Review and approval workflow definition

What is Review and approval workflow?

A review and approval workflow is a structured set of steps that routes a document, purchase, or piece of content to the right people for feedback and sign‑off. It typically includes defined roles and permissions (author, reviewer, approver), clear status stages (draft, in review, approved), and deadlines to keep work moving.

Modern tools add automation (auto‑routing, reminders), version tracking, and an audit trail to support accountability and compliance needs—useful from marketing asset approvals to finance and regulated content. Whether in a CMS, e‑signature system, or work management platform, the goal is to reduce manual handoffs, prevent errors, and ensure only approved, accurate, and on‑brandWhy review and approval workflows matterThey protect quality, speed, and compliance. Marketing teams keep content on‑brand and error‑free; finance teams enforce spend controls and approvals with clear logs, as seen in procure‑to‑pay tools that route invoices and validate budgets. In regulated settings—even drug approvals—structured, traceable steps and assigned decision‑makers reduce risk and prove that the right checks happened before release.Work management platforms add automation, reminders, and AI‑assisted checks to cut rework and shorten cycle times. Systems like Sanity can model custom states (e.g., Draft → In review → Approved) and limit final sign‑off to specific roles, while keeping an audit trail. The result is clarity, accountability, and faster time‑to‑publish without sacrificing control.How to design an effective review and approval workflowStart by defining the outcome and the owner of each step. Map the states and exit criteria (what “approved” means), and decide if approvals are sequential or parallel. Add conditional routing for spend limits, risk, or content type, with clear SLAs and escalation. In marketing, include brand checks; in finance, use budget validation and segregation of duties.Build it with automation, reminders, version history, comments, and audit trails (e.g., Workfront for creative reviews, procure‑to‑pay tools for invoice routing). Integrate with ERP or e‑signature where approvals are legally binding. In Sanity, configure document actions to move items between states and restrict final sign‑off to specific roles. Pilot, measure cycle time and rework, and refine rules to keep approvals flowing. items are released.

Last updated: November 17, 2025