Delegations Overview: Pathways, Statuses & Workflows
Delegations are how authority flows from Decisions to the people and positions that exercise it. Every delegation connects a specific Decision to a recipient, carrying with it authority limits, redelegation rules, group scope, conditions, and roles. This article explains how delegations work, what statuses mean, how pathway types control redelegation, and what a delegation's lifecycle looks like from creation through expiration or revocation.
What you'll learn
- How delegations relate to Decisions and what Root Delegations and Redelegations are
- The four delegation pathway types and how they control who can receive redelegated authority
- The three recipient types and how they differ
- Every delegation status and what it means
- What the delegation lifecycle looks like and what actions are available at each stage
- How to read a delegation detail record
- What invalid delegations are and why they matter
Who this is for
This article is for all Aptly users who need to understand how delegations work. It is especially useful for users who receive, issue, or manage delegations, and for administrators who configure delegation settings.
How delegations relate to Decisions
A Decision in Aptly defines what authority exists — for example, "Approve Purchase Orders up to $500,000." A delegation defines who holds that authority, under what limits, and through what chain.
Every delegation is linked to exactly one Decision. The Decision determines the available authority types (e.g., Approval, Signatory), the maximum authority limits, the allowed delegation pathways, and the group scope. A delegation can never exceed the boundaries set by its source Decision.
Root Delegations
A Root Delegation is the starting point of every delegation chain. It has no parent delegation — authority originates directly from the Decision itself. Root Delegations are created by users with the Create Root Delegation permission.
When you open a Root Delegation, the Issuer Authority field displays "Root Authority" (with no hyperlink), indicating that this delegation does not inherit from a parent. A tooltip on this field reads: "Root Authorities represent the highest level of authority in the delegation chain and do not originate from a source authority."
Redelegations
A Redelegation is created when a delegation recipient passes a portion (or all) of their delegated authority to another person or position. Redelegations inherit constraints from their parent delegation: the available pathways, authority types, authority limits, and group scope can only be equal to or more restrictive than the parent.
In the delegation detail view, Root Delegations display a Root Delegation tag and Redelegations display a Redelegation tag in the top header, making it easy to identify each delegation's place in the chain.
Delegation pathway types
Delegation pathways control to whom a recipient is allowed to redelegate authority. Pathways are set at the Decision level and can be further restricted within each delegation. Aptly supports four pathway types.
| Pathway | Who is eligible | Notes |
| Matrix | Any user or position on the tenant. No pathway restriction applies. | If Matrix is enabled alongside any other pathway type, Matrix overrides all others (unrestricted eligibility). |
| Functional | Users or positions that share at least one Department with the Issuer (the person redelegating). | Requires the Departments group type to be enabled at the tenant level. If Departments is disabled, Functional is not available. |
| Direct Line | Users who report directly to the Issuer (immediate reports only, depth = 1). Positions are eligible if at least one active incumbent reports directly to the Issuer. | Positions with no active qualifying incumbent are not selectable under this pathway. |
| Down-Line | Users in the Issuer's downstream reporting line (direct and indirect reports). Positions are eligible if at least one active incumbent is in the Issuer's downstream reporting tree. | Expands scope beyond Direct Line to include all downstream reports, not just immediate ones. |
Pathway combination rules
When multiple pathways are selected on a Decision or delegation, the following combination rules apply:
- Matrix + any other pathway — Matrix governs. Redelegation is unrestricted.
- Functional + Direct Line and/or Down-Line — Eligibility is the union across selected pathways. A recipient qualifies if they meet the criteria of any of the selected pathways.
Recipient types
Every delegation is issued to a recipient, and the recipient type determines how the delegation is tied to people and positions. Your organization's administrator configures which recipient types are available in Settings > Account Settings > Delegations.
| Recipient type | What it means | Position change behavior |
| Personnel in Position | Authority is delegated to a specific person while they hold a specific position (e.g., Samantha Page as CFO). The delegation record shows both the position and the person's name. | If the recipient leaves the position: Auto-Revoke ON — delegation is automatically revoked. Auto-Revoke OFF — delegation remains active but is flagged as invalid (recipient no longer holds the position). If a new person is assigned the position: Auto-Issue ON — a matching delegation is automatically issued. Auto-Issue OFF — no automatic action. |
| Position Only | Authority is delegated to a position, not to any specific person. Whoever currently holds the position has the delegated authority. The delegation record shows only the position name. | Position change automation (Auto-Revoke, Auto-Issue) does not apply. The delegation remains active unless manually revoked. |
| Specific Personnel | Authority is delegated directly to an individual, regardless of what position they hold. The delegation record shows the person's name and their current position. If the person changes positions, the delegation stays with them. | Position change automation does not apply. The delegation remains active unless the user is deactivated or the delegation is manually revoked. |
Delegation statuses
Every delegation has a status that reflects where it is in its lifecycle. The status appears as a colored tag in the Delegations list view and in the top header of the delegation detail view.
