After years of learning and customer feedback from the Approvals app, we developed better ways of doing approvals within Zendesk and called it Approve, which has numerous enhancements and new features. The reason we decided to build this as a new app are too many to mention, but most importantly you can now create complex approvals from a single definition whether it's a multi-step approval or one that needs to go to multiple groups plus a few named individuals, that's now all possible all with a revamped UI that makes this pretty straight forward.

This article will walk you through everything you need to know about the new app, from how to install it to recreating your existing approval workflows. It contains the following sections:

Upgrading:

• How to install the new Approve app?
• How do I pay for the new app?

Migrating:

• General overview video
• Basic UI elements
• Approvers and Approval Groups
• Automatic approval requests
• Sequential Approvals
• Escalation Approvals
• Approval state actions
• Full Migration Walkthrough

Further information

• FAQs about migrating to the new Approve app. 

Upgrading

How do I install the new Approve app?

You can install the new version of the Approve app from the Zendesk marketplace here. Simply click Free trial at the top right of the screen and follow the prompts. You can use the coupon code NOCC to avoid needing to enter in credit card details upon installation. If you require an extended trial to transition smoothly, please contact support and we will be happy to help.

How do I pay for the new app? 

You can purchase the new app through the standard payment process in the Zendesk Marketplace. If you’re subscribed to the Super Suite, this app is included in your subscription, so no additional payment is required. If you’ve been paying via a different method, please reach out to us at support@sweethawk.com, and we’ll work with you to find a solution.

Migrating

The following information will explain how features in the old app compare to the new version. While the transition may require careful attention, these resources are designed to help you effectively transfer your data and workflows.

General overview of recreating workflows

In the video below, we'll guide you through the process of recreating a multi-step approval flow, transitioning from Approvals to the new Approve app. While this longer video covers many things in one go, if you’re looking for something more specific, feel free to scroll down to find shorter, targeted videos on individual functions.

Basic UI elements

Let's start with some basic UI changes when recreating an approval.

• Approval templates are now called Approval definitions in the new version. 
• Primary approver is now called Recipients.
• Message/Ticket fields sent to approver is now called Message

Approvers and Approval Groups

Approvers and Approval Groups have been consolidated with Zendesk.

When adding a new approver, you can create an end-user profile within Zendesk. If they already exist as an end-user, you can use the search function within the approval definition to add them as an approver. Multiple approvers can be added including groups within Zendesk and the required responses can be set within the approval definition.

Automatic approval requests

No more marking approvals as automatic and sifting through complex documentation to set up custom triggers with specific webhooks. In the new version, we’ve made this process dramatically simpler. Now, just click the Create Trigger button in the Approval Definitions screen, and you're away!

Learn how to automatically start an approval process with the new Approve app.

Sequential Approvals

Sequential approvals and escalations have been streamlined into a single approval definition. Rather than creating multiple approval templates and navigating a complicated tagging and trigger workflow with intricate JSON rules to determine when each template should be displayed, you can now create unlimited step approvals all within a single setup screen. This simplifies the process significantly, saving you an immense amount of time during setup.

Escalation Approvals

Escalations are now much more flexible. Instead of being fixed within each approver's settings, you can now create a custom flow of escalation points for each step in your approval definitions. This added flexibility also allows you to use escalation points as reminders, enhancing the approval process even further.

Approval state actions

In the legacy version, you could only tag a ticket based on a few outcomes. Now, you can take action on the ticket based on 10 different event types, offering significantly more flexibility to create customized workflows and reporting.

Learn how to perform ticket actions based on approval outcomes.

Full Migration Walkthrough

If you have any questions or encounter an issue, please contact our support team at support@sweethawk.com for assistance.