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Overview

Controlled workflow

Self-approval is available only to explicitly permitted users, on explicitly permitted promotions. It is not a blanket permission.

Add-on feature, feature flagged

Self-approval is not available by default. It is enabled per organisation under controlled rollout. Speak to your Adclear contact about whether it’s the right fit for your team.
Self-approval is designed for a narrow use case where an organisation has determined that certain users can approve their own uploaded promotions under controlled conditions. The uploader still has to actively click approve themselves: the approval is not automatic. This ensures we always keep some level of human validation, even if it’s only one person.
This page covers the operational mechanics of self-approval. For where self-approval sits alongside other features, see the Self-Approvals entry in the Features Guide.

How it works

All of the following conditions must be satisfied for a self-approval to proceed.
Self-approval must be enabled at the organisation level. Without this, the workflow is unavailable to all users regardless of their individual permissions.
The user must be explicitly marked as a self-approver. A standard uploader cannot access this workflow unless that permission has been specifically granted.
The self-approver must also hold review permission for the relevant country or market. Self-approver status does not override jurisdiction restrictions.
The Self Approval toggle must be enabled on the specific promotion. If it is not, the self-approver flow is unavailable for that promotion regardless of user permissions.
The self-approver must be the uploader of that promotion. Self-approver permission cannot be used to review another user’s promotion.
AI review must have completed before self-approval can proceed. If AI evaluation is still running or has not started, the self-approver is blocked from reviewing.
If AI review completes and there are unresolved AI comments, the self-approver cannot proceed until those comments have been responded to. See Helping Adclear Learn for guidance on responding to AI comments effectively.

When self-approval is ineligible

If a promotion is not eligible for self-approval (for example, the product or channel isn’t configured for self-approval, or the AI evaluation has identified an issue that means it should not proceed without standard review), Adclear will surface a clear AI comment on the promotion stating that the promotion is ineligible for self-approval. In that case, the standard review workflow applies: the promotion goes to a reviewer rather than allowing the uploader to self-approve.

Platform restrictions

When the self-approver workflow is active, Adclear enforces the following hard restrictions.
RestrictionWhat it means
Self-approver role requiredOnly users explicitly configured as self-approvers can use this workflow
Jurisdiction permission still appliesThe self-approver must hold review permission for the relevant market
Own uploads onlyA self-approver can only review a promotion they uploaded themselves

Operational controls

The following is a practical baseline. It is not prescriptive: teams should adapt it to their risk appetite, regulatory context, and operating model.
1

Restrict access to grant self-approver status

Access to grant self-approver status and to enable promotion-level self-approval should sit with a restricted group, such as Compliance Admins or platform administration, rather than general users.
2

Run a regular uploader-reviewer check

A periodic review of cases where the uploader and reviewer are the same person provides a practical safeguard. This can be run as a saved report or export at a set cadence, covering both the self-approver path and the standard review path.
3

Review exceptions

Where uploader and reviewer match, confirm the case was expected under policy and appropriately authorised. Spot-checking approved content on an exception basis adds a further assurance layer.
4

Document the control

Record the control owner, review cadence, and the steps to follow if a case falls outside policy. This supports consistent governance and provides an audit trail.
A simple saved report filtered by “uploader = reviewer” reviewed at a fixed interval, monthly or quarterly depending on volume, is often sufficient as a baseline control.

Quick reference

All self-approval conditions at a glance.
ConditionRequirement
Organisation settingSelf-approval enabled at org level
User permissionUser explicitly marked as a self-approver
JurisdictionSelf-approver holds review permission for the relevant market
Promotion settingSelf Approval toggle enabled on the specific promotion
Uploader matchSelf-approver must be the uploader of that promotion
AI reviewAI evaluation must have completed
AI commentsAll AI comments must be responded to
EligibilityPromotion is not flagged by Adclear as ineligible

Feature catalog

Every Adclear feature in one place, including where self-approval sits as an add-on.

How roles work

Understand the different roles in Adclear and what each one can do.

Helping Adclear learn

How to respond to AI comments effectively and train Adclear’s agents.

Rule visibility

How Adclear turns your policies into the operational rules behind every decision.

Still need help?

Contact support at support@adclear.ai.