---
title: "Who can be assigned, or assign users to an approval"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/CDML/649694643/Who%20can%20be%20assigned%2C%20or%20assign%20users%20to%20an%20approval"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (aura-html)


## Overview

> Macro (excerpt)
> 
> Define who can take part in, or be assigned to, a content review.

These examples show several configurations of the [approval macro](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/649662337) parameters that control who can take part in, or assign users to a content review.

## View-only users

Users who only have Confluence **[view](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650217543)**[ permission](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650217543) can take part in a content review so long as they can see the [workflow popup](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/649659846).

> ℹ️ Requires the [Workflow Activity and Drafts Visibility](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/649956239) admin option to be set to the default setting of **Anybody**.

## No assignment

> Macro (excerpt)
> 
> By default, a content review added to a workflow does not allow reviewer assignment.
> 
> ![image](media://ae11bab4-7b3d-46dd-9b81-d5eece5547fd)
> 
> The workflow popup in the content review state displays only the **Approve** and **Reject** option buttons.
> 
> Any single user with **[Edit](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650217543)**[ content permission](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650217543) can **Approve** or **Reject** the review. A single reviewer approval decision (approved or rejected) causes the transition of the workflow.

```plaintext
{workflow:name=No assignment}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

[https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Anyone-can-approve](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Anyone-can-approve) 

## Assign anyone

> Macro (excerpt)
> 
> To allow anyone to be assigned, add the `assignable=true` parameter.
> 
> The [workflow popup](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/649659846) displays the **+ Add reviewer** button.
> 
> ![image](media://7dadf5ad-d1ce-4312-989b-e7b0c7f28d5a)
> 
> In this scenario:
> 
> - If there are **no assignees**, any single user can complete the review
> - Users in the `confluence-users` group (all registered Confluence users) can be assigned to the review.
> - If **anyone is assigned**, only the assignee(s) can complete the review
> - If **multiple people are assigned**, they must all agree, either **Approve** or **Reject**, to complete the review

```plaintext
{workflow:name=No assignment}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|assignable=true}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

[https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Users-can-be-assigned-through-UI](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Users-can-be-assigned-through-UI) 

## Limiting reviewers

Making an approval assignable is one way to limit reviewers. *But anyone can still approve the review if a user has not yet been assigned.*

There are several ways you can limit the users who undertake the approval and/or assign users as reviewers depending on your needs for the approval process in the workflow state.

[https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Limit-who-can-approve-and%2For-assign-reviewers](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Limit-who-can-approve-and%2For-assign-reviewers) 

## Excluding reviewers

> Macro (excerpt)
> 
> You can use the `exclude` parameter to define one or more users who can not take part in the review.
> 
> The **Approve** and **Reject** buttons appear disabled for the excluded users. 
> 
> ![image](media://4825d3eb-c868-431b-a12f-b6f6901fe8d2)
> 
> > ℹ️ However, if the review is `assignable`, these excluded users are still be able to assign other users to the review.
> 
> The `excluded` parameter takes precedence over the `group`, `selectedapprover`, `selectedapprovers` and `user` parameters (see below).
> 
> A common exclusion use is for the person who created the content. This can be achieved with the `@creator@` [user reference](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/649827717).

```plaintext
{workflow:name=No assignment}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|assignable=true|exclude=@creator@}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

## Minimum reviewers

> Macro (excerpt)
> 
> ou can specify how many people must be assigned to undertake the approval of the content using the `minimum `parameter.
> 
> The [workflow popup](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/649659846) will indicate the number of reviewers required by displaying a number user outline avatars corresponding to the minimum number of reviewers required.
> 
> > ℹ️ More reviewers can be added if desired, but the set minimum number of reviewers completing and agreeing on the review decision causes the approval transition.
> 
> ![image](media://8c46bc45-32df-404d-946b-548920a23764)
> 
> Users are assigned as reviewers by choosing the **+** icon in the popup.
> 
> > 📝 Any user can undertake the approval if no users are assigned
> 
> All assigned reviewers would have to agree on either **Approve** or **Reject** in order to complete the review.
> 
> For the **Approve** decision, the number of review decisions must also at least meet the minimum requirement if present.
> 
> ![image](media://c8bbc505-326b-4fae-b7a3-beed79ae50ba)

The approval has two added parameters:

- `assignable=true` allows the assignment of reviewers
- `minimum=2` sets the required number of approval decisions for the transition to occur

```plaintext
{workflow:name=No assignment}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|assignable=true|minimum=2}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

If more than one reviewer is assigned you can [fastrack a reject transition by adding a trigger](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650217904) to the workflow. This negates the need for all assigned reviewers to agree on a **Reject** decision for the `rejected` transition to take place.

## Limiting assignment

You may want to limit which users or groups are allowed to assign a reviewer for the approval i.e., who can be an assigner. You can choose to use the `allowedassignusers` and/or the `allowedassigngroups` parameter.

```plaintext
{workflow:name=Allow Assigners}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|assignable=true|allowedassignusers=elle|allowedassigngroups=assigners}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

In the example above, only a user who is a member of the Confluence group `assigners` or user `elle` can assign reviewers in the **Review** approval. The `assignable=true` parameter must also be included to allow the assignment of reviewers for the approval.

Be aware that *until the review has been assigned* it can be undertaken by anyone with **view** and **edit** permissions.

So if you only want the review to be undertaken once a reviewer has been assigned you can use the `allowedassignusers` and/or `allowedassigngroups` parameters together with the `selectedapprover` or `selectedapprovers` parameters.

