> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hub.equipme.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hub.equipme.io/equipme/main-menu/approvals/automatic-approval.md). # Automatic Approval ### What Is Automatic Approval? Automatic approval is a feature that lets orders go through instantly without waiting for someone to manually say "yes, approve this." Think of it like an express checkout lane at a grocery store, items move through quickly without extra checks. ### How Does It Work? **The Basic Flow:** When a customer places an order with automatic approval enabled, the system processes it immediately. There's no pause for a manager to review and approve it. The order simply goes straight through to the next step. **Here's the difference:**
When automatic approval is turned off, a customer submits an order, then a manager has to review it and give their approval before anything happens. This can take hours or even days depending on how busy the manager is.
When automatic approval is turned on, the customer submits the order and it processes right away. No waiting, no bottleneck. > **It's important to note that this feature works only in self-service mode.** ### Why Use Automatic Approval? This feature makes sense for routine, predictable situations. If employees regularly swap out old laptops for new ones, or if they need to replace small equipment items, there's usually no reason to make a manager review each request. These are straightforward transactions that don't need extra oversight. The real benefit is time. Instead of orders sitting in a queue waiting for approval, they move immediately. This is especially helpful for businesses with high volumes of standard requests. ### Setting a Default for Future Orders You can set automatic approval as the **default** for specific services, which means you don't have to remember to turn it on every single time. Once you've configured a service to use automatic approval by default, every future order for that service will automatically use this setting. It becomes the new normal for that particular service. ### Special Case: SWAP and RETURN Add-ons SWAP and RETURN add-ons work a bit differently. SWAP is when someone exchanges one device for another, and RETURN is when they send a device back. For these specific add-ons, the default automatic approval setting applies even if self-service isn't turned on for them. The reason is that customers don't actually order these add-ons directly. They're triggered as part of another process. However, customers do have control. If they want to change how this works, they can enable self-service for the add-on and then turn off automatic approval themselves. ### Real-World Example Let's say your company provides HP ProBook 455 laptops to employees. **Without automatic approval:** An employee needs to swap their laptop because it's getting old. They submit a request through the system. The request then sits in a queue until their manager sees it. The manager might be in meetings all day or out of the office. Eventually, the manager reviews the request and approves it. Only then does the order get processed. This whole process could easily take a day or two, maybe longer. **With automatic approval:** The same employee submits their laptop swap request. The system sees that automatic approval is enabled for this service. The order processes immediately and goes to fulfillment. The employee might have their new laptop by the next day. The entire approval step is simply skipped because it's a standard, routine request that doesn't need oversight. ### Key Takeaways Automatic approval removes the waiting period for manual approval. Orders process instantly instead of sitting in a queue. It requires self-service to be enabled in most cases, though SWAP and RETURN add-ons are exceptions. You can set it as a default for specific services, so you don't have to activate it manually each time. It works best for routine, repetitive, or predictable orders where manual review doesn't add value. The main advantage is speed. Orders that used to take hours or days now take minutes. This feature basically removes unnecessary steps from your ordering process. For standard requests that happen all the time, there's no reason to make people wait for approval. The system handles it automatically, and everyone moves faster. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://hub.equipme.io/equipme/main-menu/approvals/automatic-approval.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.