ApproveThis manages your HackMD Integration approvals.

Let's cut through the corporate jargon: approval processes suck when you're chasing people through Slack threads or digging through email graveyards. HackMD's great for collaborative docs, but markdown won't magically get your legal team to sign off faster. That's where pairing it with ApproveThis via Zapier turns "waiting on approvals" into a system that actually works.

Why This Combo Works For Mid-Sized Companies

ApproveThis isn't just another checkbox tool. It's built for companies where:

• Approvals regularly get stuck between departments
• External clients/vendors need to sign off without getting logins
• You need audit trails tighter than your security team's coffee budget

HackMD solves the "everyone editing the same doc" problem. ApproveThis solves the "getting five people to actually decide something" problem. Together? You get documentation that automatically triggers decisions, and decisions that automatically update documentation.

Real-World Use Cases That Don't Feel Like Corporate Fluff

1. Legal Team Playbook: Contracts That Review Themselves

Here's how a 200-person SaaS company handles NDAs:

- Sales rep collaborates with client on terms in HackMD
- Zapier detects new NDA draft 92 Creates ApproveThis request
- Legal gets email with direct link to HackMD doc
- Counsel approves via email (no login needed)
- Approved contract PDF auto-attaches to HackMD history

Key benefit: Legal only gets involved when dollar amounts exceed thresholds. Everything else auto-approves based on pre-set rules.

2. Engineering Specs That Don't Die In Committee

A 500-employee hardware startup's fix for endless spec reviews:

- Tech lead starts architecture doc in HackMD
- @mentions trigger ApproveThis workflow with calculated fields
- VP Eng only gets notified if estimated dev time > 120 hours
- Denied requests auto-create JIRA tickets from HackMD action items

Bonus: Vacation delegation means approvals don't stall when that one critical architect is hiking in Patagonia.

3. Marketing Content Calendars That Actually Get Approved

How a 1000-person retail company avoids "brand voice" arguments:

- Campaign briefs live in HackMD with version history
- ApproveThis sends staggered approvals (legal 92 compliance 92 CMO)
- Rejected drafts auto-revert to last approved version in HackMD
- Published content locks editing except via new approval cycle

Pro tip: They use approval groups so either the CMO or CTO can greenlight time-sensitive tech blogs.

Setting This Up Without Hiring A Zapier Expert

Basic integration takes 15 minutes:

1. Create a Zapier account (free tier works)
2. Connect HackMD 92 ApproveThis (OAuth takes 2 clicks)
3. Choose trigger: New HackMD note vs approval status changes
4. Map critical fields: Doc links, approval reasons, version IDs
5. Test with $100 vendor contract before scaling up

Pro move: Use ApproveThis' calculated fields to auto-route docs. Example: If HackMD doc contains "NDA", require legal sign-off. If it's "blog post", just need marketing director.

Why Teams Actually Stick With This Combo

For HackMD Power Users

- Approval status visible in doc footers via dynamic fields
- Comments auto-convert to approval tasks with deadlines
- No more "I thought you signed off on version 12!"

For Finance Teams

- Budget proposals in HackMD trigger approval chains
- Auto-approve expenses under $500 with manager oversight
- CAPEX requests require sequential CFO 92 CEO sign-off

For HR Departments

- Employee handbooks update only after legal approves
- New hire docs get automatic 24-hour approval SLA
- Offboarding checklists enforce compliance sign-offs

The Hidden Advantage Your CFO Will Love

ApproveThis approvers don't need HackMD licenses. When working with external partners:

- Clients review specs via email approval
- Vendors get decision links (no login required)
- Contractors only see docs relevant to their approval step

Translation: You're not paying for 50 extra HackMD seats just to get signatures.

When To Consider This Integration

If any of these sound familiar:

- "Who has the latest version of this proposal?"
- "I approved the draft, not the final doc!"
- "Our sales legal reviews take longer than the sales cycle"
- "We need audit trails for SOC 2 compliance"

It's not about doing documentation better. It's about making documentation do something instead of collecting virtual dust.

Getting Started Without The Overwhelm

Pick one process:

1. A contract type that always gets stuck
2. Recurring report that needs executive sign-off
3. Client deliverable requiring multiple internal reviews

Clone our pre-built HackMD approval templates, connect via Zapier, and test with next week's real document. Worst case? You'll identify exactly where approvals break down. Best case? You save 8 hours a week on follow-up emails.

Bottom Line For Busy Teams

HackMD keeps your docs clean. ApproveThis keeps your process clean. Together via Zapier, they ensure that collaborative editing actually leads to decisions - not just another comment thread. No PhD in "approval management" required.

Book a 12-minute demo to see live examples from your industry, or start a free trial and connect your first HackMD doc in under an hour.