Human Review

Pause an automation and email a reviewer for a decision before running downstream Steps.

At a glanceVerified in app · Oct 29, 2026

Use it to: Require a person's sign-off or form input before an irreversible action
Find it: Tools → Flow → Human Review
Cost: Free (0 Step credits while suspended)
Limits: Up to 13 days (1,123,200 seconds) expiry window
Output: {{ N.result.decision }}, {{ N.result.respondedBy }}, {{ N.result.formData.field }}
Instead: Wait (when pausing for a timer or external webhook without a reviewer)

Use Human Review before irreversible actions such as releasing refunds, publishing AI-drafted replies, deleting records, or escalating VIP accounts.

A Human-in-the-Loop automation on the Glow canvas: New Email Received trigger connected to AI Draft Reply, feeding into Human Review Draft with two decision branches: Approve & Send and Reject. — Human Review on the canvas: incoming emails are drafted by AI, but execution suspends until an authorized reviewer approves sending the reply or routes a rejection alert to Slack.

The Review Lifecycle

When a run reaches Human Review, Glow emails the reviewer, records the request, and suspends execution. Downstream Steps wait for a confirmed decision or deadline expiry.

Notification deliveryEmail Link Approver

Receives the email notification at Approver Email (one address or a shared team alias).
Clicking a decision button opens /app/reentry with that choice pre-selected.
Two-step confirmation stops email security scanners from triggering decisions.

Portal sign-offAuthenticated Approver

Must sign in as a workspace member with permission to view the automation.
Share private (Me only) automations with the reviewer before running.
First confirmed decision claims the run. Later clicks see the Answered screen.

Setting It Up

Add Human Review from Tools → Flow on the canvas dock. Only Approver Email is required.

1. Core Fields

Field	Required	Description
Approver Email	Yes	Single destination email address (comma-separated lists are rejected).
Email Subject	No	Notification subject (defaults to `"Action required: approve workflow"`).
Message	No	Reviewer instructions (supports `{{ }}` references).
Context Data	No	Key-value rows rendered as a summary table in the email and portal.
Decisions	No	Outcome buttons (defaults to Approve and Deny).
Expire after (seconds)	No	Deadline up to 13 days (`1,123,200` seconds). Blank or `0` waits without timeout.
Form Title / Fields	No	Optional heading, description, and inputs completed before confirming.

2. Context Data & Message

References resolve when the Step creates the review request. Map key-value rows in Context Data (Customer = {{ 1.customer_name }}, Amount = ${{ 1.amount }}, Risk Score = {{ 2.result.risk_score }}) and add summary notes in Message:


Refund request from {{ 1.customer_email }} for ${{ 1.amount }} (Order {{ 1.order_id }}).

3. Decisions & Branching

Each row under Decisions creates an output handle on the Step:

Button label. Text on the button and canvas connector ("Approve", "Deny").
Value. String stored in {{ N.result.decision }} ("approved", "denied").
Canvas wiring. Connect each handle to its downstream Step (unwired handles use the linear output).
Is the Expired branch. Routes the run when Expire after elapses. Without an Expired row, expired requests take the Step’s Error Path.

4. Reviewer Form Fields

Add Form Fields to collect inputs alongside the decision (stored under {{ N.result.formData.<field> }}):

Field Type	Best For	Options
Short text / Long text	Identifiers, rejection reasons, review notes	Required, Placeholder, Help text
Number / Date	Approved amounts, budgets, effective deadlines	Required, Help text
Dropdown / Radio buttons	Single category selection	Required, Comma-separated choices
Multi-select / Checkbox	Policy tags or confirmation checkboxes	Required, Choices / Help text
File upload	Receipts, signed contracts, attachments	Required, Help text

What the Approver Sees

Clicking an email button opens /app/reentry with that choice pre-selected. The reviewer inspects the context, fills any required form fields, and clicks Confirm in any desktop or mobile browser.

Portal State	What the Reviewer Sees	Cause
Pending	Active review screen with context and form.	Waiting for a response.
Answered	“This request has already been answered.”	A teammate already submitted a decision.
Expired	“This request expired.”	`Expire after` deadline elapsed.
Forbidden	“You don’t have access to this workflow.”	User is not a member or cannot view the workflow.
NotFound	“This link is no longer valid.”	Execution or Step was deleted.

Downstream Reference Data

Steps before Human Review have already executed. Once confirmed, the run resumes with {{ N.result.decision }} ("approved" / "denied"), {{ N.result.formData.<name> }}, {{ N.result.answeredAt }} (ISO UTC), and {{ N.result.status }} ("answered"). Both {{ N.result.decision }} and {{ N.result.formData.<name> }} are offered in the variable picker before the first run (earlier {{ N.formData.<name> }} references without result are flagged by validation):


{
  "result": {
    "status": "answered",
    "decision": "approved",
    "answeredAt": "2026-09-23T14:32:10.512Z",
    "formData": {
      "approvedAmount": 450,
      "reviewNotes": "Verified against quarterly budget."
    },
    "approverEmail": "[email protected]",
    "subject": "Action required: approve refund",
    "expiresAt": "2026-09-24T14:00:00.000Z"
  }
}

How to Test & Limits

Keep the automation in Draft

Use safe test destinations and set Approver Email to your own address. Draft runs send real emails and run downstream Steps once confirmed.

Trigger and confirm

Click Run in the dock, open the email link, fill any form fields, and click Confirm.

Verify the branch

Check Executions to confirm the run followed the chosen decision handle.

Testing via MCP & Limits. test_step refuses Human Review Steps (invalid_argument). Use run_workflow_test instead (if waitSeconds elapses first, the run cancels with timeout). Maximum expiry is 13 days (1,123,200 seconds). Approver Email takes a single address.

Practical Examples

1. High-Value Financial Refund

Webhook TriggerConditions (over $500)Human ReviewStripe / Gmail

Webhook (Step 1) receives amount and customer_email with Body only enabled (or under {{ 1.body }}).
Conditions (Step 2) checks amount > 500, routing matches to Human Review (Step 3) and ELSE to the refund Step.
Human Review (Step 3) emails [email protected] (Expire after: 86400, Context Data: Customer and Amount, Decisions: Approve / Deny, plus a reason field).
Wire approved to Stripe: Create Refund and denied to Gmail: Send Email.

Verify it works

Run: Click Run step in Test & Debug with a simulated decision (or trigger a draft run and click Approve in the review link)
You should see: The run resumes down the chosen decision branch and {{ N.result.decision }} equals the selected outcome key.

What’s Next?

Wait Step: Pause for a timer or external webhook.
Conditions: Route executions before or after human checkpoints.
Stop and Error: Terminate runs along rejection or expired paths.