_review
• Label: "Notify for Review"

2. Configure the Notification

• To: Your email address (where you want notifications)
• Subject: New email draft ready for review
• Message: Something like:

Hi! A new email draft is ready for your review.

From: [Customer Email]
Subject: [Email Subject]

Click here to review: [Link to your table]

Thanks!

3. Set the Dependency

• This notification should wait for "AI Draft" to finish
• Add "AI Draft" as a required dependency
• This way, you only get notified AFTER the draft is ready

Configure Review Notification

Why add notifications?

Instead of constantly checking your table for new drafts, get an email notification when something needs your review. This way you can focus on other work until you're actually needed!

Email Account

Which email account to send notifications from

Send To

Subject Line

Notification Message

Hi there! A new email draft is ready for your review: From: [Customer Email] Subject: [Email Subject] Please review and approve when you have a moment: https://app.uniki.ai/taibles/support-tickets Thank you!

Use [Column Name] to automatically insert data from your table

Dependency Setting

Important: Set this notification column to wait for the "AI Draft" column. That way it only sends after the draft is ready, not before!

💡 💡 Why Notifications Are Awesome

Without notifications:

• ❌ You have to remember to check the table
• ❌ You might miss urgent drafts
• ❌ Slows down response time

With notifications:

• ✅ You're alerted immediately when review is needed
• ✅ You can focus on other work until you're needed
• ✅ Nothing slips through the cracks
• ✅ Customers get faster responses

Pro tip: You can even send notifications to Slack instead of email if you prefer!

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6.2.5: Step 4 - Test the Complete Workflow

Okay, you've built it! Now let's test it to make sure everything works correctly.

Follow these steps:

1. Create a Test Email

• Add a new row to your table manually
• Fill in the "Customer Message" column with a test question
• Example: "What are your business hours?"

2. Watch the Automation Run

• Your AI Draft column should run automatically
• It generates a response
• The "Notify for Review" column sends you an email notification
• The "Ready to Send?" checkbox remains unchecked
• The "Send Email" column shows waiting (because checkbox isn't checked yet)

3. Review the Draft

• Read what the AI wrote
• Does it look good? Is the information correct?
• Is the tone appropriate?

4. Approve It!

• If the draft looks good, check the "Ready to Send?" box
• Watch what happens next...

5. See It Send

• As soon as you check the box, the "Send Email" column runs
• The email sends immediately
• You see a "Sent" indicator in the column

Complete Approval Workflow in Action

Let's see the complete flow:

Watch what happens when a customer email arrives and goes through your approval workflow...

New Email Arrives

Automatic

Customer sends: "I need help resetting my password"

support@yourcompany.com

New row created in your "Support Tickets" table ✓

AI

AI Drafts Response

Automatic

AI searches knowledge base and writes helpful response

Draft Created:

"Hi! I'd be happy to help you reset your password. You can do this by clicking 'Forgot Password' on the login page..."

You Receive Notification

Automatic

Email notification arrives in your inbox

📧 New Email Draft Ready

"A new email draft is ready for your review. Click here to review and approve."

You Review & Approve

You Do This

You read the draft, verify it looks good, and check the box

✓ Response is accurate

✓ Tone is friendly

✓ All info is correct

Click!

Approved ✓

Email Sends Automatically

Automatic

Once approved, the "Send Email" column runs immediately

✅ Email sent to customer within seconds
✅ Customer receives helpful response
✅ You maintained quality control

⚡ The Result:

The AI did all the heavy lifting (reading, researching, drafting). You spent 30 seconds reviewing. The customer got a fast, accurate response. Everyone wins!

💡 🎉 You Did It!

Congratulations! You just built your first approval workflow!

What you accomplished:

• ✅ AI automatically drafts responses
• ✅ You get notified when review is needed
• ✅ You review and approve with one click
• ✅ Nothing sends without your explicit approval
• ✅ Everything is tracked in your table

This is huge! You now have a system that's both fast AND safe. The AI does 95% of the work, and you maintain 100% of the control.

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6.2.6: Common Approval Patterns

Now that you know the basics, let's look at a few variations you can use for different scenarios:

Approval Workflow Patterns

Once you understand the basic approval pattern, you can customize it for different needs:

Single Approver

One person reviews and approves

How it works:

• One "Approved?" checkbox column
• You check it when ready
• Action happens immediately

Best for:Small teams, quick decisions

Multiple Approvers

All approvers must agree before action

How it works:

• Separate checkbox for each approver
• "Manager Approved?" checkbox
• "Legal Approved?" checkbox
• Action waits for ALL checkboxes

Best for:High-stakes decisions, contracts, large purchases

Escalation with Timeout

Auto-remind if not reviewed in time

How it works:

• Normal approval checkpoint
• Add "Time Waiting" calculation column
• Add alert: If waiting > 24 hours, notify manager
• Ensures nothing slips through cracks

Best for:Time-sensitive workflows, customer service SLAs

💡 Pro Tip:

Start with the Single Approver pattern—it's simple and covers 90% of use cases. You can always add complexity later as your needs grow!

