ApproveThis manages your Cognito Forms Integration approvals.

Why Approval Automation Matters for Mid-Sized Companies

Let’s cut to the chase: If your company’s approval processes still run on email chains, sticky notes, or “Hey, did you see that form submission?” Slack messages, you’re leaking time and money. For teams handling 50+ employees or multi-department workflows, manual approvals aren’t just annoying—they’re a liability. Enter the Cognito Forms + ApproveThis integration via Zapier. It’s like giving your approval processes a caffeine shot: suddenly, everything moves faster, mistakes get caught earlier, and nobody’s chasing signatures.

What Happens When Forms Meet Approval Automation

Cognito Forms excels at collecting data—expense reports, purchase orders, client onboarding details. ApproveThis specializes in routing that data to the right people for decisions. Together through Zapier, they create closed-loop workflows where:

• Form submissions automatically trigger approval requests
• Approved requests auto-update your forms/databases
• Rejected submissions auto-alert the original submitter

The kicker? Approvers don’t need Cognito Forms licenses. This is huge for companies working with external clients or contractors who shouldn’t have access to your form builder.

Real-World Use Cases (That Don’t Suck)

1. HR Teams: Employee Onboarding That Doesn’t Get Stuck in Legal

Scenario: New hires submit I-9 forms via Cognito. Normally, HR manually forwards these to legal for verification. With ApproveThis:

• Zapier detects new Cognito entry → Creates approval request
• Legal team gets email with form PDF attached
• One-click approval updates HRIS automatically

Time saved: 3-5 days per hire. Risk reduced: Legal actually sees the forms.

2. Finance Teams: Expense Reports That Don’t Require Mind Reading

Problem: Employees submit receipts via Cognito, but approvers don’t know if expenses exceed budgets. Solution:

ApproveThis uses calculated fields to tally expenses in real time. If total exceeds $500, route to CFO. Under $500? Auto-approve. Bonus: Vacation delegation means approvals don’t stall when managers are OOO.

3. Operations: Vendor Contracts That Don’t Fall Through Cracks

Client story: A 200-employee marketing agency uses Cognito for vendor onboarding. Previously, contracts sat unsigned for weeks. Now:

New vendor form → Sequential approval (legal → finance → COO) with deadlines. If COO doesn’t respond in 48hrs, request escalates. Result: 70% faster contract turnaround.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

Zapier’s the glue here. You’ll need:

1. A Zapier account (free tier works)
2. ApproveThis and Cognito Forms accounts

Basic flow for expense approvals:

Trigger: New Cognito Forms entry (expense report)
Action: Create ApproveThis request with:
- Calculated total field
- Approval threshold: Auto-approve if <$500
- Escalation rule: Notify CFO after 24hrs
Result: Approved? Update accounting software. Denied? Email submitter via Cognito.

Why This Combo Beats Built-In Form Approvals

Cognito’s native approvals work for simple cases. But when you need:

- Multi-step reviews (Manager → Director → VP)
- Conditional logic (Route high-value contracts to legal)
- Real-time tracking (Who’s sitting on that PR request?)

...ApproveThis adds muscle. Plus, approvers live in email—no new logins.

Teams That Win With This Integration

Marketing Agencies

Client content approvals via Cognito → Creative director review in ApproveThis → Auto-publish on approval. No more “Final_Final_v3_Really.pdf” chaos.

Manufacturing

Equipment purchase forms trigger multi-department approvals (Maintenance → Procurement → CFO). Bonus: Approval thresholds auto-OK routine orders.

Healthcare Providers

Patient intake forms → HIPAA-compliant approval flow. Sensitive data stays encrypted; auditors get auto-reports.

The Hidden Perks You’ll Actually Use

Beyond the obvious time saves:

Audit Trails: Every approval/rejection is logged with timestamps and reasons. GDPR/SOX compliance becomes a checkbox, not a nightmare.

Client-Friendly: External partners approve via email. They never see your backend systems.

No More Bottlenecks: Vacation delegation automatically reroutes approvals. Your CFO’s ski trip doesn’t paralyze procurement.

Common Mistakes (And How to Dodge Them)

Overcomplicating Workflows: Start with 1-2 step approvals. Add complexity later.

Ignoring Thresholds: Auto-approve small expenses. Save human eyes for big spends.

Forgetting Mobile: 60% of approvals happen on phones. Test email/SMS responses.

Ready to Stop Chasing Approvals?

If your team’s handling 100+ monthly approvals, this integration pays for itself in <30 days. No, really—we’ve seen a 214% ROI for clients using both platforms.

Get started with ApproveThis (free 14-day trial), or book a demo to see live Cognito Forms workflows.

Pro tip: Bring your messiest approval process. We’ll show you how to fix it in <8 minutes.