How to Configure an Approval Task Workflow Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan

Direct Answer: How to Configure an Approval Task Workflow Action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan

To configure an Approval Task Workflow action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan, open the automation editor, select Add Automation Action, choose Approval Task Workflow, configure approvers, approval method, notification content, and the actions to run on approval and rejection, then select Update to save.

What This Article Covers: Approval Task Workflow Action

This article explains how to configure the Approval Task Workflow action for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan. Use this action to initiate an approval workflow for a specific work item when the automation is triggered.

What you will accomplish
By the end of this article, you will be able to add and configure an Approval Task Workflow action for a work plan automation, including approvers, approval behavior, and follow-up actions on approval and rejection.

Before You Begin: Approval Task Workflow Action

Before you begin, make sure you have:

A OnePlan account with Licensed permissions
Contributor or Owner access to the plan
A Work Plan Automation trigger already configured

See trigger articles: How to Configure a When a Date Passes Trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan, How to Configure a When a Field Changes Trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan, How to Configure a When an Item Is Created Trigger for Work Plan Automations in OnePlan.

Why This Matters: Approval Task Workflow Action

The Approval Task Workflow action in OnePlan creates approval tasks and notifies selected approvers to review and approve or reject the work item. Approvers will be prompted to review based on your configuration. This action is commonly used to enforce quality gates on work items, require sign-off before tasks are progressed, and standardize review processes across a plan's work items.

Note: For team-wide approvals, each team member receives their own approval task and email notification.

Step-by-Step: Configuring an Approval Task Workflow Action in OnePlan

Task: Add the Approval Task Workflow Action

In the automation editor, select Add Automation Action.
Choose Approval Task Workflow from the dropdown.

The configuration panel opens on the right side of the screen.

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Task: Configure the Approval Task Workflow

Complete the fields in the configuration panel.

Assigned To — Select a recipient type from the dropdown. Options include:

Plan Field — Select a plan-level user field.
Work Field — Select a work-level user field. Users assigned to that field receive the approval task.
Shared-With Level — Select one or more Shared With permission levels.
Specific User — Select one or more individual users.
Specific Team — Select one or more resource teams.

Approval Method — Choose how approval is completed:

First User — Approved as soon as the first approver approves.
All Users — All approvers must approve before the workflow completes.

Days Until Approval Is Due — Enter the expected number of days for approval completion.

Note: This value is informational only and does not enforce a deadline.

Notification Subject — Enter the subject line for the approval notification sent to approvers.

Fields Sent — Select up to 10 fields to include in the notification for additional task context.

Message Body — Write the message included in the approval request.

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Task: Configure Approval Actions

Configure the actions that run after the work item is approved. Available actions include Send Notification, Update Work Item, Copy/Create Work Item, Request Update, and Stop (ends the automation).

Task: Configure Rejection Actions

Configure the actions that run if the work item is rejected. Available actions include Send Notification, Update Work Item, Copy/Create Work Item, Request Update, and Stop (ends the automation).

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Task: Save the Action

Select Update to save the Approval Task Workflow action.
When finished configuring the automation, select Save.

Frequently Asked Questions: Approval Task Workflow Action

Q: What is the difference between Approval Task Workflow in Work Plan Automations vs. Plan Automations in OnePlan?
A: The Approval Task Workflow action works similarly in both automation types, but in Work Plan Automations it applies to work items, and in Plan Automations it applies to the plan itself. Additionally, Work Plan Automations support a Work Field recipient type that is not available in Plan Automations.

Q: Does the Days Until Approval Is Due field enforce a deadline in OnePlan?
A: No. In OnePlan, the Days Until Approval Is Due field is informational only. It is displayed in the notification to set expectations but does not enforce a deadline or trigger escalation.

Q: What happens to plan access when an approval task is assigned through a Work Plan Automation in OnePlan?
A: When a Work Plan Automation assigns an approval task to a resource in OnePlan, that resource is automatically added to the plan's team as a reader — unless they already have a higher permission level. See How to Assign Resources to Automation Approval Tasks in OnePlan for details.

What to Do Next: Approval Task Workflow Action

Add more actions to your automation:

Review the full configuration process:

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