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Overview
As a global or project admin in Approval Path for Jira, it's important to understand how Approval Path for Jira works, including admin privileges, managing approval processes, and following best practices.
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We’ve also provided clear answers regarding how we handle security and user privacy. You’ll find useful links and blog posts at the end of this guide for further reading.
Privileges of Global Admins
Global Admins have extensive privileges and control over the configuration and management of approval workflows. Here's a summary table of global admins key capabilities.
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Privileges
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Authority
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View all approvals from an instance and open each approval.
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Enable/disable action button selection directly from the approvals list for all users with list view access.
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View all approval-related activities.
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Create global-level definitions and project specific definitions.
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Enable/disable JSM customer visibility of approval progress and allow customers to initiate approval process.
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Use Jira expressions to create custom conditions that route approvals based on specific criteria.
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Control delegation, allowing admins to designate alternate approvers to maintain workflow continuity.
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Enable/disable the abstain option.
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Enable/disable approval email reminder notifications, and decide whether or not to include approval actions in emails for users.
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Option to select how the Approval Path display in the Issue window
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Enable/disable Jira Permission Scheme and grant or revoke permissions.
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Generate API keys and leverage Approval Path's functionalities through APIs.
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Configure Approval Path conditions and post-functions in Jira workflows.
Best Practices & Tips for Global Admins
We would like to show important features in Approval Path for Jira and introduce some benefits, precautions, and important tips for global admins.
Approval Overview
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Global admin can view all approvals from an instance with the ability to filter them by name, status, project names, issues search. Moreover, you can also create your own filters and it allows to filter by step status, step type, and issue field.
Additionally, you can proceed approval process by opening each approval or using the quick action button.
Quick Action Buttons
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Once enable, "Approve", "Reject" and “Abstain” buttons will appear in the approvals list. (
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It allows users to take actions directly without entering each approval detail view.
Activity Tracking
As a global admin, you can monitor approval activities. Here, you have ability to filter by the projects and sort by the dates of the activities marked. If you need more details on activities information, find article from Global View documentation.
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Creating Definitions
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Global admins can create global-level of definitions. What makes it important is that you can manage the definitions accessible to any projects, globally. So it can save the time by avoiding the need to create separate approvals for each projects. In this Create Global Approval Definitions documentation, you will find a step-by-step guide.
Working with Jira Service Management (JSM)
As a global admin, you can enable/disable the below options.
JSM customers can view the progress of ongoing approvals for visibility.
JSM customers can initiate approval processes. It can be used when a case requires input from the client.
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Conditions
By using Jira expressions to create conditions, global admins can tailor approval processes to meet the specific needs of each project. Conditions can be used at the definition level allowing them to be triggered conditionally, and step levels allowing them to be used conditionally. This is crucial for admins to create conditions to increase workflow precision.
For example, if there are some approvals and each approval should go with a specific issue type, you can set a condition to trigger it. You can find many use cases and step-by-step guide from our documentation: Conditions in Approval Path
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Here are some reasons why we need to pay attention to the Conditions feature.
You can customize the approval process to your project needs.
It reduces manual effort and speeds up workflow since it automatically triggers certain standards.
Condition prevents risk of having error—unnecessary approvals or overlooked steps.
For projects with different issue types and priorities, you can leverage conditions by extending the approval process based on key parameters.
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Tip: Always test conditions before applying them to the production environment. Condition is met when expression results true, otherwise, it will show “Evaluation failed.” message. |
Delegation
Delegation allows a delegatees to act on behalf of the primary approver (= delegator).
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This feature is important when it comes to continuity of the approval process without any break. There might be one situation where primary approvers are not available for some issues that have tight deadlines. So a designated delegate is responsible for approving the issue. It prevents workflow delay and keeps the workflow transparent as both delegators and delegatees are visible in the system. This makes your approval process clearer and more intuitive.
If you want to learn about Delegation, please check our documentation: Delegating Approval Steps
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Delegation doesn’t restrict the primary approver; they can still approve the issue. Only internal approvers are allowed to delegate. |
In what situations would it be helpful to use Delegation?
When the approver is not available due to vacation or leave.
When an approver is responsible for multiple projects and when distribution of workload is needed.
When there is an urgent issue that requires immediate approval but approver is not reachable.
Find our blogpost about introducing Delegation feature: Delegate your approval steps in Approval Path
Abstain Option
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The global admin has the authority to enable or disable the abstain option in global settings. Abstain option allows the approver to express neutrality or silent approval. For more details, you can check the process and tips at our Abstain Option documentation.
