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Approvals

The Approval domain provides a configurable workflow for controlling access to APIs and events. When a team subscribes to an API or event that requires approval, an approval request is created and must be granted before access is provisioned.

Approval Strategies​

When exposing an API or event, the provider chooses one of three approval strategies:

StrategyBehavior
AutoThe subscription is approved immediately without human intervention.
SimpleA single approver from the provider team must grant the request.
FourEyesTwo separate approvers from the provider team must grant the request (dual-control principle).

The strategy is set in the Rover file when defining an API or event exposure:

exposures:
  - type: api
    visibility: ENTERPRISE
    basePath: /checkout/v1
    upstream: https://checkout.internal:8080
    approval: SIMPLE

Approval States​

Each approval moves through a state machine:

StateMeaning
PendingThe request has been created and is waiting for review.
SemiGrantedOne of the two required approvals has been granted (FourEyes only).
GrantedThe request has been fully approved. Access is provisioned.
RejectedThe request has been denied.
SuspendedA previously granted approval has been temporarily suspended.
ExpiredThe approval has expired and is no longer valid.

Trusted Teams​

API and event providers can designate certain teams as trusted. Subscriptions from trusted teams are approved automatically, regardless of the configured strategy. This is useful for internal services or well-known partners that do not need manual review.

Notifications​

The Approval domain integrates with the Notification domain to keep both parties informed throughout the process:

  • Requester team — Notified when their request is granted, rejected, or suspended
  • Provider team — Notified when a new approval request is created or when an existing approval changes state

Next Steps​