Frequently Asked Questions
How does Zapproved work?Zapproved is a simple, secure, Web-based tool for managing the approval process. To create a proposal, click the Create Proposal button. This opens a form in which you specify the approver(s) by entering email addresses, write a message about the proposal, and attach any pertinent electronic files. In addition, you can give the new proposal a due date and priority level. The approver(s) then receive an email generated by Zapproved that indicates they must take action on the proposal. Embedded in the email are an Approve button and a Deny button. Each approver selects their response by clicking the appropriate button. This opens a message box in a browser where they can optionally enter a comment. The last step is to confirm their choice. During the approval process, everyone involved can monitor who has read the email and how each person has responded. As the due date approaches, Zapproved sends reminders to everyone to keep the decision on track. After the group has made a decision, the approval process record is archived at Zapproved for future reference. These records can be sorted by date, recipient and project to make them easy to locate. What makes Zapproved different?We’ve worked very hard to make Zapproved simple and secure. The system is elegantly designed and completely self-contained: All proposals are sent from, and respondents reply within, the Zapproved site. This gives each participant visibility into the process, enabling them to share information in a single place. This transparency is the power of Zapproved. To track approval progress, users can receive an email copy of every proposal response and comment. Additionally, all proposals and resulting decisions are organized and stored within Zapproved for easy future reference. This powerful feature eliminates the need to retain paper records that are hard to manage or create and maintain email folders, which can be difficult to search. How do I get started?Creating a proposal is as easy as sending an email. Simply follow these steps:
Is Zapproved secure?Yes, we've worked hard to make sure that every aspect of Zapproved is secure:
How do I find out the status of my proposal?To check the status of your proposal, log in at zapproved.com to go to the Message Center. Click the proposal you want to view. The New Proposal page displays, showing the current status of proposal, as well as who has approved, denied, viewed and commented, and when they did so. All pertinent information is conveniently accessible on this single page. What do the little status icons mean?The status icons are designed to help you get an instant indication of what is happening with your proposal: |
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When I send an email, where does it come from?The email is generated by the Zapproved system and is sent from support@zapproved.com. However, the recipient will see your name in the “From” field so that it appears as if the message were sent from you directly. In order to prevent any messages from Zapproved inadvertently being received in a Spam or Junk Mail folder, please add support@zapproved.com to your address book. How do I ask a question regarding a proposal?The ability to comment on a proposal is included to help recipients interact without having to approve or deny the proposal. From the email notification or the View Proposal page, click the Comment button below the list of recipients and enter your comments in the text box provided, click Submit Comments to send. To return to the View Proposal page without sending a comment, click Cancel. What will my proposal look like to a recipient?We have created a form that organizes the key information, making it readable and actionable. Here is a sample email formatted in HTML:
The message indicates the sender and receiver(s), due date, priority, and file attachment name(s). The main area contains the proposal title, message, and the Approve and Deny buttons. Lastly, the footer includes a link to the proposal for those recipients receiving email in plain text format. Does a recipient of a Zapproved proposal need to be registered?No, Zapproved is designed to be an open system. Anyone with an email address and Internet access can receive and respond to a proposal. Once a user makes a decision by clicking the Approve or Deny button in an email, a browser window opens that is associated only with that user’s email address. This method is used as a way to verify identity. How do I edit a proposal?As the creator of a proposal, you can now edit your proposals! Find the proposal in your Message Center and click to open. Click the Edit Proposal button at the bottom of the screen. You will then be able to edit all of the available fields, including approvers, viewers, due date, attachments, and others. How is a proposal closed?Proposals automatically close when all Approvers have replied with an approval. A proposal can also be manually closed by the sender. Find the proposal in your Message Center and click to open. Select the Close button at the bottom of the screen and confirm the change in the popup message Can I cancel a proposal?Yes, a proposal can be cancelled by the sender as long as it has not been fully approved. Find the proposal in your Message Center and click to open. Click the Cancel button at the bottom of the screen and confirm the change in the popup message. What is the difference between "Closed" and "Cancelled"?A proposal is closed when the decision has been made; the proposal is complete. Cancelled proposals have been retracted, and no decision has been reached. How is a proposal archived?Find the proposal in your Message Center and click to open. Click the Archive button at the bottom of the screen, and confirm the change in the popup message. This removes the proposal from your Message Center. How do I use Comments?To post a comment, go to the Message Center. Click the proposal to open it, and click the Comment button to enter your comment. Click the Submit Comments button to send the comment and make it part of the proposal. Can I attach a file to my proposal?Yes, registered users can attach files to proposals when logged in. Select the Attach File button at the bottom of the new proposal. Find the desired file and click OK. Be sure to wait for the green circle with the check (to the right of the Attach File button) to confirm upload is complete. Is there a maximum file size for attachments?Yes, the maximum file size allowed for each attachment depends on your subscription plan: Free plan = 1MB, Premium and Group plan = 4MB. Why are there only two options – Approve and Deny?That’s a great question. We understand that decision-making is a nuanced process. Our intent with Zapproved, however, is to propel decision-making forward. By asking participants to clearly express their opinions, it requires them to make a clear choice. This transparency and clarity is powerful. We are continuing to study our model and are open to feedback and ideas. Please make your suggestions or give us feedback by emailing us at myidea@zapproved.com. For how long are decision records archived?It is our intention to archive them indefinitely on our secure servers for premium accounts. We will archive proposals for free users for 60 days. How much does Zapproved cost?We will always offer a free version of Zapproved. For $12.00/month, $120/year you gain full access to all that Zapproved has to offer. Sign up your team for $100/month, $1000/year, and save even more. Why should I import my Contacts?Importing your contacts enables Zapproved to automatically look up your email addresses as you specify recipients when creating a proposal. This makes the process of addressing a proposal faster. We currently support importing contacts from Microsoft Outlook for Internet Explorer users. In the future, we plan to add the capability to import contacts from Safari and Firefox, as well as from Webmail (for example, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, etc.). If I import my Contacts, will you send spam to them?Absolutely not – privacy and security are our utmost concern. We respect our users and their information, and will not use it in any way without expressed written permission. Will using Zapproved produce something that is legally binding?Zapproved provides an electronic record of who approved what and when. In some contexts, this may be a binding commitment that can be legally enforced. In others, it may not. Please be sure to discuss this with your own legal counsel if creating a legally-binding agreement is your goal. Can I turn off the email notifications?Yes, you can customize the flow of emails that you receive, so you will get as many or as few notifications as you prefer. You can find the options on the My Settings page. By deselecting the check boxes, you can disable these notifications:
What browsers support Zapproved?Zapproved is supported on these browsers:
How can I check the spelling when creating a proposal?A great application to use for spell checking is the google toolbar. For you Fire Fox users, a spell checker is built into the browser. |
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