# How to approve a swap

**For:** Manager | Admin
**You'll need:** A swap offer with status **'Pending approval'** and at least one application.

Approving a swap is the moment the shift actually changes hands. {{ app_name }} re-checks the rules one last time, then moves the assignment.

## Approve

1. Open **Planning → 'Manage swaps'** and click the **'Pending approval'** offer.
2. Review the applications. For a 1:1 swap, check the shift each applicant is offering in return.
3. On the application you want, click **'Approve'**.

## What happens

- The shift moves to the chosen applicant. For a **1:1 swap**, their offered shift moves back to the original person at the same time — both in one step.
- The offer's status becomes **'Approved'**, and the chosen application is marked **'Selected'**.
- Any other applications on the offer are declined, and everyone involved — the original owner, the new owner, and anyone who missed out — gets an email.

```{warning}
{{ app_name }} re-validates at approval: qualification, availability, no double-booking, and the period lock. If the shift has since been locked or an applicant is no longer eligible, approval is blocked. If your overtime rule is set to **'Block approval'**, a swap that would push someone over their work-time limits can't be approved.
```

## Verify it worked

The offer reloads with an **'Approved'** badge. Open the shift and you'll see the new assignee; for a 1:1 swap, the return shift now belongs to the original owner.

## Related

- {doc}`reject-a-swap`
- {doc}`review-the-swap-queue`
- {doc}`/settings-and-admin/company-settings/swaps`