---
title: "IntelliApprove Overview"
slug: "intelliapprove-overview-1"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:03:07Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:03:07Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/intelliapprove-overview-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.

# IntelliApprove Overview

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**IntelliApprove Overview**

*Module: Document Collaboration Gateway › IntelliApprove › IntelliApprove Overview*

**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

**IntelliApprove** is CobbleStone's own approval mechanism, available as its own action in a record's **Actions** menu (**Document Processing** group, alongside **Approval Processes**) and flagged with an **INTELLIAPPROVE** badge on any process console it applies to, distinguishing it from a standard, non-IntelliApprove approval process.

Choosing IntelliApprove opens the **Negotiation Processes** page filtered to the current record, where you can review the record's existing approval processes or send one of the record's documents out for approval.

# 2. Key Elements

- **Actions → IntelliApprove** (Document Processing group) starts an IntelliApprove process.
- **Negotiation Processes page:** opens filtered to the current record (for example, “Showing only this record's processes - Contracts #5”) and set to **Approvals only**.
- **New approval process:** opens the **Send a document for approval** dialog, which lists only documents attached to this record.
- **Process console:** lists the documents, people to notify, approval groups, and process settings. Nothing is sent until you click **Start process**.
- A process console's **INTELLIAPPROVE** badge marks it as an IntelliApprove process. Standard approval processes show other badges (for example, **MASS SIGN**) instead.

# 3. Navigating to a Contract Record

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Requests/Contracts** icon in the left navigation bar.
2. Select **Contracts**.

![Requests/Contracts menu with Contracts selected](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/01-navigate-contracts.jpg)

1. On the **Contracts** list, locate the record whose document needs approval. Use the **Search** box, column filters, or the view drop-down to narrow the list.
2. Click **Manage** on that record's row to open its Record Details.

![Contracts list with the Manage button outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/02-contracts-list-manage(2).jpg)

# 4. Starting IntelliApprove from a Record

1. The record opens on its default landing tab (in this example, **MSA Details**). Click the **Actions** button in the upper-right corner of the record.

![Record Details default tab and Actions button outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/03-record-details-actions.jpg)

1. Scroll to the **Document Processing** group at the bottom of the Actions menu.
2. Click **IntelliApprove**.

![Actions menu with IntelliApprove outlined under Document Processing](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ia-01-actions-intelliapprove.jpg)

**Note:** **Approval Processes**, listed directly above IntelliApprove, starts a standard (non-IntelliApprove) approval process.

# 5. Reviewing the Record's Approval Processes

The **Negotiation Processes** page opens, showing only the approvals raised on documents in this record, with the controls to intervene in a running one.

![Negotiation Processes page filtered to the record with key controls outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ia-02-approval-processes.jpg)

- **New approval process:** starts a new IntelliApprove process for this record (see Section 6).
- **Open record:** returns to the record's Record Details.
- **Show all processes:** removes the record filter and shows processes for all records.
- **Process type filter:** choose **Approvals and signatures**, **Approvals only** (the default when opened from IntelliApprove), or **Signatures only**.
- **Status filter:** choose **Any status**, **Active**, **Paused**, **Completed**, **Rejected**, **Cancelled after starting**, or **Cancelled before starting**.
- **Started only:** select to hide processes that have not been started yet.
- **Search:** find a process by name or other column values.
- **Open console:** opens that process's console (see Sections 7 and 8).

# 6. Creating a New IntelliApprove Process

1. On the Negotiation Processes page, click **New approval process**. The **Send a document for approval** dialog opens.
2. Complete the fields below.

![Send a document for approval dialog with fields outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ia-03-send-document-for-approval.jpg)

- **Document from this record (required):** choose the document to be approved. Only documents attached to the current record are listed.
- **Title (required):** enter what is being approved. This becomes the process name.
- **Description (optional):** add anything the participants should know.
- **Replies go to (required):** the employee who receives replies. This defaults to the current user.
- **Approval type:** **Full approvals** (participants approve or reject) or **Acknowledge only** (participants confirm they have seen it).
- **Track changes in the document:** **Yes** or **No**.
- **Checking the document out:** **Optional** or **Required before editing**.
- **Approvers can see each other's comments:** **Yes** or **No**.

1. Click **Create process**. (Click **Cancel** to close the dialog without creating a process.)

# 7. Completing the Process Setup

After the process is created, its console opens. The console lists everything the process needs before it goes out — nothing is sent until you start it. A status badge such as **NOT READY - REVIEW EACH ITEM BELOW** appears beside the process name until all required items are complete.

![IntelliApprove process setup console with key buttons and fields outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ia-05-intelliapprove-setup.jpg)

1. **Documents:** confirm the correct document and version are listed.
2. **Employees to tell:** use **Search people...** and click **Add** to notify internal employees. Click the red **×** beside a name to remove it.
3. **Company contacts to tell (optional):** use **Search contacts...** and click **Add** to notify external contacts.
4. **Approval groups:** in the **Document Intelli Approvers** group, click **Add participant** to add the people who will approve.
5. Under **Process Settings**, review the following and click **Save settings**:
  - **Name of this process** and **Description** (shown in the email participants receive).
  - **What they are being asked for:** **Approval - they approve or reject it** or **Acknowledgement only - they confirm they have seen it**.
  - **Taking the document away to revise:** **They review it in place** or **They may check it out and download it**.
  - **Comments:** **Each person sees only their own** or **Everyone sees everyone's comments**.
6. When every item is complete, click **Start process** to send the document for approval. To discard the process instead, click **Cancel process**.

# 8. Identifying and Managing a Running IntelliApprove Process

Once started, the process console shows the process status, groups, participants, and files. An **INTELLIAPPROVE** badge on the right side of the console confirms that the process is an IntelliApprove process.

![Running IntelliApprove process console with the INTELLIAPPROVE badge and controls outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/ia-04-intelliapprove-console.jpg)

- **INTELLIAPPROVE badge:** marks the process as an IntelliApprove process rather than a standard approval process.
- **Open record** (document icon): returns to the record the process belongs to.
- **Pause:** temporarily stops the process.
- **End process:** ends the process before it is complete.
- **Finalize:** completes the process once approvals are in.
- **Add participant:** adds another person to an approval group.
- **Resend:** re-sends the notification to the group's participants. For individual participants, use the bell icon (**Re-send this invitation**) or the people icon (**Replace this participant**).

# 9. Related Articles

- IntelliSign Process from Record Details
- IntelliSign Overview