Configure and complete content approval
Require one review before publishing, assign named reviewers, and understand when an approved version becomes stale.
- Documentation owner:
- BlendDuck Documentation
- Last reviewed:
Content approval protects one exact version of a logical post and all its selected channel targets. The current dashboard supports either no approval gate or one required review stage.
Before you start
- You need Owner or Admin access to change the workspace approval rule.
- A named reviewer must already be an accepted workspace member.
- Decide whether every post in this workspace must be approved. The current rule is workspace-wide, not per campaign or channel.
For an external stakeholder, read the client approval playbook before sending an invitation. The current product does not provide an approver-only or public-link role.
Choose the workspace rule
Open Approvals → Approval policy.
| Dashboard option | Publishing behavior | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| No approval required | Authors with content access may schedule or publish without a review decision. | A solo operator owns the final decision. |
| Require approval | The current content version must be approved before delivery. | Another person must sign off. |
When approval is required, use Who can approve? to select one or more named members, then choose Save rules. Any selected member may complete the single required approval. If the selection is empty, workspace Owners and Admins can review.
The dashboard does not currently configure optional review, multiple ordered stages, approval deadlines, or content locking from this page.
Success check: after saving, the selected option and reviewer list remain visible when the page reloads.
Submit the exact version
- Create or open the post from Calendar.
- Confirm the shared caption, media, schedule, campaigns, and every channel variation.
- Choose Send for approval.
- Confirm the post appears under Approvals → To review.
The submission records the exact content and policy revision. A multi-channel post is reviewed as one logical version, while every target still publishes and reports status independently.
Review the post
The named reviewer opens Approvals → To review, selects the item, and checks its copy, channels, and publishing time.
- Approve authorizes the displayed version under the current rule.
- Request changes returns actionable feedback to the author. Feedback is required before the request can be sent.
The History tab shows completed and returned reviews. BlendDuck currently does not send an automatic approval email or reminder, so teams should agree on a separate notification habit.
Know when approval becomes stale
An earlier decision no longer authorizes publishing when:
- the shared content, target variation, media, setting, campaign, or schedule changes;
- the approval rule or reviewer selection changes; or
- the review belongs to an older submission.
The review dialog explains that the post or rule changed. Recheck the new version and choose Send for approval again. Never treat a historical approval as permission for content the reviewer did not see.
Understand what each person can do
| Person | Relevant access |
|---|---|
| Owner or Admin | Configure the rule; submit content; review when allowed. |
| Editor | Create and submit content; review only when selected as a named reviewer. |
| Member without content write access | Cannot submit a post for approval. |
Provider access remains separate. Approval cannot give the connected social account a missing native permission, scope, account type, or app-review grant.
You are done when
- The workspace intentionally uses No approval required or Require approval.
- Required approval has the intended reviewer selection.
- The submitted item appears in To review.
- The reviewer can approve or request changes.
- Calendar shows whether the current version is approved or blocked.
- The team knows that edits and rule changes require a new submission.
If something blocks you
| Symptom | First safe action |
|---|---|
| Reviewer is not listed | Confirm that they accepted the workspace invitation, then reload the policy page. |
| Send for approval is unavailable | Confirm the workspace requires approval and your role can edit the post. |
| Reviewer has no action buttons | Check the named reviewer, invited email, and whether the post or policy changed. |
| Approval vanished after an edit | Submit the new version again; the old decision is intentionally stale. |
| Approved content still fails to publish | Read the target's provider error; approval does not replace platform permissions or validation. |