Approval Block

Overview

What it does: Pauses your workflow until someone manually approves or declines it through a web link

When to use it: When you need human approval before continuing a workflow - like approving high-value deals, content publication, or sensitive operations

Business value: Adds human oversight to automated processes, ensuring critical decisions get proper review before execution

Quick Setup

Prerequisites

HubSpot workflow permissions
Access to approval links (sent via email, Slack, etc.)
An ApprovalStart action earlier in your workflow (provides the UUID)

Basic Configuration

Add an ApprovalStart action first in your workflow
Add this Approval Block action where you want the pause to occur
Connect the UUID from ApprovalStart to this action’s UUID field
Optionally set an expiration time
Test with a sample workflow run

Input Fields

Required Fields

UUID Required

Type: Text
Description: The unique identifier from your ApprovalStart action that links the approval request to this block
How to set: Go to Insert Data panel → Action Properties → Action Outputs → ApprovalStart → The approval UUID
Example: a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890
Notes: This must match exactly with the UUID generated by your ApprovalStart action

Optional Fields

Expire Amount Optional

Type: Number
Description: How long to wait before automatically declining the approval
Default: No expiration (waits indefinitely)
Example: 24 (for 24 hours), 5 (for 5 days)
Notes: Must be used together with Expire Unit

Expire Unit Optional

Type: Dropdown
Description: The time unit for the expiration period
Options: Minutes, Hours, Days, Months
Example: Hours, Days
Notes: Only appears when Expire Amount is set

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Deal Approval Workflow

Scenario: High-value deals need manager approval before moving to closed-won

Setup:

UUID: [UUID from ApprovalStart]
Expire Amount: 48
Expire Unit: Hours

Result: Workflow pauses for up to 48 hours waiting for approval. If approved, deal moves forward. If declined or expired, deal stays in current stage.

Use Case 2: Content Publication Review

Scenario: Blog posts need editorial approval before publishing

Setup:

UUID: [UUID from ApprovalStart]
Expire Amount: 7
Expire Unit: Days

Result: Content stays in draft status for up to 7 days waiting for editorial review and approval.

Use Case 3: Immediate Approval Required

Scenario: Critical system changes need instant approval

Setup:

UUID: [UUID from ApprovalStart]
Expire Amount: 30
Expire Unit: Minutes

Result: Creates urgency with a 30-minute approval window before auto-declining.

How It Works

Workflow Reaches Block: When the workflow hits this action, it immediately pauses
Approval Link Generated: The ApprovalStart action creates a unique approval link
Human Review: Someone clicks the approval link and chooses to approve or decline
Workflow Continues: Based on the decision, the workflow either continues or stops
Expiration Handling: If set, the approval auto-declines after the specified time

Detailed Behavior Notes

Single Use Links: Each approval link can only be used once - subsequent clicks show “already processed”
No Authentication: Approval links work for anyone who has the URL (no HubSpot login required)
Immediate Processing: Approval decisions are processed instantly - no delays or batching
Expiration Precision: Expiration times are calculated from when the ApprovalBlock action is reached, not when ApprovalStart runs
Multiple Approvers: If you send the same link to multiple people, whoever clicks first makes the decision

Output Fields

After the approval decision is made, this action provides:

approved (true/false): Whether the approval was granted
status (text): “approved”, “declined”, or “expired”

Use these outputs in subsequent workflow actions to branch your logic.