By default, letters that are signed without any added explanations, exceptions, or attachments will be approved automatically. Otherwise, once a letter has been signed and if approval is required, the approver will receive an email linking directly to the letter to review and approve or return.
Note: If no approval step is added when adding the certification action to the process and approval is needed, the person who started the process will be added as an approver.
Approve or return a letter
If a signed letter needs approval, all approvers need to approve the letter in order to complete the certification.
To review and approve or return a signed letter:
- Open the letter using the link in the email notification or by opening the certification task in the Approval by me section in the Tasks tab in Home. You can turn on the Approver view toggle and filter the responses by their Review status (Rejected, Accepted, or All responses) to more easily accept or reject each response in the letter.
- Review the responses, if any, and any explanations and attachments.
- By default, non-exception responses will be accepted and exceptions will be rejected, but you can change these selections as needed. You can also add optional feedback to each response.
- If there are any rejected responses, the letter can’t be approved and must be returned to be signed again.
- If all responses have been accepted, click Approve in the toolbar. Otherwise, Return the letter back to the signers to sign again. If there are multiple approvers and you're not the first approver, you can choose to Return to signers or Return to approvers (see Consensus with multiple signers or approvers).
- If you return the letter, you can add an optional note to explain your decision.
Additionally, you can view the certification task Details and add optional approver Notes at any time for other collaborators to see in the side panel. Signers will not be able to add approver notes.
Skip approver
If you’re unable to review and approve the letter, the process owner can skip you by going to the certification action’s details in the Process status view (see Monitor certification actions in a process) and clicking Skip in the dropdown next to your name. The certification action will then move forward.