Swap Auto-Approval Rules — When Swaps Skip the Queue
Swap Auto-Approval Rules
If your org has IRIS Auto-Approve enabled (Organizations → Add-ons → IRIS Auto-Approve → Auto-approve swaps), accepted swaps may complete automatically — but only when all strict-clean conditions are met.
See also: IRIS Auto-Approve setup for full configuration and backlog processing. Staff guide: What staff should expect.
Conditions that must ALL be true
A swap auto-approves only when every one of the following holds:
- Both parties (or the open-swap offerer) pass live eligibility — no rest, hours, consecutive-days, craft, scope, or overlap conflicts
- No leave on the affected shift date(s)
- The swap is within the configured Swap window (minimum notice, max horizon, optional date bounds)
- Neither party nor their stream is on the Exclusions list
- For open swaps: someone has clicked Take This Shift. If the confirmation wait is on, that pickup holds the shift and the person can undo until IRIS confirms. A second person cannot take it during the wait. A pickup that fails stays with a roster builder and does not block a later clean pickup. For direct swaps: the other person must still accept. Auto-approve runs at that moment, with no wait. The requester does not confirm again.
If any condition fails, the swap stays in Shift Deck → Approvals for your decision.
Real-time vs backlog
| Trigger | Result |
|---|---|
| Staff accept a direct swap | IRIS tries auto-approve at that moment if swaps are ON. There is no confirmation wait |
| Someone clicks Take This Shift on an open swap | If the checks pass, IRIS holds the shift for the Confirmation wait. The person can undo until then. A second person cannot take it during the wait |
| Living Roster → IRIS Auto-Approve → Run pending queue | Clears accepted swaps still waiting; direct and open swaps included |
Where to see auto-approved swaps
- Shift Deck → Activity — tagged IRIS Auto-Approved
- Organization → Logs & Audit → Activity → IRIS Auto-Approvals — full audit with CSV export
- Living Roster — swap attribution badge on affected assignments
Configuration (Org Admin)
- Organizations → your org → Add-ons tab.
- Under IRIS Auto-Approve, enable Auto-approve swaps.
- Set the Swap window (min notice, max horizon, optional not-before / not-after dates).
- Add Exclusions if specific streams, craft groups, or staff must always be manual.
- Confirmation wait is the same number as for open shifts. It applies to open-swap pickups. Direct swaps ignore it. While IRIS is confirming, the shift shows Reserved — someone is confirming when that was the last slot. Staff undo during the wait is separate from Backlog undo on a recent run.
Note: Minimum notice in Shift Swaps (same Add-ons tab) applies when staff first request a swap. The Swap window controls when IRIS may auto-approve an already-accepted swap.
Why use auto-approval
- Faster turnaround for staff. Routine swaps don't wait for you to log in.
- Less queue noise. Approvals focuses on swaps that genuinely need a decision.
- Audit trail still complete. Every auto-approved swap is logged with IRIS attribution.
Why you might NOT want auto-approval
- Tight wards where you want eyes on every roster move
- Orgs with strong fairness norms — auto-approval can drift coverage away from fair distribution
- First few months of go-live — disable until you trust the eligibility filter
Tips
- Watch IRIS Auto-Approvals for the first month. Tune the swap window up if anything slips through.
- Auto-approval is strict-clean — warnings block auto-approve; it is not a free-for-all.
- Backlog undo can revert future-dated swaps from a backlog run before publish.