> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Up Work Item Approvals

> Add the Approvals and Approvers columns to a Nextedy RISKSHEET sheet, choose which verdicts need a comment, and prepare the Polarion roles so reviewers can approve risks from the sheet.

export const LastReviewed = ({date, state}) => {
  if (!date) return null;
  const formatted = new Date(`${date}T00:00:00Z`).toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
    year: "numeric",
    month: "long",
    day: "numeric",
    timeZone: "UTC"
  });
  const label = state === "reviewed" ? `Last reviewed and confirmed up to date on ${formatted}` : `Last updated on ${formatted}`;
  return <p className="mt-10 text-sm text-gray-400 dark:text-zinc-500 not-prose">
      {label}
    </p>;
};

This guide prepares a sheet for an approval round: a column that shows each risk's approval state, a column to invite approvers, and the settings for approval comments. Once it is done, reviewers approve from the Approvals sidebar as described in [Approve Risks in the Approvals Sidebar](/risksheet/guides/reviews/approve-risks-in-the-approvals-sidebar). For the background, see [Work Item Approvals](/risksheet/concepts/work-item-approvals).

## Prerequisites

* You can edit the sheet configuration of the document or of its template (**Menu > Configuration > Edit Risksheet Configuration**). See [Find Configuration Files](/risksheet/guides/configuration/finding-config-files).
* The people who will approve hold the Polarion **`project_approver`** role in the project, or the global **`approver`** role. The Approvers column offers only the holders of these two roles, so with neither assigned its list is empty. Once either role is defined, Polarion also lets only users who hold one of them approve.
* Whoever invites approvers has the Polarion permission to manage other users' approvals on the items. Removing an approver who has already filed a verdict also needs the permission to reset approvals.
* Reviewers have the Polarion permissions to modify approvals and to comment on the risk work items.

## Configure the Sheet

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add an Approvals Column">
    Add a column of type `approvals` to `columns`. Without `bindings` it shows the approvals of the row's own risk record:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    columns:
      - id: approvals
        header: Approvals
        headerGroup: Approval
        type: approvals
        width: 230
        level: 3
    ```

    The column is always read-only.

    The Approvals column also brings the approval data that [cell decorators](/risksheet/reference/styling/cell-decorators#approval-state-in-decorators) read, so a sheet that colours rows by approval state needs it. To keep it out of sight, leave it out of a saved view rather than removing it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add an Approvers Column">
    Add a column of type `approvers` to invite approvers from the sheet:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    columns:
      - id: approvers
        header: Approvers
        headerGroup: Approval
        type: approvers
        width: 200
        level: 3
    ```

    Picking a user in the cell invites them to approve the risk with status *Waiting*; unpicking removes them. Approvers who are already on the item keep their verdict.

    <Frame caption="The Approvers picker lists the users who hold an approver role">
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/drLTrBzB3wOin-xK/risksheet/images/set-up-work-item-approvals/approvers-picker.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=drLTrBzB3wOin-xK&q=85&s=4049136625eeac13791ed8c4adf969d0" alt="An Approvers cell open for editing, with a searchable list of approvers and a checkbox beside each name" style={{ maxWidth: "280px", width: "100%" }} width="560" height="716" data-path="risksheet/images/set-up-work-item-approvals/approvers-picker.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Which Verdicts Need a Comment">
    Add an `approval` section to require an approval comment with a verdict. A typical setting asks for a reason when someone disapproves:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    approval:
      requireComment:
        disapproved: true
    ```

    With this setting, the comment box in the sidebar reads *Required to disapprove, optional to approve*, and **Disapprove** with an empty box is refused with *A comment is required to file disapproved.* The rule is checked again when the sheet is saved. Set `approved: true` as well to require a comment for both verdicts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Decide Whether Resolved Comments Show">
    Resolving an approval comment thread is how a discussion is closed, so resolved threads are hidden by default. A reviewer can still read them at any time with the sidebar's **Show resolved** link. To have them shown from the start, in the sidebar and in the approval-based review column, set the following. Approvals cells then count resolved comments in their *unresolved comments* figure as well.

    ```yaml theme={null}
    approval:
      showResolved: true
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the Configuration and Reload the Sheet">
    Save the configuration. The new columns appear after the sheet reloads.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Invite the First Approvers

1. Open the sheet and click the **Approvers** cell of a risk.
2. Tick the users who should approve it, then leave the cell.
3. Click **Save**. Nothing is written to Polarion until you save. On save, the users are added as approvers with status *Waiting*, and the Approvals cell shows *Waiting* and *0/N responded*.

<Frame caption="After saving, the invited approvers are listed and the risk is waiting for their verdicts">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/drLTrBzB3wOin-xK/risksheet/images/set-up-work-item-approvals/approvers-invited.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=drLTrBzB3wOin-xK&q=85&s=27b578eb82034b959dd7cbd34ba52ba7" alt="The sheet after saving, with two approvers listed for a risk and its Approvals cell showing Waiting, 0/2 responded" width="2692" height="1904" data-path="risksheet/images/set-up-work-item-approvals/approvers-invited.png" />
</Frame>

Approvers can also be added or removed in Polarion; the sheet shows the same list.

## Switch Approvals Off for a Sheet

The Approvals sidebar is available on every sheet. To switch it off for one sheet, set:

```yaml theme={null}
approval:
  enabled: false
```

The **Approvals** entries in the toolbar's sidebar menu and in **Menu > Process** then stay visible but disabled, and their tooltip tells the user that an administrator can turn approvals on in the sheet configuration. Approval columns configured on the sheet still show.

## Verify the Setup

* The **Approvals** and **Approvers** columns appear, and risks with approvers show their state.
* The toolbar's sidebar menu, at the right end of the toolbar, offers **Approvals**.
* A reviewer who opens **Approvals** sees the risks waiting for their decision.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
| - | - | - |
| The Approvers picker is empty | No user holds the `project_approver` or the `approver` role | Assign one of the roles to the people who approve |
| A user is missing from the Approvers picker | The user holds neither approver role | Assign the role, then reload the sheet |
| Saving an approver change fails for some rows | You lack the permission to manage approvals, or you removed an approver who had already filed a verdict without the permission to reset approvals | Ask your Polarion administrator for the permission, or ask someone who holds it |
| A cell decorator reading approvals sees no state | The sheet has no Approvals column for the row's own item | Add the column from step 1 |
| **Approvals** is disabled in the menus | The sheet sets `approval.enabled: false` | Remove the setting or set it to `true` |

## See Also

* [Work Item Approvals](/risksheet/concepts/work-item-approvals)
* [Approval Columns](/risksheet/reference/columns/approval-columns)
* [Approve Risks in the Approvals Sidebar](/risksheet/guides/reviews/approve-risks-in-the-approvals-sidebar)
* [Track an Approval Round](/risksheet/guides/reviews/track-an-approval-round)

<LastReviewed date="2026-10-08" />


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.