Understanding Document Approval Reminders and Notifications

Leo Comia Updated by Leo Comia

This article explains the behavior of email reminders and notifications sent during the document approval process. It helps clarify why users may receive multiple notifications for a single document and outlines what each notification means.

Scenario Overview

A test document was created and checked in on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM New Zealand Time, with the default Implementation Date also set to 20-03-2025.

Email Notifications Timeline

1. Immediate Notification Upon Check-in
  • Time Sent: 2:01 PM NZT (right after check-in)
  • Recipient: Document Approver
  • Subject: Approval pending for document: [Document Name]
  • Purpose: Notify the Approver that the document is awaiting their approval.
  • Expected Behavior: ✅ Yes, this is standard and expected after a document is checked in.
2. Same-Day Pending Approval Reminder
  • Time Sent: 6:03 PM NZT (same day as check-in)
  • Recipient: Document Approver
  • Subject: Approval pending for document: [Document Name]
  • Purpose: A follow-up reminder that the document is still pending approval.
  • Expected Behavior: ✅ Yes, this is a scheduled reminder for documents still unapproved by 6:00 PM on the same day of check-in.
3. Due Reminder on Implementation Date
  • Time Sent: 6:03 PM NZT (same day as implementation date)
  • Recipient: Document Approver
  • Subject: Approval pending for document: [Document Name]
  • Purpose: Alert that the document is scheduled for implementation today.
  • Expected Behavior: ✅ Yes, this is sent on the Implementation Date.
  • Reference: How to Set an Implementation Date
4. Daily Overdue Reminders
  • Time Sent: 6:00 PM NZT (daily after implementation date)
  • Recipient: Document Approver
  • Subject: Approval pending for document: [Document Name]
  • Purpose: Notify that the document was scheduled to be implemented on [20/03/2025] but is still awaiting approval.
  • Expected Behavior: ✅ Yes, these reminders continue daily at 6:00 PM until the document is approved.

Clarifying the Perceived “Triplicate Emails”

Although all notifications use the same subject line — "Approval pending for document: [Document Name]" — they serve different purposes depending on the time and document status:

Notification Type

When Sent

Purpose

Initial Approval Notice

Immediately on check-in

Inform the approver that action is needed

Same-Day Reminder

6:00 PM (day of check-in)

Reiterate pending approval

Due Reminder

6:00 PM on Implementation Date

Highlight implementation is due today

Overdue Reminder

6:00 PM daily after Implementation Date

Document is overdue

Encourage users to review the body content of each message. While subject lines are identical, each email provides a unique context regarding the document's status.

Summary

This behavior is functioning as intended and ensures that:

  • Approvers are promptly informed.
  • Important deadlines (like Implementation Dates) are not missed.
  • Pending documents don’t fall through the cracks.

If you're seeing multiple reminders, rest assured they’re part of a structured and purposeful notification workflow.

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