Troubleshooting: Submitter Unable (or Able) to Self-Approve Incorrectly

Problem

There's an issue with self-approval for submitted documents:

1. Submitter Blocked: A user submitted a document, is assigned as an approver for a step, but cannot approve it (buttons disabled, status shows SUBMITTER), even though they should be allowed to self-approve according to policy.
2. Submitter Not Blocked: A user submitted a document and can approve it, but company policy requires self-approval prevention for that step.

Common Causes

1. Incorrect Sentence Configuration ("Include Submitter"): The primary cause is the Include Submitter (include_submitter) toggle setting on the specific "Get Approval" action within the Sentence being set incorrectly.
   • Submitter Blocked Incorrectly: The toggle is likely OFF (FALSE) when it should be ON (TRUE).
   • Submitter Not Blocked Incorrectly: The toggle is likely ON (TRUE) when it should be OFF (FALSE).
2. Wrong Approver Assigned: The step was assigned to the submitter, but a different user or group should have been assigned according to the intended workflow logic. See Wrong Approver Assigned.
3. Multiple Conflicting Sentences: Different Sentences might be triggering approval steps for the same document, some with "Include Submitter" ON and others with it OFF, leading to confusing behaviour.
4. Misunderstanding Policy vs. Configuration: The configured Sentence logic does not accurately reflect the intended company policy regarding self-approval for that specific scenario.

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Identify the Sentence and Step:
   • Open the document and examine the approval flow. Identify the specific milestone and step where the self-approval issue is occurring.
   • Determine which Sentence created this specific approval step (check Audit History, Automation Logs, or review Sentences with matching triggers/conditions).
2. Verify Sentence Configuration:
   • Go to Settings > Automations and edit the identified Sentence.
   • Find the relevant "Get Approval" action corresponding to the problematic step.
   • Check the Include Submitter toggle setting.
     • If the submitter should be able to approve but cannot: Ensure the toggle is ON (TRUE).
     • If the submitter should NOT be able to approve but can: Ensure the toggle is OFF (FALSE).
   • Save any changes. (Note: Changes only affect future approvals triggered by this Sentence).
3. Verify Approver Assignment Logic: Is the submitter supposed to be the approver for this step according to the workflow design? If not, correct the approver selection (User, Group, DOA) within the "Get Approval" action.
4. Check for Conflicting Sentences: Review other active Sentences with the same trigger. Could another Sentence be assigning the same user with a different "Include Submitter" setting? Ensure proper use of conditions and the "And cancel processing" action.
5. Review Document Status: Ensure the document is in the correct APPROVAL status and the relevant step is ACTIVE and PENDING for the submitter.
6. Retry (If Applicable): If you corrected the Sentence configuration, the change will apply to new documents entering that approval step. For the existing document, an administrator might need to use Change Approver or Force Approve/Reject if it's stuck, or the document may need to be reverted and resubmitted.

Need Help?

If you cannot resolve the self-approval issue after checking the Sentence configuration, contact Zudello support. Provide:

• The Document UUID.
• The email of the submitter/approver.
• Screenshots of the approval flow display and the relevant Sentence configuration ("Include Submitter" setting).
• A clear description of the expected vs. actual behaviour regarding self-approval.