# Wait for Approval

Wait for Approval emails assigned approvers with signed Approve and Reject links, then parks the workflow until a decision or automatic expiry.

## When to use it

Use it when a person must approve a submission, refund, order, or publication before the workflow continues.

## Settings

![Complete Wait for Approval settings with personal approval links, a 72-hour expiry, and a 24-hour reminder](/documentation/flowcrafter/screenshots/node-wait-for-approval-settings.png)

| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Form Source / Entry Source** | Selects the Gravity Forms entry being reviewed. These are usually detected automatically. |
| **Approver emails** | Required comma- or newline-separated addresses. Accepts [flow tags](/documentation/flowcrafter/building/using-flow-tags/). |
| **Email Subject / Email Body** | Defines the request. Keep `{{approval.approve_url}}` and `{{approval.reject_url}}` in the body. |
| **Approval policy** | **First response decides** (default), or **All approvers must approve**. Under the latter, one rejection still decides immediately. |
| **Expiry** (hours) | Automatically takes **Expired** after this many hours. Defaults to `72` and accepts flow tags. Invalid or non-positive values fall back to `72`. |
| **Reminder** (hours) | Resends to approvers who have not answered. `0` disables reminders. |
| **Require a note when rejecting** | Prevents rejection without a note. Off by default. |

## Branches and output

| Branch | When it runs |
|---|---|
| **Approved** | The approval policy is satisfied. |
| **Rejected** | An approver rejects. |
| **Expired** | The scheduled expiry arrives before resolution. |

After approval or rejection, output includes **Resolved by**, **Resolved at**, **Action**, and **Note**. A late expiry job does nothing after the request has already been resolved.

## When Go To visits this step again

Each visit creates a fresh request with its own emails and votes. Use the latest request email: links, reminders, and votes from an earlier visit cannot answer the new request. An old link shows **This approval request is no longer current** while a newer approval is waiting. A link whose own expiry has passed still shows **Link Expired** instead.

## Good-to-knows

- You can approve or reject a waiting request from **Forms › Workflows › Pending Tasks**, without opening the request email.
- Each approver receives a personal signed link for that request, action, and expiry. It does not require login: anyone holding the link can submit that approver's decision. Avoid forwarding approval emails, and add an identity check when the decision is sensitive.
- Wait steps are not allowed inside a [For Each](/documentation/flowcrafter/nodes/flow/for-each/) **Each item** branch.
- Test mode sends no email and does not wait. You choose Approve or Reject in the builder; automatic expiry is a production behavior.

## Example

Set the approver to `manager@example.org`, choose **First response decides**, and leave expiry at `72`. Connect **Approved** to an email notifying your fulfillment team, **Rejected** to a correction email, and **Expired** to an escalation email.

![Wait for Approval routes Approved to Notify fulfillment, Rejected to Request a correction, and Expired to Escalate overdue review](/documentation/flowcrafter/screenshots/node-wait-for-approval-example.png)