Internal User Guide for Approval Path

1 Overview

Overview

This guide shows how internal Confluence users can utilize the Approval Path to manage, review, and track their approval workflows. It walks through the main interfaces, the notification channels that keep work moving, and a few advanced features for power users.

Internal users, who are team members with an active Confluence account in the space, can seamlessly participate in the approval process. Once an approval step that includes them is triggered, they are immediately notified and can take action.

Where to Find Approvals on a Page

Following the application installation, the Approval Path interface is integrated directly into the Confluence page environment. Users can access it by clicking the app icon located at the top of the page.

The panel allows users to check the real-time status of the approval, review who has already cast their vote, and see exactly whose decisions are still pending at a glance.

Main App Interface (Personal View)

To manage everything in one place, navigate to left panel and click Approval Path in App.

Approvals: a list of approvals awaiting your action. (Hover over an item in the list to reveal the quick actions: Approve, Reject, Abstain, or Open approval.)
Activity: a log of approval activity.
Delegate: view and create your delegations. (covered below)

For admins, additional tabs are available in the Approval Path view. See how global view and space view work in the Approval Path app and how each user role can use them.

How to Initiate an Approval Request

When you need your own document reviewed, you can launch a predefined approval workflow directly from the Confluence page. Choose the approval definition, and the right approvers are pulled in automatically based on the definition.

For how to set up the workflows themselves, see How to Create an Approval Definition.

Staying on Top of Approvals with Automated Alerts

Receiving Approval Request Emails

When you're included in an approval step, you receive an Action Required email. Each one includes:

The name of the Confluence page that needs review, as a direct link to that page.
A Review and respond to the request link, which opens the page with the approval view overlay.
A Check all your pending approvals link, which opens a dashboard of everything awaiting your decision.
Approve / Reject / Abstain quick-action buttons, so you can decide straight from the email. (when this is enabled.)

The following email notification settings are configurable in the global settings:

Enable or disable action buttons in notification emails
Enable or disable actions without login
Require comments for approval actions
Additional customization options as needed

Slack Integration

Users can also act on approvals without leaving Slack. The integration keeps approvers informed and lets them make decisions in Slack, so the process stays fast and they don't have to switch tools.

See How to Connect Approval Path for Confluence with Slack.

When an Approval is Complete

Once an approval path reaches a final decision, Approval Path automatically posts a summary comment on the Confluence page.

The comment records the approval name and final status (for example, Approved), followed by a per-participant timeline: who started the path and each person's decision, with timestamps and time zone, plus any note they left.

Managing Delegations for Interrupted Workflows

To ensure that organizational processes never stall during vacations or unexpected absences, users can configure a delegation within their settings. By assigning an eligible reviewer as a delegate, incoming approval requests are automatically shared with that designated person, allowing the team's workflow to proceed smoothly without any operational delays.

For example, if a user named Tianna Daniel sets up Ellen Ray as a delegate, Ellen can easily review the page and make decisions on behalf of Tianna Daniel whenever Tianna is included as an active approver in a running path.

Fast Path and Identity Integration

Internal users typically act on approval requests directly within Confluence or via the action buttons in notification emails. By linking your Atlassian account to the external dashboard, you can also enable the Fast Path feature. For User and Group steps that do not require a comment, your decision is applied instantly without an extra confirmation screen. Please note that Vote steps and steps that explicitly require a comment will always ask for confirmation first.

Eligibility is always checked against your Atlassian identity, including any delegations you have set. Linking simply connects your external dashboard account to the same Atlassian identity you already use in Confluence, resulting in one consistent identity across Confluence pages, email links, and API links.

If your organization generates secure action links through the Approval Path REST API, these links require a linked, eligible Atlassian account. For the API key privilege that enables this (Action Links), see the API page.

For details on how external users can access approval requests, see the External User Dashboard documentation.

Any user can create an account and use the external dashboard, but managing approvals directly within Confluence is generally more convenient for internal users.