A request is a question that Simply sends to a person. Workflows, flows and AI agents use requests when something needs a human decision, for example: "The customer wants the installation moved to Saturday, which costs 200 %. What should we do?"
Where requests show up
Open requests appear under Waiting for you (the speech-bubble icon next to the bell in the top bar). The number shows how many are waiting. It turns red when a deadline has passed.
Each request shows the question, a short background, the linked record and the deadline. You answer it right there:
- Choose an option. The recommended option is highlighted, and each option can say what happens next.
- Yes / no
- A written answer, either instead of the options or as the only way to answer.
- A small form, for example a new date and a price.
You can also give the request to someone else with a comment, and see its history (earlier questions and answers).
If several requests have the same options, tick them and answer them in one go.
Requests to a group
A request can go to a group. Everyone in the group sees it, and the first answer counts. If a colleague has already answered, you see "Already answered by … at …" and the request disappears.
Deadline and maximum wait
A request can have a deadline. When it passes, the request expires and whatever asked is told that nobody answered.
If no deadline is set, the maximum wait applies. You find it under Settings → Configuration Editor → Maximum wait for a person's answer (days). The default is 30 days, so nothing waits forever.
Asking in a flow: the "Ask a person" step
In a flow workflow, click + under a step and choose Ask a person. Set:
- Ask: the record's owner, a user or a group.
- Answer: Yes / No, Choose an option, Written answer, or Question and options from the previous step (AI).
- Question and background. Write
$fieldnameto insert a field of the record. - Options (for Choose an option). Mark one as recommended, and tick Also allow a written answer if needed.
- Deadline (hours). Empty uses the maximum wait.
Each answer becomes its own path out of the step: one per option (plus Other answer), or Yes / No, and always No answer in time and Cancelled. Connect each path to what should happen next, then click Publish.
Letting AI ask
- An AI action in a flow has the extra output Needs a person. Connect it to an Ask a person step: the step then uses Question and options from the previous step (AI), so the AI writes the question and the options, and you only choose who is asked and the deadline.
- AI agents can ask a colleague on their own, wait for the answer and then continue with it. The answer is added to the record as a comment.
Asking from a classic workflow
Add the action Create request. Choose who to ask, the question, the answer type, the options (one per line: key | label | what happens next, with * in front of the recommended one) and an optional deadline. To react to the answer, create a workflow on Notifications with the condition Kind = Request and Status changed to Answered.
Example
Approving a price change. A flow on quotes has an Ask a person step for the sales manager: "Discount above 20 % on quote $quote_no. Approve?" with Yes / No and a 24-hour deadline. Yes goes on to Send email with the quote; No and No answer in time create a task for the salesperson.