Run a client approval workflow

Use this playbook when an external client or internal stakeholder must approve social content before it can publish. It follows the controls available in the current BlendDuck dashboard and makes the access tradeoffs explicit.

Before you start

• Decide whether every post in this workspace needs review. The current rule applies to the whole workspace.
• Ask the reviewer for the email address they will use to sign in.
• Agree on what the reviewer checks: copy, media, brand, compliance, timing, or all of them.
• Choose one harmless draft for a rehearsal before relying on the workflow for a launch.

Current access boundary: BlendDuck does not yet have a client-only, approver-only, or public approval-link role. A named external reviewer joins the workspace as an Editor. Keep their Social Inbox access at None unless conversation handling is part of the job, and do not use this pattern when the client must be unable to access other workspace content.

1. Invite and verify the reviewer

1. Open Team & access.
2. Choose Invite members and enter the reviewer's email.
3. Select Editor and send the invitation.
4. After the reviewer accepts, confirm that they appear under Members.
5. Leave Social Inbox at None unless access was explicitly approved.

Do not grant Admin just to let someone approve. Admin can manage workspace settings, people, credentials, webhooks, and approval rules.

2. Require the named approval

1. Open Approvals → Approval policy.
2. Select Require approval.
3. Under Who can approve?, select the intended reviewer.
4. Choose Save rules.

Success check: the page shows Require approval and the intended member is selected. If nobody is selected, any workspace Owner or Admin can complete the review instead.

The current dashboard creates one review stage requiring one approval. It does not configure optional or multi-level review from this screen.

3. Rehearse before the first campaign

Create a harmless draft with the same channel mix your team normally uses. Confirm the caption, media, each channel variation, and schedule, then choose Send for approval.

The submission represents that exact multi-channel version. Ask the reviewer to open Approvals → To review, select the post, and verify:

1. the shared copy and publishing time;
2. every listed channel;
3. the requested brand or compliance details; and
4. whether the decision should be Approve or Request changes.

When requesting changes, the reviewer must enter actionable feedback. A useful request names the location, the expected change, and why it blocks approval.

4. Handle each decision safely

Editing content or changing the approval rule invalidates the earlier review. This is intentional: an approval must never silently authorize a version the reviewer did not see.

5. Set the operating habit

BlendDuck currently does not send an approval email or reminder from this workflow. Agree on an external notification habit, such as a Slack message, and include the workspace, due time, and post description without copying private credentials or client-only data.

The reviewer should use Approvals → To review as the single queue. The History tab shows completed and returned reviews, while the post detail in Calendar shows whether its current version is approved or blocked.

You are done when

• The reviewer accepted the correct workspace invitation.
• Their role is Editor, Social Inbox access is intentional, and Admin was not granted only for approval.
• Require approval names the intended reviewer.
• A rehearsal post appeared in To review.
• The reviewer successfully approved it or requested a change with feedback.
• The team confirmed that an edit requires a new submission.
• The team has an agreed reminder channel outside BlendDuck.

If something blocks you

For the underlying version and status rules, read Content approvals. For member access, read Teams and permissions.