Approval Request Email: Ask for a Clear Decision

An approval request should identify the decision the recipient is being asked to make. “Please review” can mean anything from proofreading to permission to spend money, so use the word that matches the action.

Include the relevant version, your recommendation, and the consequence of waiting if there is a real deadline.

Request sign-off on a document

Subject: Approval requested: workshop invitation, version 3

Hi Priya,

Could you approve version 3 of the workshop invitation by Thursday afternoon? The attached copy includes the agenda changes from our last review.

The only remaining decision is whether to include the speaker biographies in the email or link to them. I recommend linking to keep the invitation short.

Once approved, I’ll schedule it for Friday morning.

Thanks, Alex

This shows what approval will authorize. If the recipient approves only one section, don’t interpret that as approval of the entire document.

Request approval for a purchase

Subject: Approval for the workshop captioning service

Hi Jordan,

I’d like approval to book captioning for the October workshop. The provider’s quote and service details are attached.

The quoted service covers the two-hour session and delivery of a transcript afterward. It fits within the approved accessibility budget. Could you confirm whether I should proceed through our purchasing process?

Thanks, Lee

Use verified costs and the correct budget owner. If your organization requires approval in a purchasing system, the email should point to that request rather than bypass it.

If approval doesn’t arrive

Follow up with the specific decision that remains open and the effect on the schedule. Don’t treat silence as approval unless an established process explicitly permits that interpretation.

If the approver is unavailable, ask who can decide in their place. Copying a larger audience without identifying an owner can make the decision slower.

After approval, record the version and action agreed on. If the work changes substantially afterward, check whether another review is needed.

For open comments before sign-off, see feedback requests. For a project addition that changes the agreement, use a scope-change email.