How to Create Approval Workflows in Coda

Updated on:

May 13, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to build a custom approval workflow inside your Coda doc.

Quick summary

Coda lets you create approval workflows directly inside a doc by configuring a Select List column with custom status labels like Approved, Pending, and Blocked. This step-by-step process requires no external tools — just your existing Coda table and a few column settings.

Steps

Inside your Coda doc, find the column you want to use and click its corresponding Menu button.
Choose Column Type from the list of options.
Hover over the Select List option, then click New to create a new list.
Click each default option one by one and replace them with the status labels you want to use.
Click the Color Picker button next to each label to assign your preferred style.
Repeat these steps for all labels, making sure to add an option for the Approved status.
Once complete, your approval workflow will be live in the doc — share it with your team members so they understand the process.

📌 Why this matters

Building an approval workflow in Coda eliminates the need for separate project management or sign-off tools by keeping the entire review process inside a single collaborative doc. Teams can define custom status labels — such as Pending, Approved, or Blocked — directly on a table column, giving every stakeholder instant visibility into where a request stands. This native workflow capability reduces back-and-forth communication, speeds up decision-making, and ensures that approval status is always tracked alongside the relevant data in real time.

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