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How to create an Approval State field that automatically updates when an approval outcome is received via the SweetHawk Approve App

Amie Brennan
  • Updated

Working with approvals in Zendesk is easy when utilising the SweetHawk Approve App in your account. To add some icing to your cake, you can create a custom Approval State ticket field which you can then utilise on Ticket Forms, inside Views and Explore reporting. The Approval State field will update automatically depending on the state of the approval which has been sent out via the Approve app. 


Ticket field example: 

Screen_Shot_2022-07-08_at_10.25.51_am.png

 

Follow our steps below to configure this setup to work with the SweetHawp Approve app on your Zendesk. 

  1. Create the Approval State custom ticket field
  2. Add the field to your ticket forms
  3. Test the new field

 

Creating the Approval State custom ticket field. 

  1. In Admin Center, click  Objects and rules in the sidebar, then select Tickets > Fields.
  2. Click Add field > Select Drop-Down field.
  3. Configure the following items:
    • Display Name = Approval State
    • Permissions = Agent can edit
    • Add in field values = See values table below
  4. Click Save to create the new field. 

Values Table:

Value Name Value Tag
Pending Approval approval_started
Approved approval_granted
Declined approval_declined

The value tags which we are using in this field, are the same tags which the Approve app utilises on the ticket for the approval workflow. 

NOTE: You can also download a copy of the CSV file attached to this article below which contains the drop-down values. You can then use this same document to upload the values to the new drop-down field at the time of creation. 

For further details on how you can upload the values into the new drop-down field at the time of creation please see this Zendesk Support guide here: Importing and exporting values for ticket fields

 

Example: 

Zendesk_Admin_Center_-_Vivaldi.png

 

Add the Approval State custom field to your ticket form(s)

Once you've created the new Approval State field, you will then need to add it to any form(s) on which you are using the Approve app. 

  • If you have a single ticket form, the new field automatically appears in your ticket form.
  • If you are using multiple forms, please follow the steps below to add the new field where applicable:
  1. In Admin Center, click the Objects and rules icon () in the sidebar, then select Tickets > Forms.
  2. Click the ticket form you want to edit.

    The ticket form opens in edit mode.

  3. Add the new Approval State ticket field to your form. 
    • You can either drag & drop the field into place on the form, or
    • Click the + plus button beside the field, and then reorder the field on the form as needed.
  4. Click Save.

 

Test your new Approval State field

Now that you've created the new Approval State field and added it to the relevant ticket forms where you are running approvals, you can test the field to ensure it works correctly. 

  1. Initiate a test approval via the Approve App on a ticket in your Zendesk
  2. The new Approval State field should then adhere to the following automatic workflow: 
    • When the approval request is sent, the Approval State field will update to "Pending Approval"
    • In the event the request is approved, the Approval State field will update to "Approved"
    • In the event the request is declined, the Approval State field will update to "Declined"
  3. If you are seeing the Approval State field update automatically and correctly throughout your testing, this means your configuration is complete and you can use your new field from here. 

 

Best Practise Tips: 

You can also use this new field in a range of other ways on your Zendesk. We recommend also utilising this new field in a view column inside existing views, and/or creating a new standalone view that can help you track the Approvals on the ticket surface level via the view. 

Example: Approvals Ticket View with Approval State field Visible. 

View____Approvals___Kepler_Analytics___Zendesk_-_Vivaldi.png

Visit our article here on: Creating an Approvals View to create a new custom view.

You can utilise your new Approval State field in the following ways:

  • Add the field as a visible column to new or existing views
  • Create a new Approval View
  • Use the custom field in Automations or Triggers for workflow routing
  • Explore reporting - You can report on this field against tickets

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