| Status | What it means | What happens next |
| Draft | The delegation has been created but not yet issued. It is visible only to the creator and users with appropriate permissions. | The creator can continue editing or issue the delegation. Draft delegations can be deleted. |
| Pending | The delegation has been issued but is awaiting approval by a designated approver. This status only applies when Delegation Approval is enabled in account settings. | Approvers can Approve (moves to Issued) or Deny (returns to Draft or reverts). Pending delegations can be deleted. |
| Issued | The delegation has been formally issued to the recipient. If Delegation Acceptance is enabled, the delegation is awaiting the recipient's acceptance. If acceptance is not required, this is an active state. | If acceptance is enabled, recipients can Accept or Reject. The delegation can be suspended, revoked, or redelegated (if acceptance is not required). |
| Accepted | The recipient has explicitly accepted the delegation. This is the primary "active" state when Delegation Acceptance is enabled. | The delegation can be suspended, revoked, or redelegated. The acceptance date is tracked on the delegation record. |
| Rejected | All recipients on the delegation have rejected it. A delegation only reaches Rejected status if every recipient rejects — partial rejection does not change the overall status. | A rejected delegation cannot be redelegated. The issuer may choose to reissue or archive. |
| Suspended | The delegation has been temporarily paused. The record and chain are preserved, but the authority is not active. | The issuer (or a user with permission) can Reissue the delegation, which restores it to its prior status (Issued, Accepted, or Expired depending on dates). |
| Revoked | The delegation has been permanently withdrawn, either manually by the issuer or automatically via Auto-Revoke (for Personnel in Position delegations when the recipient leaves the position). | Revoked delegations cannot be edited. The record is preserved for audit purposes. |
| Expired | The delegation has reached its expiration date and is no longer active. | Aptly can notify issuers and recipients in advance of expiration (7, 15, or 30 days) if notification preferences are configured. |
| Archived | The delegation has been archived by a user or the system. The record is retained for historical reference. | Archived delegations still appear in the Pathway tab if they have active child delegations. |
Note: In addition to statuses, a delegation can be flagged as Invalid. Invalid is not a status — it is a state that can coexist with any status (except Revoked and Archived, which do not display alert icons). Invalid delegations are covered later in this article.
The delegation lifecycle
A delegation moves through a defined lifecycle from creation to its final state. Not every delegation follows every step — the path depends on your organization's account settings (whether Delegation Approval and Delegation Acceptance are enabled).
Standard lifecycle flow
The following describes the most complete lifecycle path, with all optional workflow steps enabled:
- Draft — A user creates a new delegation (Root Delegation or Redelegation) and configures recipient, authorities, pathway, groups, expiration, and other details.
- Pending (optional — only if Delegation Approval is enabled) — The user issues the delegation. It enters Pending status and an approval action is assigned to designated approvers. Approvers can Approve or Deny.
- Issued — The delegation is formally issued to the recipient. If Delegation Acceptance is not enabled, this is an active state and authority is in effect.
- Accepted (optional — only if Delegation Acceptance is enabled) — The recipient explicitly accepts the delegation. Authority is in effect.
- End states — From Issued or Accepted, a delegation may transition to Suspended (temporary pause), Revoked (permanent withdrawal), Expired (reached expiration date), or Archived (removed from active view).
Key lifecycle rules
- Reissue from Suspended — When a suspended delegation is reissued, it returns to its prior status before suspension (Issued, Accepted, or Expired depending on dates).
- Rejected — A delegation only reaches Rejected status if all recipients reject it. Once rejected, the delegation can no longer be redelegated.
- Deletion — Only delegations in Draft or Pending status can be deleted. Once a delegation has been Issued or Accepted, it cannot be deleted — it can only be revoked or archived.
- Expiration notifications — Aptly can send advance notifications before expiration (configurable at 7, 15, or 30 days) to both the issuer and the recipient, depending on notification preferences.
