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# How to Send an Envelope for Approval
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* **Approval** — An additional review flow that runs alongside the main envelope processing flow.
See the [Glossary](/glossary/glossary.md) for DocStudio term definitions.
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### Approver vs Signer
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You can send envelopes for approval only with these statuses:
* Draft
* Waiting
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**Approver** and **Signer** are different roles:
* **Approver** — decides whether the envelope can move to the next step
* **Signer** — signs the document
### Send an envelope for approval
1. Open a draft envelope or an envelope in **Waiting** status.
2. In the header (top-right), click the **Approval** icon.
3. In the dialog, select a saved route.
4. Optional: mark the envelope as urgent.
5. Click the button.
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You can search routes by name. Use the info icon next to a route to view details.
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After you send the envelope for approval, it moves to **On approval** status.
### Create an approval route
1. In the approval dialog, click the button.
2. Enter the route name.
3. In **Approver** and **Mailbox**, select the approver mailbox (search by name or UUID).
4. Click the **Add** icon. To remove an approver, click the icon.
5. Repeat for each approver.
6. Click the icon.
Approvers follow the order defined in the route.
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You can’t set an approver mailbox that:
* already participates in the envelope processing flow
* is already used in the same approval route
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### Set route access
Configure route access after you create the route.
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You can share a route with:
* selected mailboxes in your account
* all mailboxes in your account
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#### Grant access to selected mailboxes
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1. Click the **Edit** icon to edit access for **Selected mailboxes**.
2. Enter a mailbox name.
3. Save the changes.
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### View the approval flow in an envelope
1. Open an envelope in **On approval** status.
2. Scroll to **Approval flow**.
3. Expand the section.
Use this section to track approver statuses and comments.
### What approvers can do
Approvers can approve or reject the envelope and add a comment.
* If an approver rejects the envelope, the approval flow ends with **Rejected** status.
* If an approver approves the envelope, the flow continues to the next recepient.
* When the flow finishes, the envelope returns to **Waiting** status.
### Limitations
* While an envelope is **On approval**, the user who started the approval can’t continue processing it.
* The UI shows only the latest approval run.
* Previous approval runs are available through the API.
### Related topics
See [How to Send Multiple Envelopes for Approval](/user/envelope-approvals-and-delegation/envelope-approvals/how-to-send-multiple-envelopes-for-approval.md) and [How to Manage Envelope Approvals](/user/envelope-approvals-and-delegation/envelope-approvals/how-to-manage-envelope-approvals.md).