Parallel group
To allow several users to decide in parallel, you have to use the parallel group step.
Adding a parallel group
Add single steps and parallel groups. Drag & drop steps into a parallel group:
Action types
Approval
Consent - Similar to approval. More about it is on the FAQ page
Notification
Step types
All types of steps can be added in a parallel group.
Approval / Consent action
When the step is activated, all users will receive a notification with a ‘call to action’. Users will see accept and reject buttons. The decision cannot be changed. The only way to undo the decision is to ‘reset’ the ongoing approval path and start a new one.
Unlike single steps, all users will be able to decide at the same time, regardless of the order in which they were added. This saves you time as you don't have to wait for each step to finish.
Notification action
The user will be notified about the current progress. The person might be interested in knowing the progress or results, but has no involvement in making the decision.
How does it work?
Once the parallel group is defined, the approval process functions as follows:
Users can make a decision in the first available step.
The active step is highlighted with a dark blue circle.
Users can switch to other available steps (where they can make a decision) by clicking on a light blue circle.
Steps where the current user cannot take action will be marked in gray.
Advanced Configuration: Custom Rules and Thresholds
By default, parallel steps require approval from all assigned participants to proceed. However, you can switch the approval mode to Custom rules within the parallel step edit form to define specific passing and failing criteria.
Configurable Thresholds
In Custom rules mode, you can configure the exact number of approvals required for the step to pass, as well as the number of rejections required for it to fail. The parallel step will conclude as soon as either threshold is reached, without waiting for the remaining participants to vote.
Sub-step Status: SKIPPED
If a parallel step concludes early because a configured threshold has been met, any remaining sub-steps that did not record a decision will automatically transition to a terminal SKIPPED status.
Skipped steps are displayed with a gray dash icon and a tooltip explaining the reason.
They are also clearly separated from explicit approvals or rejections in the approval history.