Approve Firm and Final messages

Where it lives

Open Activity → Approvals. The heading counts messages waiting. The panel says Firm and Final — and any wording that names legal action, court, or enforcement — always wait here for a human press before they send.

What always waits

• Every step with Firm or Final tone. On the Workflow step form the hold checkbox is forced on and disabled. Settings → Reminder defaults only chooses whether new Friendly and Standard steps start held.
• Free-type edits that hit the threat list (legal action, court, enforcement, and similar). Those need one extra confirm, and the confirm is logged.

How to approve

1. Read the full message on the card — approving never hides the body. The queue note says “Queued · sends in the next run once approved.”
2. Press Approve & send for that card.
3. Or press Full draft to edit subject/body, then send the edited version (extra confirm if the threat list hits).
4. Or press Don't send to refuse it.
5. When more than one is waiting, Approve both or Approve all N is offered. Bulk is not a way around reading legal-rung wording — use the single-card path when a body names court or enforcement.

Expected result

The flash is “Approved — it will send in the next delivery run” (or “Edited version approved…”). The row leaves Approvals. Delivery still re-checks payment, dispute, suppressions, quiet hours, and mailbox readiness. Approval is not a socket send and not a licence to threaten.

If a message stays in Approvals

• Nobody has pressed Approve & send or Don't send.
• A lexicon confirm is still open on Full draft.
• After approve, check Sent Log if the next run held it for another reason (mailbox, cap, paid, reply hold).

What this is not

• Not optional for Firm/Final. Not “when approval is enabled.”
• Not approval routing — there is no live “who must approve” setting.
• Not a debt-collection licence and not legal advice.
• Not an excuse to add threat language. The hold exists so a human stops that wording.