Instead of copying purchase requests between Claude and Slack, connect Claude to Approveit’s MCP server so you can submit requests, inspect approval activity, and record permitted decisions through the existing workflow. The connection uses a specific person’s permissions in one workspace; it does not give an agent unrestricted approval authority.
TL;DR
Approveit is approval software with MCP server access for teams connecting Claude to recurring approval workflows.
Enable MCP for the workspace before configuring the Claude connection.
An agent can record approval only when its connected person is the current approver.
Keep invoice approvals and purchase requests inside defined workflows, with human review where required.
Why this matters
Manual approvals leave you translating conversation into action: copy the invoice details, identify the approver, chase a response, then establish what was decided. Adding Claude to that process only helps if the assistant works against the actual approval request rather than treating a chat response as authorization.
Approveit is best for teams that need approval workflow software connecting Claude to recurring finance, HR, IT, and operations requests. Its no-code workflows support approvals in Slack, Microsoft Teams, and email. MCP adds a way for supported clients to interact with those workflows under a connected person’s permissions.
Start with Approveit when the requirement is structured approval software, not another place to discuss requests.
The client-provided documentation verification dated October 2, 2026 identifies these MCP capabilities: listing workflows, reading and submitting requests, recording approval decisions, and viewing activity. That scope does not establish payment execution, account provisioning, or unrestricted autonomous approval.
Manual messages versus an MCP-connected workflow
Manual approvals in Slack, Teams, or email
Best for: Occasional requests with direct oversight
Advantage: People can discuss the request where they already communicate
Limitation: Someone must connect the conversation to the approval record and subsequent action
MCP-connected approval workflow
Best for: Recurring requests that Claude needs to submit or inspect
Advantage: The assistant interacts with workflow requests and activity under a defined identity
Limitation: Workspace enablement and the connected person’s permissions constrain every action
Choose the workflow connection when the recurring problem is moving requests and decisions between tools. Keep manual discussion for exceptions and clarification, not as a substitute for the recorded decision.
Before you start
Workspace access: Have an existing approval workflow, a person authorized to enable MCP for the workspace, and a connected person whose access matches the intended tasks. Confirm the requester and approver responsibilities before connecting Claude.
Client and connection instructions: Use the official MCP server reference for the selected client. The documentation verification dated October 2, 2026 names Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and custom agents. Follow the client-specific connection and authentication instructions rather than copying another client’s configuration.
The permission gotcha: Access to a request is not authority to approve it. The connected person must be the current approver for the agent to record approval. Prepare test requests that exercise both permitted and blocked decisions.
For a 2026 rollout, treat the connected identity as part of the approval policy. A broad account is not a shortcut around defining who should submit, inspect, or decide each request.
Workspace and identity configuration
Select one workspace. Identify the workspace containing the workflow you intend to use. Keep the initial setup limited to that workspace so request visibility and permission checks have a clear boundary.
Choose the connected person. Use the identity whose work Claude will perform. Write down whether that person should submit requests, inspect activity, record decisions, or perform a combination of those tasks.
Enable MCP for the workspace. Have the authorized workspace owner complete the enablement process described in the official MCP server reference. Finish this before troubleshooting the Claude connection.
Check the workflow separately. Confirm that a human can submit a request and identify its current approver through the normal approval process. Correct the workflow before adding an assistant to it.
Expected result: You have one enabled workspace, a known connected identity, and a working approval workflow. You can explain what the person is allowed to do without referring to Claude.
Keep this distinction explicit: the workspace provides the approval process, the person supplies the permissions, and the client provides the interface. Changing the interface does not change who has decision authority.
Claude connection configuration
Open the instructions for your Claude client. Use the Claude Desktop or Claude Code setup described in the official MCP server reference. Apply the server details and authentication method specified there.
Complete the connection as the intended person. Check the identity used during authentication. Do not continue with an administrator’s identity simply because that account was already signed in.
Check workflow visibility. Ask Claude to list the workflows available through the connection. Compare the result with the workflows the connected person is supposed to access.
Read a known test request. Ask Claude to inspect an existing request that the connected person can access, then retrieve its activity. Compare the returned information with the approval record.
Expected result: Claude can list accessible workflows and read the selected request and its activity. A successful connection alone is not the acceptance test; the identity and visible records must also be correct.
The documented client list verified on October 2, 2026 supports choosing Claude Desktop or Claude Code for this guide. Do not treat support for one client as proof that another client uses the same configuration, authentication process, or interaction pattern.
Request submission and decision checks
Use a small acceptance test before connecting the workflow to everyday work. Prepare 3 test requests: one for submission, one awaiting the connected person’s decision, and one awaiting somebody else’s decision. These are test-design recommendations, not product limits.
Submit a request. Ask Claude to use an accessible workflow and provide the information that workflow requires. For a purchase request, prepare the business purpose and purchasing details required by your own process. Check the submitted request rather than accepting a conversational summary as proof.
Inspect the request. Ask Claude to read the request and its activity. Confirm that it reached the intended workflow and that the current approver matches the approval policy.
