Human approval before the agent acts.
The agent looks up the records and drafts the credit memo, then waits. Once someone on your team approves it, the agent posts the memo and finishes the run.
Example: a credit over the approval limit waits for sign-off
Most steps don't need a person. Mark the ones that do.
In this credit memo workflow, the agent reads the request, finds the invoice, and drafts the memo on its own. It stops twice: before posting a credit over $2,500, and before replying to the customer.
See example agentsExample workflow
Credit Memo Agent- Read the customer's credit requestGmailAutomatic
Find the invoice and line itemsNetSuiteAutomatic
Draft the credit memoTreliumAutomatic- Credit over $2,500?TreliumWaits for a personApproval
- Post the credit memoNetSuiteAutomatic
- Reply to the customerGmailWaits for a personReview draft
- 01
Approve
The agent finishes its draft and waits. Nothing is sent or saved until someone approves it.
- 02
Edit, then approve
Change the draft before you approve it. The agent continues with your version.
- 03
Answer a question
If a value is missing or two records disagree, the agent asks someone which one to use.
How an approval step works.
You add an approval while building the agent, the same way you add any other step.
- 01
Mark the step
Choose the step that needs a sign-off, such as sending an email or posting a credit.
- 02
Set the rule
Require approval on every run, or only when a condition is met, like a credit over $2,500.
- 03
The agent waits
When the run reaches that step, it pauses and shows the reviewer what it prepared and which rule caused the pause.
- 04
Someone decides
The reviewer approves, edits, or denies the step. If it's approved, the run continues from where it paused.
Where teams add an approval.
Usually before a step that's hard to undo.
Customer emails
Replies about quotes, delays, and complaints, checked before they go out.
Credits and refunds
Small credits go through on their own. Large ones wait for a manager.
Purchase orders
A buyer confirms new POs, quantity changes, and first orders with a new supplier.
Payments and AP
Bills that don't match the PO are checked before they're scheduled for payment.
Changes to system records
Edits to customer, pricing, and item records are reviewed before they're saved in the ERP.
Portal and filing submissions
Forms the agent filled in on supplier, customer, or government sites are reviewed before submission.
Every decision is in the run history.
The run history shows what the agent drafted, what the reviewer changed, and who approved it.
Run history
Quote Follow-up Agent- Drafted follow-up to NorthwindQuote Q-3318, 3 items, $14,200Agent
- Edited the second paragraphRemoved the discount offerReviewer
- Approved and sentSent from the rep's GmailReviewer
The step waits for an answer
A step that needs approval doesn't run until someone approves it.
Every run, or only above a limit
With a threshold, routine runs finish on their own and only the unusual ones wait for a person.
Who approved what
Each run records what the agent prepared, any edits, and who approved or denied it.
Remove approvals later
Start with approval on every step that sends or saves. Once the drafts stop needing edits, take it off the steps where it isn't needed.
FAQ
Common questions about human in the loop
It means a person reviews or approves certain steps before an agent completes them. The agent does the work up to that point, pauses, and shows someone on your team what it is about to do. It only continues once they approve.
Anything that is hard to undo or that a customer or supplier will see: outbound emails, credits and refunds, payments, new purchase orders, and changes to records in your ERP. Lookups, reads, and drafts usually don't need one.
Yes. You can ask for approval on every run or only when a condition is met, such as a credit over a set amount or an order from a new customer. Runs that fall under the limit finish on their own.
They can request an edit or deny the step. If they edit a draft, the agent continues with the edited version. If they deny it, the step doesn't run and the run records why.
The run stays paused at that step with everything it has prepared. When someone approves, it continues from there instead of starting over.
Yes. If a run hits something it can't resolve, such as a missing value or a page that has changed, it tries to fix it and retry. If it still can't finish, it stops and flags the run for someone to look at.
Have a step you'd want to check first?Bring it to the demo.
We'll walk through the workflow with you and show where the approval steps would go.