Approval Space Settings

The Space Approval Settings page allows space administrators to configure how content approvals work within a specific Confluence space.

These settings define default approval teams, permissions, automation rules, and behavior after approvals.

Overview

Each space can have its own approval configuration, ensuring that approvals match the team’s workflow and compliance requirements. The settings are grouped into the following sections:

1. General – Controls default approval behavior and watchers.

2. Permissions – Manages who can create or edit approvals.

3. Overrides – Defines expiry and publishing behavior.

4. Approval Teams – Lists and configures teams available for approval workflows.

General Settings

Automatic Approvals

• Description: Automatically raises an approval request when a new page is created.

• Default: Off

• Use Case:

  • Enable this if your team needs every new page to go through an approval process (e.g., HR policies or legal documentation).

  • Keep it disabled for collaborative spaces where drafts are frequently edited before review.

Default Team

• Description: Specifies which team is selected by default when creating new approval requests.

• Default Example: Ops Team

• Use Case:

  • Set the most common reviewing group as default (e.g., Ops Team for general reviews).

  • Reduces setup time and ensures consistent routing.

Watchers

• Description: Users who are automatically notified of any approval activity in this space.

• Example Watchers: Finn the Human, BMO, Jake the Dog

• Use Case:

  • Add managers, space owners, or quality reviewers who need visibility into all approval updates.

  • Useful for maintaining audit trails or transparency.

🔐 Permissions

Restrict Approval Permissions

• Description: Limits who can create or edit approval requests within this space.

• Default: Enabled (restricted to administrators)

• Use Case:

  • Keep this enabled for controlled spaces like Legal or Finance, where only designated approvers can create approval workflows.

  • Disable for open collaboration teams where everyone can request reviews.

Restrict Who Can Add or Edit Approvals

• Description: Defines specific users or groups who can create/edit approvals.

• Example: confluence-users, confluence-administrators

• Use Case:

  • Assign this to administrative or compliance roles to prevent unapproved changes to workflows.

Require Authentication Token

• Description: Requires approvers to verify their identity using two-factor authentication (2FA) when approving pages.

• Use Case:

  • Enable for high-security environments (e.g., Legal or Compliance) to ensure approvals come from verified users.

  • Optional for general teams where agility is prioritized.

Allow Users to Edit Approvals

• Description: Allows general users to edit approval configurations on pages they have access to.

• Use Case:

  • Enable in collaborative teams (e.g., Engineering or Ops).

  • Disable for locked-down environments where only admins manage approval rules.

🕒 Overrides

Approval Expiry

• Description: Automatically expires approved content after a defined period.

• Use Case:

  • Ideal for documentation that requires periodic review (e.g., security policies or standard operating procedures).

  • Keeps content accurate and compliant by prompting re-approval after expiry.

Publish on Approval

• Description: Automatically publishes draft content once it’s approved.

• Use Case:

  • Enable in fast-moving teams (e.g., Engineering or Ops) to streamline content release.

  • Disable in regulated environments where manual checks are needed before publication.

👥 Approval Teams

Approval teams define who reviews and approves pages. Each team can be configured separately.

Examples:

Managing Teams

• Click Manage Teams to create, edit, or delete approval teams.

• Each team can have:

  • Members – The individuals responsible for approvals.

  • Description – A short summary of their function.

  • Configuration – Defines which pages or spaces they oversee.

Use Cases

• Ops Team: Use as the default for general space approvals.

• Engineering Team: Assign to technical documentation spaces.

• HR Team: Use for employee policy reviews.

• Legal Team: Ideal for contracts, compliance documents, and policy sign-offs.

Example Workflows

Example 1: HR Policy Update

1. A new HR policy page is created.

2. Automatic approvals are disabled, so HR manually requests approval.

3. Default team: HR Team.

4. Once approved, Publish on Approval automatically publishes the new policy.

Example 2: Engineering Technical Spec

1. An engineer creates a design document.

2. Automatic approvals are enabled, triggering an approval request to the Engineering Team.

3. Only users in confluence-engineers can edit the approval.

4. Upon approval, the document is automatically published.

Example 3: Legal Contract Review

1. Legal uploads a new contract draft.

2. Approval permissions are restricted, and 2FA is required.

3. Approval expiry is set to 6 months for periodic review.

4. Content is not auto-published — Legal manually finalizes it.

✅ Summary

The Space Approval Settings page ensures that every team can maintain its own tailored approval workflow, balancing flexibility and control. By configuring teams, permissions, and automation, organizations can streamline their approval processes while maintaining compliance and transparency.