How to Automate Approval Workflows Using ApproveThis + Schedule by Zapier

Why Schedule by Zapier and ApproveThis Are Better Together

Lets cut to the chase: approvals suck when theyre manual. Someone forgets to send the request. Approvers ghost emails. Budgets get stuck in limbo. Thats why pairing ApproveThis with Schedule by Zapier is like giving your processes a caffeine shot. One tool handles the when, the other nails the how.

Schedule by Zapier acts as your automation metronome  triggering actions daily, weekly, or at custom intervals. ApproveThis turns those beats into actual business outcomes: approved POs, signed contracts, greenlit campaigns. Together, they create workflows that run themselves while you focus on actual work.

The Nuts and Bolts

Heres what makes this combo lethal for companies with 50-5,000 employees:

• No more chasing: Automatic request creation means zero missed approvals
• External-friendly: Clients/partners approve via email without needing app logins

Real-World Use Cases (That Dont Sound Like BS)

1. Daily Finance Routines That Actually Work

Picture a mid-sized ecommerce company where the finance team wastes every morning chasing down execs to approve yesterdays expenses. With Schedule by Zapier triggering daily ApproveThis requests at 7 AM:

• All pending expenses auto-compile into one approval batch
• CFO gets an email digest with Approve/Reject buttons
• Approvals sync to NetSuite without manual entry

Why it matters: The AP team stops playing detective. Approval thresholds auto-approve small expenses under $500, while anything over $5k gets escalated. Vacation delegation ensures someones always available to sign off.

2. Monthly Budget Reviews That Dont Derail

A 200-person SaaS company uses Schedule by Zapier to trigger department budget approvals every 25th of the month. ApproveThis routes requests based on:

• Department (Engineering vs. Marketing)
• Budget size (using calculated fields to compare actual vs. forecast)
• Approval chains (Finance Director 2 CFO 2 CEO for amounts over $50k)

The kicker: Real-time tracking shows exactly where bottlenecks happen. If the CMO ignores three reminders? The system auto-reassigns to their VP.

Setting Up the Integration (Without the Fluff)

1. Create your Schedule trigger: In Zapier, choose Schedule by Zapier and set your frequency (daily/weekly/custom)
2. Connect ApproveThis: Use the Create Request action to map your approval template
3. Test with real data: Send a test request to confirm approvers get emails

Pro tip: Start with one simple workflow (like weekly content calendar approvals) before scaling to complex chains.

Team-Specific Wins

For HR Teams:

Automate onboarding checklists that trigger every time a new hires start date approaches. Schedule by Zapier pings ApproveThis to:

• Get IT approval for laptop allocations
• Secure manager sign-off on training budgets
• Route offer letters to legal every Monday at 9 AM

For Operations:

Manufacturing teams use scheduled approvals for:

• Weekly inventory replenishment orders
• Bi-monthly safety protocol reviews
• Vendor contract renewals (with auto-reminders 60 days pre-expiry)

For Marketing:

Trigger campaign approvals every Thursday at 2 PM so teams have Friday to fix issues. ApproveThis calculated fields automatically:

• Flag budgets exceeding quarterly limits
• Require CMO approval for influencer deals over $10k
• Auto-approve routine social posts under $500

Features Youll Actually Use

ApproveThis isnt just another approval tool. When combined with Schedule by Zapier, these features become power moves:

Email-Based Approvals

External clients click Approve/Reject without logging in. No more I didnt get the link excuses.

Vacation Delegation

Sales team lead OOO? Approval requests auto-reassign to their deputy based on Outlook/Zoom integrations.

Conditional Thresholds

Auto-approve office supply orders under $1k. Anything higher gets routed to department heads.

Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)

Mistake #1: Overcomplicating Workflows

Start with one-time approvals before building multi-step chains. Example: Automate monthly SaaS subscription renewals before tackling complex procurement processes.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Time Zones

Schedule triggers at 9 AM EST? Double-check approvers arent on PST. ApproveThis lets you set approver-specific working hours.

When to Call It Quits (On Manual Approvals)

If your team exhibits any of these symptoms, its time to automate:

• Approvers regularly miss 24-hour SLAs
• Employees create Slack channels just to chase signatures
• Finance finds unauthorized purchases after processing invoices

Bottom Line

ApproveThis + Schedule by Zapier turns approval workflows from productivity black holes into set-and-forget processes. For teams drowning in Slack pings and follow-up emails, this integration isnt just nice-to-have  its damage control.

Next steps:
1. Start a free ApproveThis trial
2. Build your first Zap in Zapier (takes 8 minutes)
3. Stop being your teams reminder bot