Skip to page contentSkip to chat
ServiceNow support
    • Community
      Ask questions, give advice, and connect with fellow ServiceNow professionals.
      Developer
      Build, test, and deploy applications
      Documentation
      Find detailed information about ServiceNow products, apps, features, and releases.
      Impact
      Accelerate ROI and amplify your expertise.
      Learning
      Build skills with instructor-led and online training.
      Partner
      Grow your business with promotions, news, and marketing tools
      ServiceNow
      Learn about ServiceNow products & solutions.
      Store
      Download certified apps and integrations that complement ServiceNow.
      Support
      Manage your instances, access self-help, and get technical support.
Incoming approval emails with subject containing "requires your approval/rejection" get rejected - Support and Troubleshooting
  • >
  • Knowledge Base
  • >
  • Support and Troubleshooting (Knowledge Base)
  • >
  • Incoming approval emails with subject containing "requires your approval/rejection" get rejected
KB0635947

Incoming approval emails with subject containing "requires your approval/rejection" get rejected


2030 Views Last updated : Oct 27, 2022 public Copy Permalink
KB Summary by Now Assist

Issue

Incoming approval emails with subject containing "requires your approval/rejection" are rejected

If the subject text of an incoming email to be approved contains "requires your approval/rejection", the email inbound action for approval rejects the associated approval record.

 
Symptoms: Some approval records that you expect to be approved are rejected, for example, if the responder types "Approved" in the body of the email.

 

Note: Inbound emails for approval needs to have a matching watermark in the email body or subject

Release

All

Cause

If a request for approval is sent and the notification contains "requires your approval/rejection" in the subject text, when the person replies, the subject containing "rejection" matches a search for "reject", which causes the approval record to be rejected.

Note: Email body has precedence to the email subject on the approval inbound action

Resolution

Subject containsBody containsApproval result
Email 1approve approved
Email 2reject rejected
Email 3 approvedignored
Email 4 state: approveapproved
Email 5 state: rejectrejected
Email 6approve state: reject rejected 
Email 7rejectstate: approve approved 
Email 8reject approved rejected 
Email 9Approved ignored

 

The simplest solution is to change the outbound email notification to avoid subjects containing the words "approved" or "reject".

To fix the response email to approve the record, put "state: approve" in the body, retaining the watermark from the approval email, or replace the subject with either approve or reject (case sensitive).

Note: Adding "Approved" in the email response body is not enough. The body text needs to say "state: approve" or "state: reject" or contain either approve or reject in the subject. A watermark in the incoming email is ALWAYS required for approval records.


The world works with ServiceNow.

Sign in for more! There's more content available only to authenticated users Sign in for more!
Did this KB article help you?
Did this KB article help you?

How would you rate your Now Support digital experience?

*

Very unsatisfied

Unsatisfied

Neutral

Satisfied

Very satisfied

Very unsatisfied

Unsatisfied

Neutral

Satisfied

Very satisfied

What can we improve? Please select all that apply.

What are we doing well? Please select all that apply.

Tell us more

*

Do you expect a response from this feedback?

  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy statement
  • GDPR
  • Cookie policy
  • © 2025 ServiceNow. All rights reserved.