Creating approval workflows (single-step and multi-step)

Vista Social's approval workflow feature allows you to define who needs to review and approve a post before it can be published. They can include one or multiple steps, depending on your review process.

Single-step post approval

This approval type allows you to assign a post for internal review to one specific team member with admin or publishing manager permissions.

1. Start by creating your post. Go to Create → New post.
   
2. After creating your post, select a scheduling type and click Next.
   
3. Click the Assign button.
   

4. Then, select Assign to user and choose the user you want to assign the post to.

   

5. Click Assign, then Send for approval.

   

6. Your post can be viewed in the content calendar, awaiting your admin/manager's approval.

   

7. And that's it! 

Multi-step post approval

Approvals that involve multiple steps require additional setup in the settings before they can be selected from the publisher assignment screen.

Check out our 🕹️ interactive demo below for steps, or scroll down for our written guide.

1. Head to Settings → Publishing Settings → Approval Workflows.

   

2. Click Add approval workflow.

   

3. Create your workflow by adding and naming your steps, and choosing which team member (or client) should approve at each step. 

   

    

   Multi-step approval types

   Internal approval Select approvers: Assign specific team members or user groups to review the post.  Anyone can approve: Allow any team member within the profile group to review the post

   External approval  Shared calendar: Allow non-logged-in clients/users to review posts easily through a shared calendar link (external approval). Learn more here

4. You can combine internal and external approvals in a multi-step workflow. For example, the first 1-2 steps can be completed internally by your team, with final approval handled by your client through a shared calendar link.
5. To use the multi-step approval workflow, click the Assign button after creating your post. 
6. Then, select Assign to workflow and choose the workflow you created.
7. Click Assign, then Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I change the assigned approval workflow for a post that’s already in review?

A: No. You cannot change the workflow for a post that is already in review. Approval workflows can only be assigned to new posts or to posts that have exited the approval stage.

Q: What happens if a team member who is part of an approval workflow is removed?

A: If a team member who is assigned to an approval workflow is removed, the workflow will become invalid. To use the workflow again, you’ll need to assign a new reviewer to replace the removed team member.

Need further help?

If you have any questions or need additional help, feel free to contact our awesome support team. We are here to assist you! 💙

Related Reading:

Approval workflows in Vista Social

Using shared calendars for external/client approvals (no login)

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