Notification Settings
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From Settings → General, there are some options that global admin can enable/disable, including sending notification emails and approval reminders. It is also possible to configure default reminders interval by hour, day, week.
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Overview
As a global or project admin in Approval Path for Jira, it's important to understand how app works, including admin privileges, managing approval processes, and following best practices.
This guide highlights tips and precautions, covering detailsthat are often overlooked when using approval features.
We have also provided clear answers regarding how we handle security and user privacy. You’ll find useful links and blog posts at the end of this guide for further reading.
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Privileges of Global Admins
Global Admins have extensive privileges and control over the configuration and management of approval workflows. Here's a summary table of global admins key capabilities.
Privileges | Authority | ||
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View all approvals from an instance and view each approval. | |||
Enable/disable action button selection directly from the approvals list for all users with list view access. | |||
View all approval-related activities. | |||
Create global-level definitions and project-specific definitions. | |||
Enable/disable JSM customer visibility of approval progress and allow customers to initiate the approval process. | |||
Use Jira expressions to create custom conditions that route approvals based on specific criteria. | |||
Allows admins to assign alternate approvers. This ensures that when an approval is initiated, the delegatee can act on behalf of the user originally requested to approve. | |||
Enable/disable the abstain option.
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Offers options to enable action buttons in emails, send manual or automatic approval reminders, and customize notification intervals. Admins can also choose between Jira notifications or direct email for all communications. | |||
Option to select how the Approval Path is displayed in the Issue window | |||
Enable/disable Jira Permission Scheme and grant or revoke permissions.
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Generate API keys and leverage Approval Path's functionalities through APIs. | |||
Configure Approval Path conditions and post-functions in Jira workflows. |
Best Practices & Tips for Global Admins
We would like to show important features in Approval Path for Jira and introduce some benefits, precautions, and important tips for global admins.
Approval Overview
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Global admin can view all approvals within an instance and filter them by name, status, project names, or issue searches. Custom filters can also be created, enabling filtering by step status, step type, or issue field. Additionally, each approval can be viewed in detail by opening it and finalized using the quick action button.
Quick Action Buttons
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Once enabled, the "Approve," "Reject," and "Abstain" buttons will appear in the approvals list (), allowing users to take action directly without needing to enter each approval's detail view.
Activity Tracking
As a global admin, you can monitor approval activities. Here, you have ability to filter by the projects and sort by the dates of the activities marked. If you need more details on activities information, find article from Global View documentation.
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Creating Definitions
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Only global admins can create and manage global-level definitions that apply across all projects. Even if certain definitions are project-specific, global admins can still edit and manage them. They also have the ability to convert a global definition to a project-specific one and vice versa, saving time by eliminating the need to create separate definitions for each project. https://docs.warsawdynamics.com/content/51604/approval_path_for_jira_documentation/16646179/16744476/302645250
Working with Jira Service Management (JSM)
As a global admin, you can enable/disable the below options.
JSM customers can view the progress of ongoing approvals for visibility.
JSM customers can initiate approval processes. It can be used when a case requires input from the client.
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Conditions
By using Jira expressions to set conditions, global admins can create more dynamic approval paths, allowing a single definition to adapt to specific scenarios and support multiple use cases.
Conditions can be applied at two levels: the definition level and the step level.
Definition Level: Conditions set here prevent the approval from starting if the specified criteria are not met, ensuring the process is only triggered under the right conditions.
Step Level: Conditions at this level allow steps within a definition to be skipped if the specific criteria for including that step are not met.
Example Scenario:
Suppose a definition has two steps and should run on Project X but only for a specific issue type (Task). Additionally, the definition requires a two-step approval if the priority is set to "High" and only a one-step approval if the priority is "Low." You can create two conditions to handle these requirements:
Condition 1:
issue.issueType.name == "Task"Application: Applied at the definition level
Result: The approval process will only start if the issue type is "Task."
Condition 2:
issue.priority.name == "Low"Application: Applied to step number 2
Result: If the priority is "High," this step will be skipped, as the condition is not met.
This approach enables a single definition to adjust automatically to various approval needs, eliminating the need to create separate definitions for different priority levels. It also ensures the definition cannot be mistakenly applied to an unintended issue type. Conditions in Approval Path
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Here are some key reasons to prioritize using the Conditions feature:
Allows for tailoring the approval process to meet specific project requirements.
Minimizes the number of definitions needed, keeping the system organized.
Reduces the risk of errors, such as unnecessary approvals or missed steps.
