Approval Workflows

TimelyChurch Forms includes a built-in approval workflow that lets you review and act on submissions before they are considered final. Every submission goes through a three-status lifecycle: Pending, Approved, or Rejected.

How the Approval Workflow Works

Submission Status Lifecycle

Submission Received --> Pending --> Approved
                                --> Rejected
                                --> (Reset to Pending for re-review)

1. Pending -- Every new submission starts with a "Pending" status. It is waiting for an admin to review it.
2. Approved -- An admin has reviewed the submission and accepted it. If the form uses "On Approval" profile sync, mapped data is written to the Person record at this point.
3. Rejected -- An admin has reviewed the submission and rejected it. No profile data is synced.

Submissions can be reset back to "Pending" from either Approved or Rejected status if you need to re-evaluate a decision.

When to Use Approval Workflows

Approval workflows are valuable when you need to:

• Vet volunteer applications before adding them to ministry teams
• Verify registration information before confirming event enrollment
• Screen requests (e.g., facility use requests, counseling appointments) before processing
• Control data quality by reviewing what gets synced to member profiles
• Gate access to resources or services based on form responses

Reviewing Submissions

From the Submissions List

1. Navigate to the form and click View Submissions.
2. Use the status filter dropdown to show only Pending submissions.
3. Click on a submission to open its detail page.

The submissions list shows a color-coded status badge for each submission:

• Pending (amber) -- Awaiting review
• Approved (green) -- Accepted
• Rejected (red) -- Declined

On the Submission Detail Page

The detail page provides:

• A large status indicator at the top
• All form responses displayed field-by-field
• Submitter information in the sidebar
• Action buttons for approving or rejecting

Approving a Submission

1. Open the submission detail page.
2. Click the green Approve button.
3. A modal appears where you can optionally add review notes.
4. Click Approve Submission.

What happens when you approve:

• The submission status changes to "Approved."
• The review timestamp and reviewer are recorded.
• If the form's Profile Sync mode is set to On Approval, mapped fields are synced to the Person record. You will see a success message such as "Submission approved and 3 field(s) synced to profile."
• If the sync fails for any reason, the approval still goes through and the error is logged.

Rejecting a Submission

1. Open the submission detail page.
2. Click the red Reject button.
3. A modal appears where you must provide a rejection reason (required).
4. Click Reject Submission.

What happens when you reject:

• The submission status changes to "Rejected."
• The review timestamp, reviewer, and rejection reason are recorded.
• No profile data is synced, regardless of the form's sync mode.
• The rejection reason is stored and displayed in the Review Notes section on the submission detail page.

Resetting a Decision

If you need to reconsider an approved or rejected submission:

1. Open the submission detail page.
2. Click Reset to Pending.
3. The submission returns to Pending status and can be re-reviewed.

Note: If data was already synced to a Person profile (from a previous approval), resetting the status does not undo the sync. Profile changes are permanent once applied.

Review Notes

Review notes serve as an audit trail for your review decisions:

• Approval notes are optional and can document why the submission was accepted.
• Rejection reasons are required and explain why the submission was declined.
• Notes are displayed on the submission detail page alongside the review timestamp and reviewer name.

Combining Approvals with Profile Sync

The approval workflow is especially powerful when combined with the On Approval Profile Sync mode:

Tip: For forms like volunteer applications or membership requests, use "On Approval" sync mode. This ensures that only vetted, approved data enters your People database.

Dashboard Indicators

Pending Count Badge

On the form detail page, the View Submissions link in the Quick Actions sidebar shows a pulsing badge with the number of pending submissions. This provides a quick visual cue that submissions need attention.

Stat Cards

The form detail page and submissions list both show stat cards with counts for Total, Pending, Approved, and Rejected submissions, giving you an at-a-glance view of your review queue.

Best Practices

1. Review promptly. Check your pending submissions regularly, especially for time-sensitive forms like event registrations.
2. Use review notes. Document your reasoning for approvals and rejections. This creates a useful audit trail.
3. Set up notifications. Enable admin notifications or add custom recipients so you are alerted when new submissions arrive.
4. Choose the right sync mode. Use "On Approval" for forms where data quality matters, and "On Submit" for low-risk forms where speed is important.
5. Export regularly. Export submissions to CSV for archival and reporting, especially before archiving or deleting a form.