AI Approval Matrix Setup

Why this workflow is useful

Without an approval matrix, teams either block everything or allow too much.

This gives you a middle path: fast where safe, strict where risk is high.

Inputs (copy/paste)

Create a note with these fields before you score approvals:

• Current workflows: list each automation flow you already run.
• High-impact actions: list any writes, deletes, external sends, or financial actions.
• Owners: one accountable person per action class.
• Rollback options: how each high-impact action can be reversed safely.

Copy/paste template

# AI Approval Matrix

## Policy
- Default mode: approvals required for high-impact actions
- Escalation owner:
- Incident contact:

## Action Classes
- Read-only research
- Draft generation
- Internal notifications
- External communications
- Data mutation
- Financial operations

## Approval Rules
- Auto-allowed:
- Human-approval required:
- Dual-approval required:
- Blocked:

## Logging Requirements
- Event name:
- Actor:
- Timestamp:
- Input summary:
- Output summary:
- Rollback path:

Definition of done

I count this workflow as complete when:

• Every action class maps to one approval rule.
• Every high-impact action has one named escalation owner.
• Every blocked action has a documented reason.
• Logging fields are defined before any automation is enabled.

Without these four checks, approval policy looks complete but still fails in production.

Failure modes + fixes

• Failure mode: "Temporary" auto-allow rules become permanent. Guardrail: Add an expiry date to every exception.
• Failure mode: Approval rules exist, but no rollback path is defined. Guardrail: Require rollback notes before enabling execution.
• Failure mode: Escalation owner is a team name, not a person. Guardrail: Use one accountable owner per high-impact class.

What to do next

• Pair this matrix with your workflow scorecard before enabling any new automation.
• If you want a production rollout plan with controls, apply here: AgentOps application.

Related free workflows

• AI Workflow Intake Scorecard
• Weekly AI Risk Review