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Tip: Always test conditions before applying them to the production environment. A condition is met when the expression results in "true"; otherwise, an "Evaluation failed" message will be displayed. |
Delegation
Delegation allows a delegatee to act on behalf of the primary approver (the delegator).
Global admins can set up delegations across projects, selecting who will approve in place of the primary approver.
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This feature is crucial for maintaining continuity in the approval process, especially when primary approvers are unavailable for issues with tight deadlines. With a designated delegate responsible for approvals, workflow delays are prevented, and transparency is maintained, as both the delegator and delegatee are visible in the system.
If you want to learn about Delegation, please check our documentation: Delegating Approval Steps
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Delegation doesn’t restrict the primary approver; they can still approve the issue. |
External approvers (Email Step) cannot be assigned as delegates or serve as delegatees.
In what situations would it be helpful to use Delegation?
When the approver is not available.
When an approver is responsible for multiple projects and when distribution of workload is needed.
When there is an urgent issue that requires immediate approval but approver is not reachable.
Find our blogpost about introducing Delegation feature: Delegate your approval steps in Approval Path
Abstain Option
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The global admin has the authority to enable or disable the "Abstain" option in global settings.
This option allows an approver to express neutrality or provide silent approval.
For more details, you can check the process and tips at our Abstain Option documentation.
Notification Settings
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Enable Action Buttons in Notification Emails
This setting allows users to take action (Approve/Reject/Abstain) by directing them to the approval page from the notification email. Once enabled, the email includes a link to the approval, making it easier for users to respond with login.Allow Sending Email Approval Reminders
When this option is enabled, an action button will appear next to each active approval, allowing reminder emails to be sent to users in the current step who have not yet responded.Enable Automatic Reminders
This feature sends automatic reminders at a specified interval to users who haven’t responded yet. Reminders can be customized at the definition or approval level, with a maximum of three reminder notifications allowed. The default interval is set to 7 days but can be adjusted based on project needs.Choose Notification Mechanism
Global admins can select the preferred notification mechanism:Jira Notifications – Sends emails through Jira's notification system.
Direct Email – Sends emails directly from the Approval Path system.
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Both options deliver notifications via email; the difference is in the email source. Selecting Jira notifications will route emails through Jira, while Direct Email will send them directly from the Approval Path system. |
Preferences Settings
From Settings → Preferences, It is possible to select how the Approval Path display in the Issue window.
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Permission Schemes
Global admin has the highest level of can access on Permission schemes.
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You Global admin can control which users can view, edit, create, start, parametrize, delete and archive approvals on the project and issue levels. If you need a step-by-step guide, you can refer to our documentation: Permission schemes.
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When do you need to use permission schemes?When
Complex Environments and Approval Hierarchies: If your team operates in a
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complex environment or
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uses layered approval hierarchies,
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When working with permission schemes can help you manage access and approval roles effectively.
Private Projects: For private projects, you might may need to limit control or allow restrict access for certain users, ensuring that only authorized personnel can view or act on specific approvals.
Large Projects with Extensive Issue Tracking: In a large project with a huge number of projects with numerous issues, maybe you may want to give a specific user permission grant specific permissions, such as allowing a user to delete approvals or allow the user to change modify parameters when starting a new approval so . This ensures tasks will move smoothly and efficiently.
Depends Organizational Compliance and Control Needs: Depending on your working organizationorganization’s structure, you may need strict control. In this case, permission schemes help you access control to meet compliance standards. Permission schemes provide the necessary control to support these requirements.
However, if you are unsure about customization, Approval Path’s default permission scheme is still reliable. It provides a safe and balanced set of permissions that work well for most users.
API
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Global admins have ability to create API keys in global settings. Once API key is generated by global admin, any users with access to the API key can perform API operations. These actions include listing approval definitions, deleting approvals, and customizing performer origins for all types of actions.
Refer to our API documentation for more detailed API settings and endpoints explained with several functions. If you are interested in use cases, click our blog post about API Capabilities for Approval Path.
Jira Workflow
Approval Path integrates with Jira Workflow. It allows global admins to manage approval processes by configuring Approval Conditions and Post-Functions in workflows. Through this feature, approvals can be efficiently handled and align with organizational processesby configuring Approval Conditions and Post-Functions in workflows.
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Workflow Condition
In Jira Workflow, it is notable that Approval Condition prevents issues from transitioning to the next workflow status unless they have been approved. It means that whenever it’s needed, issues will go through the approval process before the next step.
