---
title: "Work the draft approval queue | FirstSales"
description: "When a campaign requires approval, review AI drafts in the Inbox's Needs Approval tab and approve, edit, or reject each one — from the app or the CLI."
canonical: "https://firstsales.io/tutorial/approval-queue-workflow/"
---

[Home](/)/[Tutorials](/tutorial/)/Work the draft approval queue

Inbox & Replies

# Work the draft approval queue

When a campaign requires approval, review AI drafts in the Inbox's Needs Approval tab and approve, edit, or reject each one — from the app or the CLI.

6 min read·Intermediate·7 steps

1. 1  
## Require approval first  
This queue only fills when a campaign's content approval is set to **require-approve**; otherwise drafts auto-send without stopping here.
2. 2  
## Open Needs Approval  
In the Inbox, click the **Needs Approval** tab. Its amber badge shows how many drafts are waiting.  
![Open Needs Approval](/tutorials/inbox-01-tabs.webp)
3. 3  
## Read a pending draft  
Open a thread. The outbound bubble shows **“Awaiting your approval”** with **Approve**, **Edit**, and **Reject** actions.
4. 4  
## Approve  
Click **Approve** to release the draft for sending.
5. 5  
## Edit before approving  
Click **Edit** to fix the body inline. The subject line is intentionally locked — changing it mid-thread breaks SMTP threading. Approve once you're happy with the edit.
6. 6  
## Reject with a reason  
Click **Reject** and write what should change (at least 5 characters, up to 500). The AI uses your note to regenerate the draft.
7. 7  
## Clear the queue via CLI (optional)  
Prefer the terminal? Use `inbox approve-draft` / `inbox reject-draft` for the same actions.

## Pro tips

Hard-won shortcuts that keep warm-up on track.

1

### Reject with a specific instruction

“Cut the second paragraph” or “warmer opener” gives the AI something concrete to regenerate from — vague rejections waste a round-trip.

2

### Edit for tweaks, Reject for a rethink

Editing keeps the same draft with your fix applied; rejecting throws it out and asks for a fresh one.

3

### Subject line is locked on purpose

Changing it mid-thread breaks SMTP threading — refine subjects in the campaign, not the queue.

4

### Script the queue at scale

Clear approvals from the CLI with \`inbox approve-draft\` / \`reject-draft\` and fold review into an existing workflow.

## Frequently asked questions

Why do I have drafts waiting for approval?

The campaign's content approval is set to **require-approve**, so each AI draft needs a human OK before it sends.

Where's the queue?

The Inbox's **Needs Approval** tab, marked with an amber count badge.

What can I do with a pending draft?

Approve it, edit the body inline, or reject it with a note for the AI to regenerate.

Can I edit the subject line?

No — the subject is locked in the inline editor to preserve email threading. Change subjects in the campaign.

Does rejecting need a reason?

Yes — at least 5 characters, up to 500\. The reason tells the AI what to fix on the next draft.

What happens after I approve?

The draft is released and sends on its schedule; an approved-but-unsent draft can still be edited until it goes out.

Can I approve or reject from the CLI?

Yes — `inbox approve-draft` and `inbox reject-draft` mirror the in-app actions.

## Ready to put this into practice?

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