ApproveThis manages your IMAP by Zapier Integration approvals.

When Email Inboxes Attack: The Approval Process Nightmare

Let's be real - nobody wins when approval requests get lost in email threads. Finance teams waste hours digging for invoice approvals. HR drowns in onboarding checklists. Operations managers play detective tracking down purchase orders. And don't even get us started on clients who "forgot" to reply to that contract sign-off request.

This is where combining ApproveThis with IMAP by Zapier becomes your secret weapon. We're talking about turning email-based requests into tracked, automated workflows without forcing your team (or clients) to learn new software. It's approval management that actually works with how people already operate.

How This Power Couple Works

IMAP by Zapier acts as your email watchdog. Whenever a specific type of email hits your inbox (think: invoices with "APPROVAL NEEDED" in the subject line), it triggers ApproveThis to create a tracked approval request. No manual data entry. No missed emails. Just automated accountability.

ApproveThis then handles the dirty work:

• Routes requests to the right people based on amount, department, or project
• Sends reminders that don't sound passive-aggressive
• Keeps a bulletproof audit trail

And when decisions happen, IMAP by Zapier can shoot updates back to email for anyone who needs to stay in the loop.

Real-World Use Cases That Don't Suck

1. Auto-Create Requests from Email (The Killer App for Finance Teams)

Picture this: Your AP team gets 50+ vendor invoices daily via email. Instead of forwarding each one and hoping for the best, IMAP by Zapier detects new invoices and automatically:

- Creates ApproveThis requests with due dates
- Routes based on amount ($1k goes to managers, $10k+ needs director sign-off)
- Attaches the PDF invoice
- Tags the GL account from the email body

Actual results from current users:
- 68% faster invoice approvals
- 90% reduction in "Did you get that invoice?" emails
- Full visibility into payment status without spreadsheet gymnastics

2. Approval Status Updates That Don't Annoy People

Client-facing teams love this one. When a contract gets approved in ApproveThis, IMAP by Zapier automatically:

- Creates a new mailbox folder for each client project
- Drops the finalized contract PDF into that folder
- Sends a clean status email (no 12-reply threads)

Law firms use this to keep clients updated without sharing internal systems. Marketing agencies track campaign approvals while maintaining brand-specific paper trails.

Features That Make This Actually Useful

ApproveThis isn't just another checkbox tool. These features matter when working with email-driven processes:

Email-Based Approvals: Clients/execs can approve directly from their inboxes. No login required. No "how do I use this software?" support calls.

Approval Thresholds: Auto-approve small expenses ($50 coffee runs), escalate big purchases ($50k equipment). Stops trivial requests from clogging the system.

Vacation Coverage: John in accounting is off? Requests automatically reroute to Sally without you playing coverage coordinator.

Setup That Won't Make You Rage-Quit

Three steps even the least technical person can handle:

1. Connect IMAP by Zapier to your email (Gmail, Outlook, whatever)
2. Set up triggers like "New email with 'APPROVAL' in subject"
3. Map email fields to ApproveThis request templates

Pro tip: Use email filters to automatically label/triage approval requests before they hit Zapier. Makes your automation 10x cleaner.

Who Actually Benefits From This?

HR Teams: New hire equipment requests via email? Auto-route based on department. IT gets laptop specs, facilities handles desk assignments, payroll confirms budget.

Healthcare Admin: Patient transfer requests from partner clinics get auto-converted into tracked approvals. Compliance stays intact without staff playing email tag.

Manufacturing: Supplier quality issues emailed in? Create corrective action requests that route to QA, procurement, and plant managers simultaneously.

The Bottom Line

If your approval processes live in email (and let's face it, they do), this integration stops the madness. ApproveThis brings structure without changing how people work. IMAP by Zapier handles the email heavy lifting. Together, they turn approval chaos into a process that actually... well, processes.

Ready to stop being an email janitor? Get started with ApproveThis or schedule a 15-minute demo to see how it works with your existing email setup.

P.S. For the Zapier details: IMAP by Zapier integration docs