```plaintext
{workflow:name=Allow Assigners}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|allowedassignusers=elle|allowedassigngroups=assigners|selectedapprovers=matilde,suni,adam}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

  
The allowed assigners are only the user `elle` and members of the Confluence user group `assigners`.

These users see the option to **+Add reviewer** in the workflow popup.

![image](media://6a9a355e-6b46-4539-abc2-a30d45b24c83)

> ℹ️ The **Approve** and **Reject** buttons are disabled for the assigners in this example.

For all other users, the workflow popup displays the content review with

- the approval option buttons disabled
- and no option to assign reviewers

![image](media://dc70baff-9ba4-4909-a42f-7ed2e9809353)

> ℹ️ In this example, a user must be assigned as a reviewer to undertake the content review.

Allowed assigners can choose  **+Add reviewer to **open the reviewer assignee dialogue box. The choice of reviewers is limited to the users specified by the `selectedapprovers` parameter.

![image](media://53dec288-039e-4bd5-8ebd-7662bb9180a3)

These parameters can also be combined with other parameters, for example, `user` or `group` if you want to automatically assign a user beforehand and/or the `minimum` if you require more than one reviewer to undertake and agree the review.

> 📝 The `assignable` parameter must be true when using `allowedassignusers`/`allowassigngroups` parameter unless one of the `selectedapprover` or `selectedapprovers` parameters are used.

The `!` operator is used to allow any user to assign reviewers except specific listed ones. In the example below any user except `horst` and `ahmed` will be allowed to assign:

```plaintext
{approval:Review|assignable=true|allowedassignusers=!horst,ahmed}
```

## Limiting selection

If you want to limit which users or groups can be assigned to a review, use the `user` and/or `group` parameters.

```plaintext
{workflow:name=No assignment}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|assignable=true|minimum=2|group=reviewers|user=suni,moises}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

In the example above, anyone from the listed group and individual users can take part in the review, and optionally be assigned beforehand. A minimum of two reviewers is required to complete the review.

If the cumulative number of users specified by these parameters is 15 or fewer then, they will automatically be listed, without the need to search, when [assigning reviewers](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650347935).

> 📝 If you don't require users to be assigned prior to reviewing, you can remove the `assignable` parameter. Only the users listed by the `group` and/or `users` parameters will be able to **Approve** or **Reject**, without the need for assignment.

## Automatic assignment

> Macro (excerpt)
> 
> ou can set all users who must approve the content. This is usually done by the workflow automatically assigning users as reviewers to to an approval on transition into the workflow state containing the content review.
> 
> ![image](media://9226f52b-b285-4ece-b94b-d9441828904c)
> 
> One or more Confluence users, and/or one or more Confluence user groups can be added as the users who are assigned. 
> 
> > ℹ️ The users and/or groups are configured by editing the applied workflow. The avatars of the worfklow assigned users are displayed in the workflow popup.

When editing the markup to configure the approval, If you want to automatically assign one or more users and/or groups, use the `group` and/or `user` parameter(s) but prefix the value with `&` (ampersand).

> 📝 The `assignable=true` and `minimum` parameters are ignored when automatic assignment is applied.

```plaintext
{workflow:name=No assignment}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|group=&reviewers,project_leads|user=&moises, suni}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

In the example above, all users from the specified Confluence user groups and all the individual Confluence users listed are automatically assigned to the review. 

[https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Set-all-the-reviewers-that-have-to-approve](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Set-all-the-reviewers-that-have-to-approve) 

## At least one assignee

The `selectedapprovers` parameter allows you to specify one or more users and/or groups, and automatically sets `minimum=1`.

The two examples below have the exact same effect.

```plaintext
{approval:Review|selectedapprovers=user1,group1}
{approval:Review|user=user1|group=group1|minimum=1}
```

In the example:

```plaintext
{approval:Review|selectedapprovers=milo,matilde,moises}
```

An editor choosing **+Add reviewer** in the workflow popup would be able to select one or more of the listed users as a reviewer.

![image](media://5492f8c6-60d8-431d-acb3-c8201a7bfe28)

The user must be assigned before they can **Approve** or **Reject**.

- additional reviewers can be assigned before the approval transition
- existing assigned reviewers can be unassigned if they have not yet undertaken a decision

[https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Only-one-user-must-be-assigned-to-approve](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CDML/pages/650120187/Edit+approval+reviewers#Only-one-user-must-be-assigned-to-approve) 

## Exactly one assignee

If you want to mandate that one person is assigned, and no more, use the `selectedapprover` parameter.

```plaintext
{workflow:name=No assignment}
   {state:Editing|submit=Review}
   {state}
   {state:Review|approved=Published|rejected=Editing}
      {approval:Review|selectedapprover=milo,matilde,moises}
   {state}
   {state:Published}
   {state}
{workflow}
```

In the example above, only one person from the listed  users (*and* *if present listed groups*) can take part in the review.

![image](media://10af84c4-3abe-46b3-8181-2847998fcd73)

Users must be assigned before they can **Approve** or **Reject**.

- only one reviewer can be assigned
- once a reviewer is assigned the **+Add reviewer** option is removed from the workflow popup
- an assigned reviewer can be unassigned before they have undertaken the approval decision