## Introduction
Many startups and growing companies rely on Airtable for lightweight database management and collaboration. One of Airtable’s useful features is Approval Flows, which enable routing records for manager sign-off before proceeding with next steps. However, Airtable’s Approval Flows come at an additional cost and may have limitations in flexibility and integration.
This article demonstrates how to build an equivalent Approval Flow automation using n8n, a powerful open-source workflow automation tool. By creating this workflow in n8n, startups and automation teams can save on subscription costs, gain more granular control, and integrate approval steps seamlessly with other tools in a customizable manner.
## Problem Statement and Benefits
### Problem:
– Airtable’s Approval Flow functionality is locked behind premium tiers and may not integrate easily with external services.
– Startups want to manage approval processes (e.g., content approvals, expense requests) without incurring recurring costs or vendor lock-in.
### Who Benefits:
– Startup CTOs managing automation costs.
– Operations managers needing flexible approval routing.
– Automation engineers building extensible workflows.
## Tools and Services Integrated
– **n8n:** Opensource automation platform to build workflows.
– **Airtable:** Used here as the source data repository storing records requiring approval.
– **Email (SMTP or Gmail node):** To notify managers and collect approvals.
– **Slack (optional):** To send approval requests via Slack messages.
—
## Technical Tutorial: Building an Airtable Approval Flow Replacement in n8n
### Prerequisites
– An n8n instance running (cloud or self-hosted).
– Airtable API key and base with a table that has records needing approval.
– Manager emails or Slack IDs for approval notifications.
### Workflow Overview
The approval flow will follow these steps:
1. **Trigger:** Workflow triggers when a new or updated record in Airtable requires approval.
2. **Fetch Record and Evaluate:** Check if approval is needed and the current status.
3. **Notify Approver:** Send an email or Slack message to the manager with the record details and options to approve or reject.
4. **Wait for Response:** Capture the manager’s input (email reply with keywords or Slack message reaction/button).
5. **Update Record:** Update the approval status in Airtable based on manager input.
6. **Notify Stakeholders:** Inform relevant teams of the approval outcome.
### Step-by-Step Breakdown
#### 1. Trigger Node: Airtable Trigger
– Use the **Airtable Trigger** node to activate the workflow when a record is created or updated.
– Configure it with your Airtable API key, base ID, and table name.
– Filter the trigger to start only when a record’s approval status field is set to “Pending Approval.”
#### 2. HTTP Request Node: Get Record Details (Optional)
– If format customization is needed, use the **Airtable node** or HTTP Request node to get detailed record data.
#### 3. Function Node: Evaluate Approval Needed
– Use a **Function node** to check if the record actually requires manager approval (e.g., based on record type or amount).
– If yes, continue; else terminate workflow.
#### 4. Notification Node: Send Approval Request
– Use the **Email node (SMTP or Gmail)** to send a structured approval request email.
– Subject: “Approval Required for Record [Record Name or ID].”
– Include relevant record details and ask the manager to reply with “Approved” or “Rejected.”
– Alternatively, use the **Slack node** to send an interactive message with approve/reject buttons.
#### 5. Webhook Node: Capture Manager Response
– Set up a **Webhook node** to receive approval inputs.
– For email replies, consider using an email parser service or Zapier as a bridge, or instruct managers to click links containing approval decision parameters (e.g., ?status=approve).
– For Slack, configure actions to post approval to this webhook.
#### 6. Function Node: Process Response
– Parse the incoming webhook data to extract approval decision.
– Validate the response to ensure it contains either “Approved” or “Rejected”.
– If invalid, send a reminder or request clarification.
#### 7. Airtable Node: Update Approval Status
– Update the original Airtable record’s “Approval Status” field to “Approved” or “Rejected” accordingly.
– Optionally, timestamp the approval and log approver details.
#### 8. Notification Node: Inform Stakeholders
– Send a final notification email or Slack message to relevant teams updating them on the approval decision.
### Workflow Diagram Summary
“`
[Airtable Trigger] -> [Function: Check Approval Needed] -> [Email/Slack Notification]
-> [Webhook: Capture Response] -> [Function: Parse Response] -> [Airtable Update Record]
-> [Notify Stakeholders]
“`
## Common Errors and Tips
– **Delayed webhook responses:** Approval delays can cause workflow timeouts; consider using n8n’s “Wait” node or external state tracking.
– **Duplicate triggers:** Debounce Airtable triggers by checking if approval status really changed.
– **Email parsing complexity:** For email reply parsing, use explicit URL-based approvals where managers click “Approve” or “Reject” links embedded in the email.
– **Security:** Ensure webhooks are protected with authentication tokens to prevent unauthorized approvals.
– **Scalability:** For multiple approvers or tiers, branch the workflow to route approvals sequentially or in parallel.
## Scaling and Adaptation
– Add conditional logic to route approvals to different managers based on record fields (department, amount, etc).
– Integrate with other services like Google Drive or CRM systems for richer context.
– Implement retries and escalations if no approval is received within a defined timeframe.
– Use n8n’s database nodes or external storage to keep audit logs for compliance.
## Summary and Bonus Tip
Replacing Airtable’s Approval Flows with n8n empowers startups to have full control over their approval processes without recurring costs. By leveraging triggers, notifications, webhooks, and record updates, this workflow closely mimics Airtable’s native functionality with enhanced flexibility.
**Bonus Tip:** Combine n8n’s workflow with no-code form builders like Typeform or Google Forms to capture approvals through user-friendly interfaces, feeding results back into Airtable automatically.
Start building your own tailored approval automation to optimize operations and reduce dependency on costly SaaS features!