User Approval Workflows

Summary

Configure manual approval workflows to review and moderate new user registrations before granting access. Perfect for membership sites, corporate environments, and communities requiring user vetting.

Step 1: Enable User Approval

1. Navigate to Users → Attributes User Access → Settings
2. Click on Registration tab
3. Enable “Require Admin Approval for New Users”
4. Configure approval settings:
   • Auto-approve verified emails – Bypass approval for certain domains
   • Approval timeout – Auto-reject after X days
   • Notify admins – Send email on new registrations
5. Save settings

Step 2: Configure Approval Workflow

Approval Process Steps

1. User Registers – Fills out registration form
2. Pending Status – User account created with “pending” status
3. Admin Notification – Designated admins receive email alert
4. Admin Review – Review registration details and user data
5. Approval/Rejection – Admin approves or rejects application
6. User Notification – User receives approval/rejection email
7. Access Granted – Approved users can log in

Step 3: Managing Pending Users

Access the user approval dashboard:

1. Go to Users → Pending Approvals
2. View list of pending user registrations
3. Review columns:
   • Username and email
   • Registration date
   • Registration form used
   • Custom field data
   • IP address and location

Bulk Actions

• ✅ Approve Selected – Approve multiple users at once
• ❌ Reject Selected – Reject and optionally delete
• 📧 Email Selected – Send message to pending users
• 🗑️ Delete Selected – Remove user accounts

Step 4: Approve/Reject Individual Users

Reviewing a User Application

1. Click on username in Pending Approvals list
2. Review registration information:
   • Profile details and custom fields
   • Registration timestamp
   • IP address and geolocation
   • Previous registration attempts
3. Check for suspicious indicators:
   • Invalid or suspicious email addresses
   • Incomplete or nonsensical information
   • Known spam patterns
   • Duplicate accounts

Approving a User

1. Click Approve User button
2. Optional: Modify user role before approval
3. Optional: Add admin notes for record-keeping
4. Optional: Customize approval email message
5. Click Confirm Approval
6. User receives approval email with login instructions

Rejecting a User

1. Click Reject User button
2. Select rejection reason from dropdown or enter custom message
3. Choose action:
   • Keep as pending – Can be reviewed again later
   • Delete account – Permanently remove user
   • Block email/IP – Prevent future registrations
4. Optional: Send rejection email to user
5. Click Confirm Rejection

Step 5: Configure Automated Email Notifications

Admin Notification Email

Customize the email sent to administrators:

Subject: New User Registration Awaiting Approval

Dear {admin_name},

A new user has registered and requires approval:

Username: {user_login}
Email: {user_email}
Registration Date: {registration_date}
Name: {user_first_name} {user_last_name}

Custom Fields:
{custom_field_data}

Review and approve: {approval_url}

Best regards,
{site_name}

User Pending Email

Email sent to users after registration:

Subject: Registration Received - Awaiting Approval

Dear {user_first_name},

Thank you for registering at {site_name}.

Your registration has been received and is currently under review. 
You will receive another email once your account has been approved.

This process typically takes 1-2 business days.

If you have questions, please contact us at {admin_email}.

Best regards,
{site_name}

Approval Confirmation Email

Subject: Account Approved - Welcome to {site_name}

Dear {user_first_name},

Great news! Your account has been approved.

You can now log in at: {login_url}

Username: {user_login}

If you forgot your password, use the password reset link on the login page.

Welcome to our community!

Best regards,
{site_name}

Step 6: Set Up Auto-Approval Rules

Configure automatic approval for trusted sources:

Email Domain Whitelist

1. Go to Settings → Approval Rules
2. Add trusted email domains:

   // Auto-approve these domains
   @company.com
   @university.edu
   @partner-organization.org
   

3. Users with these email domains automatically approved after email verification

IP Address Whitelist

• Auto-approve registrations from company IP ranges
• Useful for corporate intranets and office locations
• Add IP ranges or specific addresses

Step 7: Approval Workflow Customization

Custom Approval Criteria

Use hooks to implement custom approval logic:

// Auto-approve based on custom criteria
add_filter('attrua_auto_approve_user', function($auto_approve, $user_data) {
    // Auto-approve if referred by existing member
    if (!empty($user_data['referral_code'])) {
        $referrer = get_user_by_referral_code($user_data['referral_code']);
        if ($referrer && user_is_active($referrer)) {
            return true;
        }
    }
    
    // Auto-approve premium subscribers
    if ($user_data['subscription_level'] === 'premium') {
        return true;
    }
    
    return $auto_approve;
}, 10, 2);

Multi-Step Approval Process

Require multiple approvers for sensitive environments:

// Require two admin approvals
add_filter('attrua_approval_required_count', function($count) {
    return 2; // Require 2 approvals
}, 10, 1);

// Notify specific admins based on user data
add_filter('attrua_approval_notifiers', function($admins, $user_data) {
    // Route to department manager based on user's department
    if ($user_data['department'] === 'Engineering') {
        return [get_user_by_email('engineering-manager@company.com')];
    }
    return $admins;
}, 10, 2);

Step 8: Reporting & Analytics

Track approval metrics:

Available Reports

• 📊 Pending Count – Current users awaiting approval
• ✅ Approval Rate – Percentage of approved vs. rejected
• ⏱️ Average Approval Time – How long reviews take
• 📈 Registration Trends – New registrations over time
• ❌ Rejection Reasons – Common rejection patterns

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• ✅ Respond to pending approvals within 24-48 hours
• ✅ Set up email notifications for multiple admins
• ✅ Document approval criteria for consistency
• ✅ Use auto-approval rules for trusted sources
• ✅ Keep rejection reasons professional and clear
• ✅ Regularly review and clean up old pending accounts
• ✅ Monitor approval metrics to optimize process