When a Delegation is issued in Aptly, the system can generate several types of Actions — tasks that require specific users to respond. New users often confuse these Action types because they all appear in the same Actions module and relate to the same Delegation. This article explains what each type is, who receives it, and how to tell them apart.
All Aptly users who receive or manage Actions, including delegation recipients, approvers, and users who create or complete manual tasks.
Aptly's Actions module shows all tasks in a single list, but the Actions related to Delegations serve different purposes, are assigned to different people, and happen at different points in the delegation lifecycle. The three contexts are:
Each type is controlled by different settings, assigned to different users, and resolved in different ways.
A Delegation Acceptance Action is a system-generated task assigned to the recipient(s) of a Delegation. It asks them to formally accept — or reject — the authority being delegated to them.
Acceptance Actions are generated automatically when a Delegation is issued, if Delegation Acceptance is enabled in your organization's Action Settings (Settings → Account Settings → Delegations → Action Settings). Only Delegations issued after this setting is enabled require acceptance; previously issued Delegations are not affected.
The recipient(s) named on the Delegation. If a Delegation has multiple recipients, each recipient receives their own separate Acceptance Action.
In the Actions module, a Delegation Acceptance Action displays the type Delegation and the name Delegation Acceptance. The Action drawer includes a Delegation tab linking to the specific Delegation under review.
A Delegation Approval Action is a system-generated task assigned to designated approvers. It requires an authorized user to review and approve (or deny) a Delegation before it is issued to the recipient.
Approval Actions are generated automatically when a Delegation is created (published), if Delegation Approval is enabled in your organization's Action Settings. The Delegation enters a Pending status until an approver acts.
Users whose role includes the "Approve Delegation" permission. How they are matched depends on the permission scope:
Approvers generally cannot approve a Delegation where they are also the Issuer. The first eligible approver to approve completes the Action.
In the Actions module, a Delegation Approval Action displays the type Delegation and the name Delegation Approval. The Action drawer includes a Delegation tab and an Approval Log tab showing the full history and status of all approvers assigned to that Action.
Manual Actions are tasks created by users with the appropriate permissions — or generated from Action Templates — for custom business workflows. Unlike Acceptance and Approval Actions, they are not tied to a specific system event on a Delegation.
Manual Actions are created on demand. A user with permission navigates to the Actions module and creates a new Action, either from scratch or by selecting a pre-configured Action Template (for example: "Quarterly Authority Assertion" or "Annual Authority Assertion").
The creator assigns one or more users as the Action's assignees. There is no automatic assignment logic — it is determined by the person creating the Action.
The assignee updates the Action's status through its lifecycle: To Do → In Progress → Complete. Manual Actions do not automatically change the status of a Delegation or other record.
Manual Actions display the Action Type selected during creation (which may be a system type like Delegation or a custom type like Payment Approvals). The name reflects the template or custom title entered. Unlike system-generated Actions, they typically do not have a linked Delegation tab unless one was explicitly associated.
| Delegation Acceptance | Delegation Approval | Manual Action (Task) | |
| Created by | System (automatic) | System (automatic) | User (manual) |
| Trigger | Delegation is issued to recipient | Delegation is created (published) | User creates the Action |
| Assigned to | Delegation recipient(s) | Users with "Approve Delegation" permission (All or Groups) | User(s) chosen by the creator |
| Requires setting | Delegation Acceptance enabled | Delegation Approval enabled | User must have permission to create Actions |
| Resolution options | Accept or Reject | Approve or Deny | To Do → In Progress → Complete |
| Effect on Delegation | Status changes to Accepted or Rejected | Status changes from Pending to Issued (or Denied) | No automatic status change |
| Visible in Action drawer | Delegation tab with full authority details | Delegation tab + Approval Log tab | Details tab and Attachments tab (no Delegation tab unless manually linked) |
In addition to Delegation Acceptance and Delegation Approval, Aptly can generate other system Actions that relate to the broader delegation workflow:
| Action type | What it does | Assigned to |
| Decision Role Acknowledgement | Asks users assigned to a Decision Role (within the Roles tab on a Delegation) to acknowledge their assignment. | The user(s) designated as assignees on the Decision Role record |
| Delegation Request | Routes a user's request for authority (made from a Decision or Delegation) to the appropriate issuer or approver for review. | The issuer or approver responsible for the requested authority |
| Document Review / Document Approval | Asks assigned reviewers or approvers to review or approve a Document linked to a Delegation or Decision. | The user set as Reviewer or Approver in the Document's oversight settings |
These system Actions follow the same pattern: they are generated automatically when the corresponding setting is enabled, and they appear alongside Acceptance and Approval Actions in the Actions module.
All Action types — system-generated and manual — appear in the same places within Aptly:
Each Action displays a Status (To Do, In Progress, Complete), Priority (High, Medium, Low), and Due Date to help you manage your workload.
Actions and Notifications are related but separate. An Action is a task that requires you to do something (accept, approve, complete). A Notification is an informational alert (system message or email) that tells you something happened. You can receive a notification without an Action, or an Action without a notification, depending on how your administrator has configured each.
If you were notified about a Delegation but do not see a corresponding Action, it is likely that the relevant Action Setting (Acceptance or Approval) is not enabled for your organization. Contact your administrator if you believe an Action should have been generated.
Delegation Acceptance is optional. If your administrator has not enabled it in Settings → Account Settings → Delegations → Action Settings, Delegations are issued without requiring formal acceptance.
If your permission scope is set to Groups, you are only assigned to Approval Actions for Delegations whose Group assignments align with yours (including inherited parent/child Groups). If the Delegation's Groups do not match, you will not receive the Action. Users with All scope receive every Delegation Approval Action.
Generally, no. Aptly prevents approvers from approving Delegations where they are also the Issuer.
In Aptly, these terms are interchangeable. The Actions module is where all tasks — system-generated and manual — are tracked. When this article refers to "tasks," it means manual or template-based Actions created by users, as distinct from system-generated Acceptance and Approval Actions.
If multiple approvers are assigned, the Delegation may remain in Pending status until the required approvals are complete. Check the Approval Log tab on the Action to see the status of all assigned approvers.