Actions available on a delegation
The actions you can take on a delegation depend on its current status and your permissions. Actions appear as buttons in the top-right corner of the delegation detail view, or in the three-dot menu.
| Action | When it's available | Who can do it |
| Edit | Draft, Pending, Issued, Accepted, Suspended, Expired (varies by field). | Issuer or users with edit permission. The Decision field cannot be changed once a delegation has been issued. |
| Approve / Deny | Pending status only. | Users with the Approve Delegation permission. Approvers generally cannot approve a delegation where they are also the Issuer. |
| Accept / Reject | Issued status only (when Delegation Acceptance is enabled). | The delegation recipient(s). |
| Redelegate | Issued or Accepted status. Disabled while the delegation is invalid (has any active alert). | The delegation recipient (or users with redelegate permission). Clicking Redelegate opens the Create Delegation flow prepopulated with the source delegation's Decision and Issuer. |
| Request | Issued status (when Delegation Requests are enabled in Action Settings). | Users with request permission who are not already a recipient of the delegation. |
| Suspend | Issued or Accepted status. | The issuer or users with suspend permission. Requires confirmation. |
| Revoke | Issued or Accepted status. | The issuer or users with revoke permission. Requires confirmation. Revoked delegations cannot be edited afterward. |
| Reissue | Suspended status. | The issuer or users with reissue permission. Restores the delegation to its prior status (Issued, Accepted, or Expired). |
| Delete | Draft or Pending status only. | Users with delete permission. Once a delegation has been Issued, it cannot be deleted. |
Tip: Bulk actions (Approve, Deny, Accept, Reject, Suspend, Revoke, Reissue, Delete, and others) are also available from the Delegations list when you select one or more delegation records.
Reading a delegation detail record
When you open a delegation from the Delegations list, you see the full delegation detail view. This view is organized into a top header and several tabs.
Top header
The top header remains visible as you scroll and includes:
- Delegation ID — The unique identifier (e.g., "Delegation 12322").
- Root Delegation / Redelegation tag — Indicates the delegation's place in the chain.
- Status tag — The current status (Draft, Pending, Issued, Accepted, etc.).
- Decision name — The full title of the linked Decision.
- Issuer — The person or position who issued the delegation (displayed as position title and user name, or position only, depending on the issuer type).
- Recipient — The person or position receiving the authority (displayed according to recipient type).
- Key dates — Issued date, Expiration date, Accepted date (if applicable), Effective date.
- Issuer Authority — For Redelegations, a linked ID to the parent delegation. For Root Delegations, displays "Root Authority."
- Delegation Pathway — The pathway type(s) assigned.
- Section and Category — The Decision's taxonomy classification.
- Action buttons — Redelegate, Request, Approve/Deny, Accept/Reject, and more (depending on status and permissions).
Detail tabs
Below the header, the delegation detail view includes the following tabs:
| Tab | What it contains |
| Summary | Authorities table (authority types, primary and secondary limits, redelegation settings), Groups (Organizations, Locations, Departments, and any custom group types), Description and Guidance text, and Documents (delegation documents and linked Decision documents). |
| Conditions | Conditions that must be met for the authority to apply (e.g., "Requires dual signature above $250,000"). Conditions are plain-language requirements, not automated logic. This tab shows a count badge when conditions are present. Availability depends on your subscription and account configuration. |
| Roles | Roles assigned to the delegation (e.g., Reviewer, Co-signer, Informed, Consulted). Roles define responsibilities for oversight and are assigned to users or positions. This tab shows a count badge when roles are present. Availability depends on your subscription and account configuration. |
| Pathway | A visual tree showing the full chain of authority from the Decision through Root Delegation(s) and Redelegation(s). Each delegation node shows status badges, invalid indicators, and an expansion button showing the count of immediate child delegations. Draft delegations do not appear in the Pathway tab. Availability depends on account configuration (Delegation Pathway must be enabled in Module Settings). |
| Changelog | A complete audit trail of all changes made to the delegation, including who made each change and when. |
Invalid delegations
A delegation is considered invalid when one or more components that support it are no longer aligned with the source Decision, parent delegation, tenant settings, or underlying user/position/group data. Aptly does not silently change or remove invalid delegations — instead, it preserves the record and flags what is broken so administrators can decide how to remediate.
Invalid is not a status. It is a state that can coexist with most statuses (Draft, Pending, Issued, Accepted, Rejected, Suspended, Expired). Delegations in Revoked or Archived status do not display invalid alert icons.
