ApproveThis manages your Documenso Integration approvals.

When "Just Sign Here" Isn't Enough

Let’s be real – most companies treat approvals like a game of telephone. Someone emails a contract. CCs five people who aren’t sure if they’re allowed to say yes. Then Finance chimes in three weeks later asking for changes everyone already discussed. Documenso gets documents signed, but signatures are just the finale. What about the 17 steps before that? That’s where ApproveThis comes in – not just automating rubber stamps, but actually structuring who says yes, when, and why.

Why This Combo Doesn’t Suck

Documenso handles the legal part. ApproveThis handles the "why is this taking so long?" part. Together, they fix the two biggest document headaches:

• No more blind approvals: Legal signs because it’s legal. But did the right budget owner okay the spend before it got to them?
• No more version hell: If Procurement’s edit requires re-approval, that happens automatically. Not via frantic Slack messages.

For the Skeptics in the Back

This isn’t about replacing your team with robots. It’s about:

• Contracts getting signed 2x faster because the CFO isn’t chasing down why some random VP approved a $50k spend.
• Auditors actually smiling when you prove every signature had prior approvals documented.
• External clients not needing a Documenso login just to approve a change order.

Use Cases That Don’t Put People to Sleep

We’ll skip the generic "streamline workflows!" jargon. Here’s who actually benefits:

1. The "Why Is Legal Always a Bottleneck?" Fix

Scenario: Marketing agency needs client sign-off on a campaign timeline. Client’s legal team insists on reviewing, but the actual decision-maker is the CMO.

Old Way: Email to CMO → Forwarded to legal → Endless back-and-forth → Missed launch date.

With Zapier:

1. Documenso triggers ApproveThis when CMO signs.
2. ApproveThis pings legal automatically, with the original contract terms attached.
3. Legal approves/denies in ApproveThis → Documenso notifies agency.

Real-World Benefit: Legal only gets involved after the client’s internal decision. No more wasted hours on deals that die internally.

2. The "Accounting Made Us Do It" Shuffle

Scenario: Vendor contract requires Finance approval above $10k. Sales rep sends directly to CFO, who’s confused why this wasn’t vetted first.

Zapier Setup:

1. Sales uploads contract to Documenso.
2. ApproveThis checks amount field. If ≥$10k, route to Procurement → then Finance → then legal.
3. Only after all approve, Documenso sends to vendor for signature.

Who Cares: Procurement teams tired of being bypassed. Finance teams who hate surprises.

3. The "We Have Policies for a Reason" Trap

Scenario: HR needs signed NDAs from new hires. Managers often skip the step where Legal verifies non-compete clauses.

Automation Fix:

1. Manager submits signed NDA via Documenso.
2. ApproveThis routes to Legal if the role is sales/engineering.
3. Legal approves → Documenso file gets tagged as "compliant" in your HRIS.

Not Just HR: Works for IT security waivers, facility access requests, anything where "just get a signature" isn’t enough.

Setup That Doesn’t Require a PhD

If you can forward an email, you can set this up. Here’s the gist:

1. Connect via Zapier: Zapier acts as the messenger. No coding, just checkboxes.
2. Pick Your Trigger: "Document signed in Documenso" or "New request in ApproveThis" are the main ones.
3. Add Conditions: Like "only if contract value > $5k" or "route to Legal if department = Sales".
4. Test with a Dummy Doc: Send yourself a cupcake NDA. Make sure approvals flow right.

Pro Tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag contracts that need extra eyes. Example: If "Contract Duration" ≥12 months, require CEO approval even if under budget.

Why Your Team Won’t Hate This

Most approval tools add more steps. This combo removes the stupid ones:

• Approval Groups: Legal, Finance, and the CMO all get notified at once. First to respond decides it.
• Vacation Delegation: CFO out? Approvals auto-reassign instead of stalling.
• Email Approvals: External vendors can approve without another login.

Dept by Dept Benefits

Legal: Less time playing process cop. Docs arrive pre-approved by the right people.

Sales: Deals close faster when contracts don’t get stuck in review limbo.

Finance: Every approved doc has a digital paper trail. Audit-proof without the spreadsheets.

HR: New hires start Monday, not after three weeks of signature ping-pong.

Common Objections (And Why They’re Wrong)

"We’re not big enough for this." Cool. How many hours did your team waste last month chasing approvals? Exactly.

"We already have DocuSign." Great! This isn’t a replacement. It’s the missing piece for everything that happens before the signature.

"Our process is too complex." ApproveThis handles multi-tier approvals, conditional logic, etc. If your process is a mess, this will expose that. Fixable.

Bottom Line

If your document process is "good enough", move along. But if missed deadlines, audit risks, or department turf wars over approvals are a thing… This combo isn’t magic. It’s just better process, automated.

Next Step: Register for ApproveThis, connect your Documenso account via Zapier, and try one workflow. Worst case? You save a few hours. Best case? You stop dreading contract season.