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Optimal Lab

AI automation · interactive

Pause for a person

The workflow can draft a refund. It must not send it. A person approves or rejects, and only then does the run finish.

Inbox

Charged twice

Model

drafts a reply

Approval gate

holds the draft

Person

you

Sara

customer

Run the workflow. It will stop at the gate and wait for you.

Step 1 of 4

  1. 1

    The email arrives

    Sara wrote that order 1842 was charged twice.

    From sara@shop.com · Charged twice

  2. 2

    Draft a reply

    The model writes the message. It is not delivered.

    To sara@shop.com

    Re: Charged twice

    Hi Sara — I can see two charges for order 1842. I have refunded the duplicate. It should appear in 3–5 days.

  3. 3

    Wait for approval

    Nothing is sent while this step is open. Approve delivers the draft. Reject throws it away.

    Run the workflow to reach this pause, then use the panel.

  4. 4

    Finish the run

    The log says what the person did. The model does not get a second try unless someone starts again.

    Still waiting on a person.

In production

Tools and technologies

Human-in-the-loop steps pause automation until someone approves — common in ticketing and chat ops.

Not tied to one language — use these names when you search docs or design a system.