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Version: Current

Troubleshooting: Document Stuck in Approval Status

Problem​

A document enters an Approval status but remains there indefinitely, not moving to the next approver, milestone, or final status (like Completed/Processing). Users assigned to the current step may or may not be able to action it.

Common Causes​

  1. No Valid Approver Found:
    • DOA/Management Tree: The system cannot find a user with a sufficient limit or the next manager in the hierarchy based on the document's coding and the configured dataset/user profiles.
    • User Group: The assigned User Group has no active members, or the members lack the necessary permissions/data visibility to access the document.
    • Specific User: The assigned User is inactive or lacks permissions/data visibility.
    • Submitter Exclusion: The submitter is the only person who meets the criteria for the step, but the "Include Submitter" setting is FALSE (Configure Self-Approval Prevention).
  2. Incorrect Sentence Logic:
    • The Sentence triggering the approval didn't correctly identify the approver(s).
    • Subsequent Sentences designed to handle the "Approved" or "Rejected" outcome are missing, inactive, or have incorrect triggers/conditions, preventing the document from moving out of the approval status.
  3. Approval Service Issue (Rare): A temporary issue with the backend Approval Service might prevent it from processing responses or advancing the workflow.
  4. Circular Reference: Complex approval routing logic (especially with multiple Sentences) might inadvertently create a loop where the document keeps getting assigned back to the same step.
  5. Missing "And Cancel Processing": If multiple approval Sentences can be triggered by the same event (e.g., status change to APPROVAL), failure to use the "And cancel processing" action can lead to conflicting or stalled approval flows.

Troubleshooting Steps​

  1. Identify Current Approver(s):
    • Open the document. Look at the active approval milestone and step.
    • Who is listed as the PENDING approver (User or User Group)?
  2. Check Approver Validity:
    • Specific User: Is the user active in Zudello? Do they have the necessary permissions (#VIEW for the module/submodule) and Data Permissions to see this specific document?
    • User Group: Does the group have active members? Do those members have the necessary permissions and Data Permissions?
    • DOA/Management Tree: Review the DOA dataset or user manager settings. Is there a valid user defined for the required limit/next level based on the document's coding? Is that user active and permissioned correctly?
    • Submitter Exclusion: Check the Sentence configuration. Is "Include Submitter" FALSE? Was the submitter the only potential approver for this step? If so, the workflow needs adjustment (e.g., add an alternative approver or change the logic).
  3. Review Sentence Configuration:
    • Identify the Sentence that triggered this approval step. Review its "Get Approval" action. Is it configured to find the correct approver(s)?
    • Identify the Sentence(s) triggered by the When an approval outcome is received event (for APPROVED and REJECTED). Are they active? Do their conditions correctly match the milestone/step name? Do their actions correctly set the next status (e.g., COMPLETE, PROCESSING, REJECT_REVIEW)?
  4. Check for Conflicting Sentences: Review all active Sentences triggered by the same event (e.g., status change to APPROVAL). Ensure they have appropriate conditions to prevent multiple flows starting simultaneously or use the "And cancel processing" action correctly.
  5. Check Automation Logs (Admin/Staff): Review the Automation Logs for the document (via Staff Menu or potentially History tab if enabled) to see which Sentences ran and if any errors occurred during execution.
  6. Try Force Approve (Admin): If the workflow logic seems correct but the document is stuck, an administrator can try using Force Approve (Force Approve Document) to manually push the current milestone through. Observe if the document then moves to the next expected status or milestone. This helps isolate if the issue is with the current step or the subsequent workflow logic. Use with caution and provide a reason.
  7. Check Zudello Status Page: Visit status.zudello.com to check for any ongoing platform incidents affecting approvals.

Need Help?​

If a document remains stuck after these steps, contact Zudello support. Provide:

  • The Document UUID.
  • Screenshots of the approval flow display on the document.
  • Details of the expected approver and the next expected status.
  • Relevant Sentence configurations if possible.