Alert types
Aptly flags invalidity at the component level using one or more of the following alert types:
| Alert type | Common triggers |
| Invalid Recipient | Recipient no longer holds the required position (Personnel in Position mismatch), department changes break Functional pathway alignment, or reporting-line changes break Direct Line / Down-Line alignment. |
| Invalid Issuer | Issuer's supporting authority was revoked or removed, issuer's position relationship no longer exists, or an upstream invalid recipient cascades to flag the issuer on child redelegations. |
| Invalid Pathway | A pathway option was removed from the source Decision or parent delegation, or a user edited and saved a delegation that had an already-invalid pathway type. |
| Invalid Authority | An authority type was removed from the source Decision or parent delegation, an authority value no longer fits allowed parameters, or upstream redelegation constraints changed. |
| Invalid Groups | A group was removed from the source Decision or parent delegation, or a group type was disabled and associations were removed. |
While a delegation is invalid (has any active alert), the Redelegate button is disabled to prevent the chain from becoming more inconsistent.
For a detailed guide on finding and resolving invalid delegations, see Invalid Delegations: What It Means and How to Resolve It.
Workflow actions that generate tasks
Depending on your organization's account settings, certain delegation events can generate Actions (tasks assigned to specific users in the Actions module). Actions are configured by administrators in Settings > Account Settings > Delegations > Action Settings.
| Setting | What it does when enabled |
| Delegation Requests | Allows users to request authority from a Decision or Delegation. Requests are created as Actions and routed to the appropriate issuer/approver for review. |
| Delegation Acceptance | Requires recipients to explicitly accept a delegation. An Action is generated for the recipient to accept or reject. The acceptance date is tracked. |
| Decision Role Acknowledgement | Users assigned decision roles (e.g., Consulted, Informed, Co-signer) receive an Action to acknowledge the role assignment. |
| Delegation Approval | Requires delegations to be approved before they are fully issued. Delegations enter Pending status and an approval Action is assigned to designated approvers. |
Important: Actions and Notifications are separate systems. A user may receive a notification without a corresponding action, or an action without a notification, depending on how each is configured.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Issued and Accepted?
If your organization has Delegation Acceptance enabled, Issued means the delegation has been sent to the recipient but they have not yet accepted it. Accepted means the recipient confirmed they acknowledge the authority. If Delegation Acceptance is not enabled, Issued is the active state — there is no separate acceptance step.
Can I redelegate a delegation that is in Pending status?
No. A delegation must be in Issued or Accepted status before it can be redelegated. Pending delegations are still awaiting approval.
What happens to redelegations when a parent delegation is revoked?
Aptly preserves the chain and evaluates downstream delegations. Depending on the configuration, child delegations may be flagged with Invalid Issuer alerts, indicating that the authority supporting them is no longer valid. Administrators can then decide how to remediate.
Can a delegation have multiple recipients?
Yes. A single delegation can be issued to multiple recipients. The delegation detail view shows acceptance status for each recipient individually (how many have accepted, how many are pending, and any rejections). The delegation only reaches Rejected status if all recipients reject.
What does "Root Authority" mean in the Issuer Authority field?
It means the delegation is a Root Delegation — it originates directly from the Decision and does not inherit authority from a parent delegation. Root Delegations are the starting point of every delegation chain.
Why is the Redelegate button disabled?
The Redelegate button is disabled when the delegation has any active invalid alert (Invalid Recipient, Invalid Issuer, Invalid Pathway, Invalid Authority, or Invalid Groups). You must resolve the invalid state before redelegating to prevent the chain from becoming more inconsistent.
Can I delete a delegation that has already been issued?
No. Delegations can only be deleted when they are in Draft or Pending status. Once a delegation has been Issued or moved to any subsequent status, it can only be revoked or archived.
Next steps
- Searching for Delegations — Learn how to find specific delegations using search, filters, and table columns.
- Creating a Root Delegation — Step-by-step guide to creating the first delegation in a chain.
- Redelegating Authority — Step-by-step guide to passing delegated authority to another person or position.
- Accepting a Delegation — How to review and accept a delegation issued to you.
- Approving a Delegation — How to approve or deny delegations as a designated approver.
- Invalid Delegations: What It Means and How to Resolve It — Detailed guide to understanding and resolving invalid delegation states.
- Navigating the Authority / Decision Matrix — Understand how delegations connect to the Authority Matrix view.
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