When to Use Each Pattern

Single Approver (what you just built)

• ✅ Most common use case
• ✅ Quick, simple, effective
• ✅ Perfect for: Customer support, standard communications, routine tasks

Multiple Approvers

• ✅ When multiple people need to sign off
• ✅ More thorough review process
• ✅ Perfect for: Contracts, legal documents, large expenses, policy changes

Escalation with Timeout

• ✅ Ensures nothing gets stuck
• ✅ Maintains response time SLAs
• ✅ Perfect for: Customer service, time-sensitive workflows, compliance requirements

💡 Start Simple, Add Complexity Later

Our advice: Start with the Single Approver pattern. It covers 90% of use cases and is super simple to understand and maintain.

Once you've used it for a week or two and understand how it works, you can add multiple approvers or escalation if you need them.

Remember: The best automation is the one you'll actually use. Keep it simple!

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6.2.7: Tips for Successful Approval Workflows

You've built the workflow. Here are some tips to make it work smoothly in practice:

1. Check Your Notifications Regularly

Set aside specific times to review:

• ☕ Morning: Review overnight drafts (10 minutes)
• 🕐 Midday: Quick check during lunch (5 minutes)
• 🌆 End of day: Clear remaining approvals (10 minutes)

Result: Nothing waits more than a few hours, and you're not constantly interrupted.

2. Use Filters to See What Needs Review

Create a saved view that shows only:

• Rows where "AI Draft" is complete
• AND "Ready to Send?" is unchecked
• Sort by newest first

This gives you a clean "Needs My Review" inbox!

3. Review in Batches

Instead of reviewing one at a time:

• ✅ Open your "Needs Review" view
• ✅ Read through 5-10 drafts
• ✅ Approve the good ones
• ✅ Flag or edit the ones that need work
• ✅ Done in 5-10 minutes!

Much faster than reviewing throughout the day.

4. Track Your Approval Rate

After a few weeks, check:

• How many drafts did you approve unchanged?
• How many needed small edits?
• How many needed major changes?

If 90%+ are approved unchanged, consider removing the approval step for certain types of messages!

💡 The Training Period Approach

Remember from the last section: Start by approving everything for the first 50-100 responses.

Once you see patterns:

• Password reset emails always perfect? Let those auto-send.
• Shipping updates always good? Auto-send those too.
• Refund requests need human touch? Keep approval for those.

Your workflow evolves with you!

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6.2.8: Troubleshooting Common Issues

Running into problems? Here are the most common issues and how to fix them:

Issue 1: Email Sent Before I Approved

Cause: The "Send Email" column isn't waiting for "Ready to Send?"

Fix:

1. Edit the "Send Email" column
2. Check the Dependencies section
3. Make sure "Ready to Send?" is listed as a required dependency
4. Save and test again

Issue 2: Nothing Sends Even After I Check the Box

Cause: The checkbox column might not be positioned correctly, or there's another dependency blocking it.

Fix:

1. Check that "Ready to Send?" comes BEFORE "Send Email" in column order
2. Edit "Send Email" and verify the dependencies are correct
3. Make sure the "AI Draft" column completed successfully (not error state)
4. Try unchecking and checking the box again

Issue 3: I'm Not Getting Notifications

Cause: The notification column might not be configured correctly.

Fix:

1. Check your email address in the notification configuration
2. Check your spam folder (first time might go there)
3. Verify the notification column has "AI Draft" as a dependency
4. Test by manually running the notification column on a row

💡 Still Stuck?

If you're still having trouble:

1. Check the cell state—hover over cells to see what they're waiting for
2. Look for error messages in red cells
3. Try creating a completely new test row
4. Reach out to support—we're here to help!

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What You've Learned

Amazing work! You've just mastered approval workflows. Let's recap what you can now do:

✅ Add approval checkpoints with checkbox columns ✅ Configure dependencies to make actions wait for approval ✅ Set up notifications so you know when review is needed ✅ Test workflows to make sure they work correctly ✅ Choose the right pattern for your use case (single, multiple, escalation) ✅ Troubleshoot issues when things don't work as expected

The Power You Now Have

Think about what you can do with this:

Customer Support: AI drafts all responses, you approve before sending Sales Outreach: AI writes personalized emails, sales manager approves Content Publishing: AI creates social posts, marketing team approves Financial Operations: AI generates invoices, accounting approves HR Communications: AI drafts announcements, HR director approves

The possibilities are endless! Anywhere you need "AI assistance + human judgment," you now know how to build it.

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What's Next?

In the next section (6.3: Edit Before Send), you'll learn an even more powerful pattern: letting humans edit AI output before it sends.

Instead of just approve/reject, you'll be able to:

• ✅ Take AI's draft as a starting point
• ✅ Make tweaks and improvements
• ✅ Send your edited version
• ✅ AI learns from your corrections

This gives you even more flexibility and control. Ready to level up? Let's go!

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Previous: 6.1 When Humans Need to ReviewNext: 6.3 Edit Before Send