---
title: "Approving a Document"
slug: "approving-a-document-1"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:03:07Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:03:07Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/approving-a-document-1"
---

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

# Approving a Document

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**Approving a Document**

*Module: Document Collaboration Gateway › Document Collaboration Gateway Settings & Functionality (External Users) › Approving a Document*

**Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments.

# 1. Overview

A **My Assignments** row for an approval step provides an **Open** action that leads to the record being approved (rather than a dedicated signing page, which only applies to signatures); from there, the reviewer works through the approval process's console to complete their assigned step.

# 2. Key Elements

- **My Assignments** → an approval row's **Open** leads to the underlying record
- The console's current step shows who the approval "needs" and their role
- Completing a step is reflected immediately in the console's Steps finalized count

# 3. Finding the Approval Assigned to You

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click **All assignments** in the **Awaiting action** panel to open **My Assignments**.
2. Choose the record area tab (for example, **Contracts**) and click **Assigned to me** (or **Assigned to my groups** for steps assigned to a group you belong to).
3. Narrow the list with **Process status**, **My approval**, and **Outstanding only**. The **My role** column shows your role on the step, tagged **needs you** when it is waiting on you.
4. On the approval row, click the eye icon (**Open the record**) to open the record being approved.

![My Assignments with tabs, filters, My role, Status, My Approval and the Open the record icon highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/eapp-03-my-assignments.png)

**Note:** Signature rows also offer **Sign now**, which opens a separate signing page. Approval rows are completed through the record and its approval process instead.

# 4. Opening the Approval Process from the Record

1. On the record, click **Actions** in the upper-right corner.
2. Under **Document Processing**, select **Approval Processes**.

![Record Actions menu with Document Processing and Approval Processes highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/approvedoc-02-actions-approval-processes.png)

1. The **Negotiation Processes** page opens filtered to **Approvals only** and to this record. Find the active process (its **Progress** shows groups finalized out of the total, for example **0/2**) and click **Open console**. Click **Open record** at any time to go back to the record.

![Record-scoped approval processes with banner, filters, Progress, Open record and Open console highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/approvedoc-03-record-approval-processes.png)

# 5. Reviewing Your Step in the Console

1. Click the **Open record** icon (next to **Pause**) to review the document or record being approved.
2. Under **Groups and participants**, the group tagged **current group** is the one being worked on. Its participants show **In Process**, along with their role (for example, **Vendor Contact** or **Legal Reviewer**).
3. When your step is completed, the **Groups** count (for example, **0 of 2 finalized**) and the list's **Progress** column update, and the process moves to the next group.

![Approval console with Open record, Status, Groups, current group and In Process highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/eapp-02-approval-console.png)

# 6. Quick Reference Summary

| Task | How to Complete It |
| --- | --- |
| Find approvals assigned to you | Homepage → **Awaiting action** → **All assignments**. |
| Open the record being approved | My Assignments → eye icon (**Open the record**). |
| Open the record's approval processes | Record → **Actions** → Document Processing → **Approval Processes**. |
| Open the approval console | Record-scoped Negotiation Processes → **Open console**. |
| See which step is in progress | Console → **current group**; participants show **In Process**. |
| Track completion | Console → **Groups** (e.g. 0 of 2 finalized), or the list's **Progress** column. |