> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help-center-starter.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build your first workflow

> Step-by-step creation of a simple approval workflow.

This walkthrough builds confidence before you model complex branching. You will route new items to a human, time out if nobody responds, and notify a channel when the outcome is approved—patterns common to access requests, content launches, and finance approvals.

## Goal

Route new items to a reviewer and notify Slack on approval. Keep scope intentionally small: one project, one template, one external integration.

### Success criteria

Define what “done” means: reviewer assigned within five minutes, decision within one business day, and an audit log entry for compliance.

## Steps

1. Create a workflow from a template. Pick the closest match, then rename steps so stakeholders recognize language from your internal process doc.
2. Add a human approval step with timeout. Escalate or cancel when time expires—avoid infinite waits.
3. Connect Slack notification on success. Map channel names to environments (`#proj-approvals-staging` vs production).
4. Test in a sandbox project. Seed fake items that mirror real field shapes, including edge cases like missing optional fields.

### Data contracts

Confirm the payload your steps receive matches what integrations expect. A missing `requesterId` in test data can hide a production-only failure.

## Validation

Run dry-run executions with sample payloads before enabling for all projects. Capture logs for the first ten production runs and compare timings to your SLA.

### Rollout

Enable for a pilot team, gather feedback on wording and timeouts, then expand. Feature-flag the workflow if your platform supports gradual exposure.