Get an Approval Flow

Returns one approval flow with its stages in board order, each stage's rules and how many templates sit in it.

Updated Sep 29, 2026

GET

/v1/approval-flows/{flow}

curl -X GET "https://api.orshot.com/v1/approval-flows/<FLOW>" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <ORSHOT_API_KEY>"

$ch = curl_init("https://api.orshot.com/v1/approval-flows/<FLOW>");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, "GET");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    "Authorization: Bearer <ORSHOT_API_KEY>",
]);

$data = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
curl_close($ch);

require "net/http"
require "json"

uri = URI("https://api.orshot.com/v1/approval-flows/<FLOW>")
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req["Authorization"] = "Bearer <ORSHOT_API_KEY>"

res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.hostname, uri.port, use_ssl: true) { |http| http.request(req) }
data = JSON.parse(res.body)

Enterprise Only

The Approvals API is available on Enterprise plans, or through first-party apps (the Orshot app and the Orshot MCP server). This endpoint needs read access. See Enterprise pricing to get access.

Returns one approval flow with its stages in board order, each stage's rules and how many templates sit in it. Stage rules say whether the design can be edited and which outputs may render. Its viewer block lists what you may do in the flow and in each stage (for example which stages you may move templates into), so skip calls it doesn't allow. overPlanLimit says whether the flow is past the plan's limit, where only reading, comments and archiving work. Needs the flow's id or slug from list approval flows.

Endpoint#

Endpoint

https://api.orshot.com/v1/approval-flows/:flow

Path Parameters#

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`flow`	String	Yes	The approval flow's id or slug. A number is an id, anything else a slug.

Headers#

Header	Required	Description
`Authorization`	Yes	`Bearer <API key or OAuth token>`
`x-workspace-id`	No	OAuth tokens with several workspaces: the workspace to act in. API keys ignore it.
`X-Orshot-User-Id`	No	API keys only: the user id of the owner, admin or member this call is for. See Acting for a Team Member below.
`X-Session-Id`	No	Groups the calls of one agent or MCP session in the activity history.

Acting for a Team Member#

With an API key, you can send X-Orshot-User-Id with the user id of an owner, admin or member of the workspace to make this call for them. The answer then follows both the key's access level and that person's own access. See acting for a team member.

Request#

JavaScript

await fetch("https://api.orshot.com/v1/approval-flows/brand-and-legal", {
  headers: { Authorization: "Bearer <ORSHOT_API_KEY>" },
});

JSON

{
  "flow": {
    "id": 1,
    "slug": "brand-and-legal",
    "name": "Brand and legal",
    "description": "Brand approves the design, then legal clears it for automation.",
    "color": null,
    "blocksRenders": true,
    "settings": {
      "entry": {
        "mode": "manual",
        "stage": null,
        "filters": {
          "folderIds": [],
          "tags": []
        },
        "includeEmbedTemplates": false
      },
      "onEdit": "require_reapproval"
    },
    "presetSlug": "brand-legal",
    "presetVersion": 1,
    "sortKey": "i",
    "createdAt": "2026-09-28T09:30:00.000Z",
    "updatedAt": "2026-09-28T09:30:00.000Z",
    "archivedAt": null,
    "stages": [
      {
        "id": 1,
        "slug": "draft",
        "name": "Draft",
        "color": null,
        "category": "open",
        "rules": {
          "editable": true,
          "render": {
            "image": false,
            "pdf": false,
            "video": false
          },
          "enter": {
            "from": "any",
            "requireComment": false,
            "requires": "contribute"
          },
          "approval": {
            "mode": "any",
            "count": 1,
            "allowSelf": false,
            "perOutput": false,
            "allowConditions": false
          },
          "next": {
            "onApproved": null,
            "onChangesRequested": null
          },
          "onEdit": "require_reapproval",
          "dueHours": null
        },
        "sortKey": "i",
        "archivedAt": null,
        "itemCount": 0
      },
      {
        "id": 2,
        "slug": "brand-review",
        "name": "Brand review",
        "color": null,
        "category": "review",
        "rules": {
          "editable": false,
          "render": {
            "image": false,
            "pdf": false,
            "video": false
          },
          "enter": {
            "from": "any",
            "requires": "contribute",
            "requireComment": false
          },
          "approval": {
            "mode": "any",
            "allowSelf": false,
            "allowConditions": false,
            "perOutput": false,
            "count": 1
          },
          "next": {
            "onApproved": "design-approved",
            "onChangesRequested": "draft"
          },
          "onEdit": "require_reapproval",
          "dueHours": null
        },
        "sortKey": "r",
        "archivedAt": null,
        "itemCount": 0
      }
    ],
    "viewer": {
      "capabilities": [
        "approvals.view",
        "flow.manage",
        "flow.duplicate",
        "item.add",
        "item.move",
        "item.remove",
        "comment.create",
        "comment.resolve",
        "comment.moderate"
      ],
      "stages": {
        "1": [
          "approvals.view",
          "flow.manage",
          "flow.duplicate",
          "item.add",
          "item.move",
          "item.remove",
          "comment.create",
          "comment.resolve",
          "comment.moderate"
        ],
        "2": [
          "approvals.view",
          "flow.manage",
          "flow.duplicate",
          "item.add",
          "item.move",
          "item.remove",
          "comment.create",
          "comment.resolve",
          "comment.moderate"
        ],
        "3": [
          "approvals.view",
          "flow.manage",
          "flow.duplicate",
          "item.remove",
          "comment.create",
          "comment.resolve",
          "comment.moderate"
        ],
        "4": [
          "approvals.view",
          "flow.manage",
          "flow.duplicate",
          "item.add",
          "item.move",
          "item.remove",
          "comment.create",
          "comment.resolve",
          "comment.moderate"
        ],
        "5": [
          "approvals.view",
          "flow.manage",
          "flow.duplicate",
          "item.remove",
          "comment.create",
          "comment.resolve",
          "comment.moderate"
        ]
      },
      "canArchive": true
    },
    "overPlanLimit": false
  }
}