As a global admin, carefully apply approval conditions to key transitions (e.g., from "In Progress" to "Done"). Make sure that the correct approval path definition is selected to avoid confusion in the approval process.
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Before applying these conditions, it’s nice to test in a non-production environment to see if they work as we expected. Find out more about Approval Conditions here. |
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Workflow Post-Function
Approval Post-Function automates routine tasks like starting, deleting, and archiving approvals after a transition without manual effort.
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You can select Use the "Start Approval" post-function to automatically trigger the approval process after key status transitions. For instance, placing post-function after the “To Do” to “In Progress” transition, approval process should be started. This means approvals are always initiated on timeexample, adding it after a transition to "In Progress" will start approvals as soon as the status changes. Find out more about Approval Post-Function here.
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You might want to use Automation Step to reduce manual effort and assign different procedures to each definition. However, from an administrator's perspective, it is good to use Jira Workflow to manage the approval process of a project and control 'transitions' using conditions. Workflow provides a clear, visual image of issue progression, which helps you to understand the whole picture of it, visual image of issue progression, which helps you to understand the whole picture of it. |
What would be the reason to use Jira Workflow rather than Depending on your specific needs, you may choose one over the other based on the operational scope. Definition automation steps operate within the specific scope of each definition, while workflow post-functions have their own scope of activity.
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Privileges of Project Admins
While global admins can control configure a wide range of settings, project admins have a more limited scope, focusing on specific projects. As a Project Admin in Approval Path for Jira, you will have below privileges.
Privileges | Authority |
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View all approvals from a project and open each approval. | |
View all approval-related activities within the project. | |
Create and edit project-level definitions. | |
ConditionsCreate | conditions and request definitions with conditionsUse Jira expressions to create custom conditions that route approvals based on specific criteria. |
Control delegation Allows admins to assign alternate approvers on the project-level. | |
Edit a workflow Configure Approval Path conditions and post-functions in Jira workflows that belongs to their project admins' project. |
Best Practices & Tips for Project Admins
As a project Adminadmin, the role focuses on managing approvals within the specific project scope. Below are best practices and tips to help you use the Approval Path for Jira.
Approval Overview
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Project admin can view all approvals from a project with the ability to filter them by approval name, status, project names, issues search. Project admin can also create exclusive filters and it allows to filter by , Custom filters can also be created, enabling filtering by step status, step type, and or issue field. Additionally, admins can proceed approval process by opening each approval or Each approval can be viewed in detail by opening it and finalized using the quick action button.
Activity Tracking
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As a project admin, you can view and monitor all list of activities of the approvals within the projects. You have ability to sort by the dates of the activities marked. If you need more information, please check Project View documentation.
Creating Definitions
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Project admins can have the ability to create project-level of definitions and manage them within their projects. By clicking the checkbox , viewing global definitions is also possible for them. You can manage the definitions in your projects“Show global definitions”, you can also view global definitions. In this Create Project Approval Definitions documentation, you will find a step-by-step guide how to help you create and manage definitions.
Conditions
Project admins can create and manage conditions at the project-level and request definitions with conditions. If you want to see a step-by-step guide, check Conditions in Approval Path.
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By default, active conditions from both the current project and global-level conditions (view-only mode) are shown. |
Delegation
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Project admins have the ability to can configure delegation at the project-level. While the scope is limited to your project, the delegation works functionality operates similarly to the global delegation settings.
Jira Workflow
Project admins have the privilege to manage workflows within their projects. Project admins can access Jira Workflow features for their project only, including configuring approval conditions and post-functions specific to project workflows.
Since it’s only available in the project admin’s project, the workflow isn’t shared with any other projects.
If you want to know more about how to manage project only, including configuring approval conditions and post-functions.
To learn more about managing workflows as a project admin, here is refer to the Managing your workflows documentation.
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Definitions can be run by using Start Approval post-function, if a global or project-specific definition matches with the workflow project. If not, an alert mechanism notifies users that there’s a project mismatch, if a global or project-specific definition matches the project workflow. |
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Privacy & Security
Warsaw Dynamics adheres to strict privacy standards to protect user data. We are saving approval definitions and configuration information which includes user and group IDs, and external email addresses for notification purposes. All other data remains within Jira, ensuring minimal data retention and secure processing. The company maintains transparency and strict compliance with relevant privacy laws, providing clear policies on data retention, international data transfers, and user rights.
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Additional information
Warsaw Dynamics Official Website
Warsaw Dynamics Official Support
Warsaw Dynamics Youtube Channel
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