Turning on and configuring manually-created approval requests

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<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">Approvalsare requests that agents make on behalf of other agents and end users. Agents send requests to approvers. Approvers are other agents or end users who have the authority to review the request information and make a decision.</p>
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<p id="docs-ai-summary-toggle">Summary: <span id="up-triangle">◀</span><span id="down-triangle">▼</span></p>
<p id="docs-ai-summary-content">You can enable or disable manual creation of approval requests, allowing agents to request approvals on behalf of others. Admins control who can approve requests, including whether end users are eligible approvers. Permissions and custom roles affect access, and API-created requests remain possible regardless of manual settings. Training and theme updates may be needed for smooth use and visibility of approval requests.</p>
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<p class="p"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8481179038490" target="_blank">Approvals</a> are requests that agents make on behalf of other
agents and end users. Agents send requests to approvers. Approvers are other agents or
end users who have the authority to review the request information and make a
decision.</p>
<div class="p">This article contains the following topics:<ul class="ul" id="topic_jq5_f5n_yfc__ul_dzt_4d4_yfc">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_f11_pd4_yfc">Allowing manual creation of approval requests</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_e3t_bcx_2hc">Configuring who can approve manually-created approval requests</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_skt_pd4_yfc">Turning off manual creation of approval requests</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="p">Related resources:<ul class="ul" id="topic_jq5_f5n_yfc__ul_ud2_j3m_dgc">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8481158639770" target="_blank">Creating approval requests</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8481193191322" target="_blank">Responding to an approval request as an
agent</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408837910426#topic_ay1_m3h_zfc" target="_blank">Responding to approval requests as an end
user</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_d2q_1yp_jgc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Considerations for manually creating approval requests</h2>
<div class="body">
<div class="p">Before allowing agents to manually create approval requests, consider the
following:<ul class="ul" id="topic_d2q_1yp_jgc__ul_djh_cyp_jgc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Permissions.</strong> On Growth and Professional plans, admins and agents
automatically have permission to create approval requests. On Enterprise and
Enterprise Plus plans, admins and any custom roles created after approvals
is turned on have permission to create approval requests by default.
However, existing custom roles when approvals is turned on won't have
permission to create approval requests until the role's permissions are
updated to select <em class="ph i">Create approval requests</em>. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408882153882#topic_tep_mig_bd" target="_blank">Permissions that agents in custom roles
can have</a>.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Help center theme.</strong> If you have a customized help center theme,
depending on when it was customized, you might need to <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408832681626" target="_blank">manually update your custom theme</a>
for end users to be able to access approval requests assigned to them.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Training.</strong> For best results, make sure you share <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8481179038490#topic_ndd_xst_yfc" target="_blank">resources</a> and train your agents on
the feature before you turn it on so they can use it as intended.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Views.</strong> When approval requests are turned on for the first time, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408829483930#topic_gnx_2tm_vt" target="_blank">approval-related views</a> are
activated in your account.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">API.</strong> Approval requests can be created through the <a class="xref" href="https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/ticketing/approvals/approval_requests" target="_blank">Approval Requests API</a> regardless
of whether agents are allowed to manually create approval requests.
API-created approval requests can be withdrawn by admins and some agents,
depending on their permissions. Approval requests created by the API have a
<em class="ph i">Sent by</em> value of <em class="ph i">API</em>. </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_f11_pd4_yfc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Allowing manual creation of approval requests</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">The manual creation of approval requests is allowed by default for Employee Service
Suite Growth plans and above and Customer Service Suite Professional plans and
above. However, admins can <a class="xref" href="#topic_skt_pd4_yfc">turn
off</a> manual creation of approval requests if needed.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To turn on approval requests</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_f11_pd4_yfc__ol_wz3_5f4_yfc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_f11_pd4_yfc__d8e1295" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_workspaces_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Workspaces</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Agent tools &gt; Approval
requests</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Select <strong class="ph b">Allow manual creation of approval requests</strong>.<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Even when
this setting is deselected, approval requests can be created through the
<a class="xref" href="https://developer.zendesk.com/api-reference/ticketing/approvals/approval_requests" target="_blank">Approval Requests
API</a>.</div>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested1" id="topic_e3t_bcx_2hc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title4">Configuring who can approve manually-created approval requests</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">From the Approval requests page in Admin Center, admins can decide whether end users
can be assigned as an approver for manually-created approval requests. On Employee
Service Suite plans, end users are allowed to approve requests by default. On
Customer Service Suite plans, end users aren't allowed to approve requests by
default.</p>
<p class="p">Agents are always eligible approvers.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To configure who can approve requests</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_e3t_bcx_2hc__ol_afd_3cx_2hc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_e3t_bcx_2hc__d8e1295" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_workspaces_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Workspaces</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Agent tools &gt; Approval
requests</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Select or deselect <strong class="ph b">Allow end users to approve requests</strong>.<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Changes
to this setting apply to approval requests that were created manually
after the change only. Existing approval requests and requests created
by the API or action flows are unaffected.</div>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested1" id="topic_skt_pd4_yfc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title5">Turning off manual creation of approval requests</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When manual creation of approval requests is turned off, agents lose the ability to
add approval requests to tickets through the Agent Workspace. Existing approval
requests continue to function.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To turn off approval requests</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_skt_pd4_yfc__ol_b3g_sn4_yfc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_skt_pd4_yfc__d8e1295" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_workspaces_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Workspaces</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Agent tools &gt; Approval
requests</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Deselect <strong class="ph b">Allow manual creation of approval requests</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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