Response Fields#

Responds 200 with:

Field	Type	Description
`flow`	Object	One ApprovalFlow, fields below.
`flow.id`	Integer	Numeric id.
`flow.slug`	String	Stable; use it in URLs and tool calls.
`flow.name`	String	Display name.
`flow.description`	String	Can be `null`.
`flow.color`	String	Can be `null`.
`flow.blocksRenders`	Boolean	Templates render through the API only from stages that allow it. Downloads from the studio and the embed editor are never blocked.
`flow.settings`	Object	Flow settings v1 (rules.js).
`flow.presetSlug`	String	Can be `null`.
`flow.presetVersion`	Integer	Can be `null`.
`flow.sortKey`	String	Position in its list, as sortable text.
`flow.stages`	Array	List of ApprovalStage (on get).
`flow.viewer`	Object	`{ capabilities, stages, canArchive }`. On get, what you may do here: capabilities for the flow as a whole (approvals.view, flow.manage, item.add, item.move, item.remove, item.decide, item.override, comment.create...), stages maps each stage id to the capabilities you have in it. item.move in a stage means you may put a template there (approved stages take approvers only); its enter.from rule still applies. canArchive says whether you may archive the flow, which stays open when it is over the plan's limit.
`flow.overPlanLimit`	Boolean	True when the flow is past the plan's limit of live approval flows (on list and get; the first flows in list order stay active). Such a flow can be read, commented on and archived. Every other change to it or its templates (add, move, take out, approve, request changes, withdraw an approval, change the flow, its stages or its access) is refused with 403 flow_limit_reached, code approval.flow.over_plan_limit. It doesn't block API renders, lock edits or wait on anyone. Archiving an active flow makes the next one active; upgrading makes them all active.
`flow.createdAt`	String	ISO 8601 timestamp.
`flow.updatedAt`	String	ISO 8601 timestamp.
`flow.archivedAt`	String	ISO 8601 timestamp. Can be `null`.

Error Responses#

Every error has the same body: error, code, message and helpUrl, plus the fields that apply (required, role, context, blockers, violations, issues, current). Branch on error; code is more specific. See the error reference.

Status Code	Error	Description
401	`oauth_token_invalid`	The OAuth token is invalid, expired or revoked.
403	`api_key_missing`	No `Authorization: Bearer` header.
403	`permission_denied`	You don't have access to do this. Ask an owner or admin. `code` names the capability, for example `approval.item.decide_denied`; `required` and `role` say what was missing. With `code: insufficient_scope`: the OAuth token lacks `workspace:approvals:read`. With `code: approval.member_header_not_member`: `X-Orshot-User-Id` names someone who isn't an owner, admin or member of the workspace now. With `code: approval.member_header_not_allowed`: an OAuth token sent `X-Orshot-User-Id`.
403	`plan_required`	The workspace's plan doesn't include Approvals, or doesn't include this part of it.
403	`enterprise_api_required`	Using approvals with an API key needs an Enterprise plan. Contact hi@orshot.com to turn it on.
404	`not_found`	This doesn't exist or isn't available to you. Reviewers get this, never 403, for flows and templates outside their access.
422	`validation_failed`	Some fields aren't valid: the fields listed in issues. `issues` lists each field with a path and a reason.
422	`validation_failed`	With `code: approval.member_header_invalid`: `X-Orshot-User-Id` isn't a user id.
429	`rate_limit_exceeded`	More than 120 approvals requests in a minute from one person or key. Wait for Retry-After.
503	`approvals_unavailable`	Approvals aren't available right now. Try again in a moment. Also returned while approvals are not switched on for the API.

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