How to get identity-verified approval on a Markdown document

To get real sign-off on a Markdown document, bind the approval to the exact wording — a content hash — from a verified identity, and invalidate it automatically when the text changes. That’s what Seal’s hosted approval workflow does for specs, PRDs, and policies written in Markdown. Your agent or editor writes the .md file; Seal is the review layer that records who approved which exact words, in which order, with an audit log you can export. Here’s how it works and how to set it up.

Why doesn’t “LGTM in Slack” count as an approval?

Because it leaves no record of who approved which exact wording. A thumbs-up in Slack or a “looks good” in email points at a document that keeps changing after the fact — six weeks later nobody can say whether the approved version contained the paragraph in dispute. A proper document sign-off needs three things a chat message can’t give you: the approver’s verified identity, the exact content they consented to, and automatic invalidation when that content changes.

How does Seal bind an approval to the exact wording?

Every approval is bound to the content_hash of the document version the approver read, and the approver gives explicit “I approve this exact wording” consent. The approval doesn’t point at a filename or a conversation — it points at the bytes. Identity starts at a verified email; higher tiers add SSO and WebAuthn step-up so the sign-off is non-repudiable. Every event lands in an append-only, hash-chained audit log, exportable as JSON and PDF — an internal control, not a legal e-signature.

How do staged approval workflows work?

When you create a review at /new you pick a mode: simple review (comments and suggestions, no gate — free) or approval workflow. A workflow is a series of stages that run sequentially or in parallel. Each stage has named approvers and a quorum — all must sign, or any one is enough. People who should weigh in without signing off go on a separate comment-only reviewers list. Activating the workflow notifies the stage-1 approvers, and you can switch modes later without losing anything. Approval workflows are on the Team and Compliance tiers — see pricing.

How do you set up an approval workflow, step by step?

Set up the approval workflow. Create a review at www.sealmd.net/new and choose Approval workflow mode. Define stages that run sequentially or in parallel, name the approvers for each stage, and set the stage quorum to all or any. People who should comment but not sign off go on a separate reviewers list. Activating the workflow notifies the stage-1 approvers.
Invite approvers and reviewers. Add people by email at setup, or @-mention @email@domain.com in any comment to send an invite scoped to that document. Each person gets a role lens (Legal & Compliance, Risk, Engineering, GTM, Money Movement, General) that keys their AI summary and change brief.
Approve the exact wording. Each approver signs in and gives explicit "I approve this exact wording" consent to the document version they read.
Handle staleness when the document changes. When an edit lands, existing approvals go stale; each approver re-approves from their change brief. When the workflow completes, export the audit log.

What happens if the document changes after approval?

The approval goes stale automatically. Because each approval is bound to the content hash of the exact wording approved, any edit invalidates it. Approvers see a change brief covering what changed since they last approved, then re-approve — no one has to re-read the whole document or notice the edit themselves. This is the property Slack, email, and shared docs all lack: staleness is enforced by the system, not by someone remembering to ask again.

Can an AI agent approve a document?

Never. Approval is a verified-human browser action. Agents can publish versions, read feedback, and reply to comments over MCP, but no seal_approve tool exists — deliberately — and no API token scope can grant approval. If your agent drafts the document, it can publish and revise over MCP while the humans hold the approval gate.

Is this a legal e-signature?

No. Seal approvals are an internal control: identity-verified consent bound to a content hash, backed by an exportable audit log. The export is explicitly labeled as an internal control, not a legal-grade signature. If you need higher assurance, the Compliance tier adds external anchoring (RFC-3161) and WebAuthn non-repudiation.

Who counts as a paid seat?

Only authors count toward paid seats, and reviewers are free on every tier. Team and Compliance are flat-priced, so approvers don’t add per-seat cost. The approval workflow itself is on the Team and Compliance tiers; simple review is free.

Start an approval workflow →See pricing