Human approvals: Where an AI agent should wait for you
An agent that asks about every minor step saves little time. One that approves every external consequence on its own removes important choices from people. Between those extremes lies a product-design task: make clear what has been prepared, what happens next and which approval actually applies.
Research checked: 2026-09-09 · Cover: AI-generated illustration
Choose the appropriate level of independence
Anthropic distinguishes predefined workflows from agents that choose steps more dynamically. Its guidance favors starting with simple solutions and measuring the benefit of added complexity. I find that a useful starting point for an approval strategy.
I would not begin by asking how autonomous the system can possibly become. The better question is which work it can reliably complete alone and which decisions require a concrete preview. Research and publication may need different rules inside the same product.
Present something that can be reviewed
In a content tool, an approval should display the title, text, images, destination and publication time together. The person confirming it can see what will become public. A generic “May I continue?” does not explain the next action.
Approval belongs to that exact version. If the recipient, wording or another material part changes, the application must recognize that the previous decision no longer applies. A version identifier or fingerprint can tie permission to the reviewed item.
Rejection is a valid outcome
I would offer revise and cancel alongside approve. The agent receives clear feedback and can prepare another draft. Rejection should not trigger an endless series of almost identical questions.
An expired approval is a separate state too. If an offer or source has become outdated, the person needs an updated item to review. An old click remaining in the database does not solve that problem.
The workflow at a glance
- 01PrepareShow the exact version
- 02DecideApprove, revise or stop
- 03ExecuteOnly the approved version
Test the transitions
Acceptance tests should submit the same approval twice, change a draft between preview and confirmation, and interrupt work while a question is pending. None of those conditions should create an unrequested publication.
A well-designed workflow saves attention where the system can prepare work safely. The person decides on a comprehensible external effect. For outreach and planning tools, this is a more useful quality measure than the raw number of autonomous steps.
