# Managing approval requests

---

This page covers what happens after you submit an approval request, how you can track it's progress and how you can respond to approval requests you have been assigned.

### Tracking your request as a drafter

- Once submitted, your request appears under **My Documents → Submitted**. Click on it and open the **Head** tab to see a full picture of where the request stands; the approval line, each approver's status, and the date they acted.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/Xxtimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/Xxtimage.png)

#### <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">**→** Understanding request statuses</span>

Each person in the approval line has an individual status that updates as the request moves forward.


<table id="bkmrk-waiting-the-request-" style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 24px; height: 97.7814px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 32.5938px;"><td style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); padding: 8px 12px; width: 20%; border: 1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224); height: 32.5938px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(249, 243, 224); color: rgb(241, 196, 15);"> WAITING </span></td><td style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224); height: 32.5938px;">The request has not yet reached this person.</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(245, 247, 250); height: 32.5938px;"><td style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); padding: 8px 12px; width: 20%; border: 1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224); height: 32.5938px;"><span style="color: rgb(244, 142, 61); background-color: rgb(253, 232, 213);"> PENDING </span></td><td style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224); height: 32.5938px;">The request has reached this approver and is currently waiting for their action.</td></tr><tr style="height: 32.5938px;"><td style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; color: rgb(26, 26, 26); padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224); height: 32.5938px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(191, 237, 210); color: rgb(45, 194, 107);"> COMPLETED </span></td><td style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224); height: 32.5938px;">This person has approved the request. The date and time of their action is recorded alongside their name.</td></tr></tbody></table>

- If an approver approves your request, their status will update to completed, and the request will move to the next approver in the line of approval.
- If your request is rejected, you'll find it in **My Documents → Rejected**. The approver's reason for rejecting will appear as a comment icon alongside their date &amp; time of rejection in the approval line, which you can see by clicking on the **View** icon.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/dbqimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/dbqimage.png)

- Click on "Edit" to make the necessary changes, and resubmit.
- Once resubmitted, the request returns to the first approver again, and moves through the approval line in order.

<p class="callout info">If a request has been edited and resubmitted by you, it gets updated to a new version. The **Version** dropdown lets you view and compare with earlier versions of the document. </p>

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/XAWimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/XAWimage.png)

---

---

### Responding to a request as an approver

When a request reaches your turn in the approval line, you will be notified. You will find it in:

- **To Be Processed → Internal Approval** if a user from your institution assigned it to you, or
- **To Be Processed → External Approval** if a user from another institution assigned it to you.

Open the request and review its content before taking any of the following actions:

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/x5Vimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/x5Vimage.png)

<table id="bkmrk-approve-approves-the" style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 16px;"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #f5f7fa;"><td style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; padding: 8px 12px; width: 20%; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;"><span style="color: rgb(45, 194, 107);">Approve</span></td><td style="font-size: 13px; color: #555; padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;">Approves the request and moves it to the next approver in line.

</td></tr><tr><td style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;"><span style="color: rgb(224, 62, 45);">Reject</span></td><td style="font-size: 13px; color: #555; padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;">Rejects the request after you leave a mandatory comment explaining the reason. The request will be in your **Rejected** folder until the drafter resubmits.

</td></tr><tr style="background-color: #f5f7fa;"><td style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;"><span style="color: rgb(241, 196, 15);">Hold</span></td><td style="font-size: 13px; color: #555; padding: 8px 12px; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;">Moves the request to your **On Hold** folder for quick access if you are not ready to act on it yet. The drafter is not notified. You can approve or reject it from the on hold folder at any time. *(Click on the **More** dropdown to see this option).*</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">**→** </span>Editing before approving

<table id="bkmrk-%E2%9A%A0%EF%B8%8F-important%3A-if-a-f" style="width: 100%; background-color: #fff8e6; border-left: 3px solid #e6a817; border-radius: 4px; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 24px;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 10px 14px; font-size: 12px; color: #555; line-height: 1.65;">**Important:** Some form templates are configured as editable by your admin. When forms are editable, you can make changes to the request's details or content before approving. When you edit and update a request, its version updates. Click the **Version** dropdown to compare with earlier versions.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<details id="bkmrk-how-to-edit-a-reques"><summary style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 1.65;">How to edit a request as an approver</summary>

- Open the request and click the **More** dropdown, then click **Edit**.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/iS7image.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/iS7image.png)

- Make any necessary changes on the **Head** or **Document** tab, then click **Update**.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/2Sfimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/2Sfimage.png)

- A confirmation dialog will appear. Click **Proceed** to save the changes and approve the document, or **Cancel** to save the changes without approving.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/HKDimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/HKDimage.png)

</details>---

### Drafter's final check

Some forms are configured with a Drafter's Final Check. When enabled, the request returns to the drafter after all approvers have approved for confirmation, before it is marked as completed. Once it is returned to the drafter, they will find it in **To Be Processed → Internal Approval** with their role listed as **Confirmer**. They can then review the document and click **Confirm** to finalize it.

---

### Completed requests

Once a request is fully approved, the reference number, date of completion, and each approver's signature with their date and time of signing are all visible on the document.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/bDlimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/bDlimage.png)

- For outgoing requests, once completed the document appears in the Sender Manager's **Outgoing** folder to be dispatched to the recipients.

<p class="callout info">The Sender Manager of your institution can edit the *details* of the request before sending, i.e. Attachments, Title, and Assigned institutions or individuals.</p>

---

### Forwarded requests

- These are requests received from external institutions that your institution's Receiver Manager has forwarded to you for action.
- You will find them in your **External Approval** folder. As a recipient you can; **Forward** to any other relevant parties, **Confirm** receipt or **Reply** with a request of your own.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/S1cimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/S1cimage.png)

---

### Follow up

The **Follow Up** tab is available on any request to everyone in the approval line. Use it to ask questions or provide additional context at any point during the process.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/7YKimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/7YKimage.png)

---

### Sharing a completed request

Once a document is completed, everyone with access to it (drafters, approvers) can share it with other users within their institution

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/scaled-1680-/kuLimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/kuLimage.png)

The document can be shared either with a single user or a group of users.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/scaled-1680-/sbHimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/sbHimage.png)

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/scaled-1680-/8FTimage.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/8FTimage.png)

Click Share once you're done selecting recipients.

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/scaled-1680-/8P4image.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/8P4image.png)

Enter an optional message to the recipients, then click **Share**

[![image.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/scaled-1680-/7r8image.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/7r8image.png)

[![b0bb687f-53c1-4dcf-a23c-4d71cdd87152.png](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/scaled-1680-/b0bb687f-53c1-4dcf-a23c-4d71cdd87152.png)](https://docs.smartadmin.rw/uploads/images/gallery/2026-08/b0bb687f-53c1-4dcf-a23c-4d71cdd87152.png)

Recipients will find it in their **Processed → Shared with Me** folder, and they will also be able to share it. All people with access to the document will see who it has been shared with.