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Version: Current

FAQ: What does "Remember Response" (Apply Previous) do?

The Remember Response (internally apply_previous) setting is an option you can enable for specific approval steps within an Automation Sentence.

Purpose:

Its purpose is to streamline workflows where the same user might be required to approve a document multiple times at different stages (milestones) of the same approval flow.

How it Works:

  • When Remember Response (apply_previous) is turned ON for an approval step:
    • Before assigning the step as PENDING to a user, Zudello checks if that same user has already APPROVED or REJECTED any previous step within the same approval flow instance for that document.
    • If a previous response (APPROVED or REJECTED) is found, Zudello automatically applies that same response to the current step for that user.
    • The user does not receive a notification for this step, and it's immediately marked with the automatically applied response (APPROVED or REJECTED).
  • When Remember Response is turned OFF (default):
    • The user must manually action the step, even if they approved or rejected earlier in the same flow. They will receive notifications as usual (if configured).

Use Case Example:

Imagine an invoice requires:

  1. Milestone 1, Step 1: Department Manager Approval (User A)
  2. Milestone 2, Step 2: Finance Manager Approval > $1000 (User A also happens to be the Finance Manager)

If "Remember Response" is ON for Step 2:

  • User A approves Step 1. Milestone 1 completes.
  • Milestone 2 becomes active.
  • When assigning Step 2 to User A, Zudello sees User A already approved Step 1 in this flow.
  • Zudello automatically sets User A's response for Step 2 to APPROVED. User A receives no notification for Step 2.

Benefits:

  • Reduces redundant clicks and notifications for approvers involved in multiple stages.
  • Speeds up the approval process.

Caution:

  • Only use this if the context for approval doesn't significantly change between the steps where the same user approves. If new information becomes available or different criteria apply at the later step, automatic application might be inappropriate.

See also: Configuring "Remember Response" and Troubleshooting "Remember Response" Not Applying.