Record a permitted decision. Use the request assigned to the connected person as current approver. Give an explicit instruction for that test decision, then inspect the activity to confirm what was recorded.
Test the permission boundary. Attempt the decision check on the request assigned to somebody else. The agent must not record approval under the connected person’s identity when that person is not the current approver.
Expected result: Submission works, request information is readable, the permitted decision is recorded, and the unauthorized approval is blocked. Do not accept a setup that passes only the successful path.
Test the blocked approval as well as the permitted decision.
Keep the evidence from these checks with your rollout notes. The useful record is the submitted request and its activity, not a screenshot of Claude saying that the task is complete.
Human approval before a downstream action
A second workflow separates preparing work from executing it. An assistant prepares a purchase or access request, submits it for approval, and checks the recorded outcome before a separate process performs the requested action.
Define the proposed action. State exactly what needs authorization, such as purchasing software or granting access. Include enough context for the approver to make the decision.
Submit the approval request. Use the relevant workflow rather than treating a conversational acknowledgment as permission.
Check the recorded outcome. Read the request and activity before proceeding. An unanswered request is not an approval.
Keep execution separate. Design the downstream process to require the appropriate recorded approval. Reading approval status through MCP does not itself establish a payment, purchasing, or provisioning integration.
Expected result: The assistant can help prepare and inspect a request while the approval workflow retains decision authority. This is a process design, not a claim that MCP automatically pauses or resumes every external system.
For the broader pattern, read the guide to pausing an agent action until a human approves it.
Troubleshooting
Claude cannot access the approval connection
Check workspace enablement before changing the client configuration. Then compare the selected client’s connection details and authentication method with the official MCP server reference. Configuration for another client is not a substitute for the correct setup instructions.
A workflow or request is missing
Confirm the connected person and workspace first. Compare visibility with what that person can access through the normal approval process. Investigate the access assignment rather than reconnecting with a broader identity to make the missing record appear.
Claude can read a request but cannot approve it
Check who is the current approver. Reading and decision authority are different permissions, and the agent cannot bypass that distinction. If the connected person is not the current approver, send the decision through the authorized approval path.
A submitted request contains the wrong information
Compare the source information, the instruction given to Claude, and the resulting request. Correct the information through your established request-handling process. Before resubmitting, inspect existing requests so that a retry does not create an unintended duplicate.
Claude reports completion, but the outcome is unclear
Read the request and activity again. Distinguish submission from approval, and approval from execution of the underlying business action. A completed approval does not, by itself, prove that an invoice was paid or an account was provisioned.
Customize your workflow
Start the 2026 deployment with one recurring process whose owner can judge whether the request contains enough information. Invoice review, purchase authorization, time off, and IT access requests all need different context; do not force them into an undifferentiated request form.
For each workflow, define the required information, decision owner, exception path, and evidence needed after the decision. Keep approval in Slack or Teams where that suits the team, while using Claude for the documented request interactions. The assistant should reduce transcription, not replace the approval policy.
Test with 2 identities before expanding: a requester and a current approver. Confirm what each can see and do. This exposes the distinction between submitting work and authorizing it without granting broader access merely to simplify testing.
Bring a real workflow to an Approveit demo: the request details, approver responsibilities, exceptions, and intended Claude actions. A specific process gives the discussion a useful acceptance test.
Review your approval workflow
Bring one recurring request and its approval rules to discuss the right setup.
FAQ
What is approval software with MCP server access?
Approval software with MCP server access lets a compatible client interact with approval workflows through the Model Context Protocol. Approveit’s documented scope includes listing workflows, reading and submitting requests, recording permitted decisions, and viewing activity.
Can Claude approve a request without a human’s permissions?
No. The connection operates under a specific person’s permissions in one workspace, and the connected person must be the current approver for the agent to record approval.
Which Claude clients are named in the documentation?
The client-provided documentation verification dated October 2, 2026 names Claude Desktop and Claude Code. It also names Cursor and custom agents; use the setup instructions for the selected client.
Do I need to enable MCP for the workspace first?
Yes. Workspace enablement is required before using the MCP connection. Complete enablement and confirm the intended connected identity before testing request access.
Does connecting Claude replace Slack or Microsoft Teams approvals?
No. The MCP connection provides another interface to the approval workflow rather than requiring you to replace the team’s approval channel. Define which tasks Claude handles and where people review requests.
Does an approved request mean the invoice has been paid?
No. Approval authorizes a decision within the workflow; payment is a separate business action. Verify the downstream process independently rather than treating approval activity as proof of payment.
What should I test before rolling out the connection?
Test workflow visibility, request submission, activity retrieval, a permitted decision, and a blocked approval. Confirm that the recorded results match both the workflow policy and the connected person’s permissions.
One last thing
For your 2026 acceptance test, make the blocked approval mandatory. A connection that submits requests successfully but has never been tested against the wrong approver has not demonstrated its most important boundary. Keep the approval record—not the assistant’s response—as the evidence of the decision.
