Magpai

Approval Steps

Generate AI content for human review with five different presentation modes.

Overview

Approval steps use AI to generate content, then pause for human review. The reviewer can edit, approve, or reject the content before the workflow continues. Different modes offer different ways to present and interact with the generated content.

Note: This is different from the guardrails feature on Prompt Steps. Approval Steps generate content for review, while guardrails pause before executing actions. See the Approvals Guide for a comparison.

Configuration

PropertyTypeDescription
namestringDisplay name for the step
promptstringInstructions for generating content
modestringContent presentation mode
modelIdstring?AI model override (optional)
contentvariesGenerated content (set at runtime)

Content Modes

Choose the mode that best fits how you want the reviewer to interact with the content:

The five approval content modes: basic-text, string-list, pick-one, pick-multiple, and decision
basic-text

Editable Text

Generate rich HTML content that the reviewer can edit inline. Best for documents, emails, or any free-form text.

Use case:

Email drafts, blog posts, reports, summaries

Output format:

<p>Dear Team,</p> <p>Here are the key findings...</p> <ul> <li>Finding 1</li> <li>Finding 2</li> </ul>
string-list

Ordered List

Generate a list of items that can be reordered, edited, or removed. Each item is a table row with columns.

Use case:

Task lists, ranked results, prioritized items

Output format:

| Task 1 | High Priority | Due Monday | | Task 2 | Medium Priority | Due Wednesday | | Task 3 | Low Priority | Due Friday |
pick-one

Single Selection

Generate options where the reviewer must select exactly one. Good for decisions or recommendations.

Use case:

Choosing a vendor, selecting a strategy, picking a design

Output format:

| Option A | Fastest delivery | $500 | | Option B | Best quality | $750 | | Option C | Budget friendly | $300 |
pick-multiple

Multiple Selection

Generate options where the reviewer can select one or more. Good for filtering or combining choices.

Use case:

Selecting features, choosing participants, filtering results

Output format:

| Feature 1 | Core functionality | Included | | Feature 2 | Advanced analytics | +$100/mo | | Feature 3 | API access | +$50/mo |
decision

Yes/No Decision

Present a question requiring a simple yes or no answer, with optional notes from the reviewer.

Use case:

Go/no-go decisions, approval gates, confirmations

Output format:

{ "decision": "yes" | "no", "notes": "Optional reviewer comments" }

Example Configurations

Email Draft (basic-text)

{
  "id": "draft-email",
  "type": "approval",
  "name": "Review Email Draft",
  "prompt": "Write a professional email summarizing the research findings. Keep it concise and actionable.",
  "mode": "basic-text"
}

Vendor Selection (pick-one)

{
  "id": "select-vendor",
  "type": "approval",
  "name": "Select Vendor",
  "prompt": "Based on the requirements, generate 3 vendor recommendations with pros and cons. Format as: | Vendor | Strengths | Price |",
  "mode": "pick-one"
}

Launch Decision (decision)

{
  "id": "launch-decision",
  "type": "approval",
  "name": "Approve Launch",
  "prompt": "Review the preparation checklist and determine if we're ready to launch.",
  "mode": "decision"
}

How Approval Steps Work

  1. Generation: AI generates content based on the prompt and mode requirements
  2. Normalization: Output is formatted to match the selected mode
  3. Pause: Workflow pauses with status "needs-approval"
  4. Notification: If configured, notifications are sent to reviewers
  5. Review: Reviewer interacts with content (edit, select, decide)
  6. Continue: Approved content becomes available to subsequent steps

Output Format Rules

For basic-text mode

  • Must be valid HTML (no Markdown code fences)
  • Use semantic tags: <p>, <ul>, <strong>
  • No document-level tags (<html>, <body>, <script>)

For list modes (string-list, pick-one, pick-multiple)

  • Each item is a pipe-separated table row: | Col1 | Col2 |
  • No header rows or separator lines
  • No numbering or bullet points
  • Plain text only (no Markdown formatting)

Best Practices

  • Choose the mode that matches how users will interact with the content
  • Write prompts that specify the expected format for list modes
  • Use decision mode for simple go/no-go gates
  • Enable notifications so reviewers are alerted promptly
  • Keep approval content focused - one decision per step

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