Human intervention: What it means and why it matters

Nowadays, everything is getting automated, but before you assume that humans are no longer needed, think again. Automation and AI can work together to make decisions based on user behavior and preferences.

However, what if, before making a decision, you need approval from a human perspective? In such cases, you need to incorporate a human step into your automated workflows.

That's where the Human Intervention feature comes in to fulfill your need. Human Intervention allows you to build thoughtful checkpoints into your workflows, enabling your team to review and approve content, make edits, or add data at key moments before the automated process continues.

To learn how to leverage the best of both worlds—AI efficiency combined with human wisdom—keep reading.

What is Human Intervention?

Human intervention is a built in tool in viaSocket— that allows humans to step into an automated workflow at key points to make decisions, provide input, or approve actions before the automation continues.

In simpler terms: instead of letting a workflow run completely on autopilot, Human intervention pauses the automation so a person can review, approve, or add information, ensuring critical decisions are handled correctly.

Even better, you can send the data for review through email, Slack, or WhatsApp Business Cloud — whichever works best for your team.

Examples:

1. A flow collects customer feedback but pauses so a manager can review comments before they are published.
2. An automated expense report submission waits for an accountant to confirm receipts are correct before payment is processed.
3. AI-generated content is drafted automatically but needs a human editor to approve it before it’s published.

Why “Human Intervention” Matters

Fully automated workflows are fast, but not always perfect. Keeping a human in the loop adds balance and safety.

Here’s why it matters:

• Prevents costly mistakes — Human review catches errors before they go live.
• Adds quality control — Ensures outputs meet standards or brand tone.
• Brings accountability — Keeps people responsible for key decisions.
• Handles exceptions — Humans can handle unusual cases that automation can’t predict.

Automation should enhance human capability, not replace it.

How viaSocket enables “Human intervention” workflows

viaSocket is known for automating thousands of apps — from Gmail and Slack to Google Sheets and Notion — but it also gives you ways to pause, wait for human input, and continue automatically after.

You can add approval steps
• Use Slack, Gmail, or Whatsapp Business Cloud to send approval messages.
• Example: “Click ✅ to approve or ❌ to reject.”
• Based on the response, viaSocket can either continue or stop the workflow.

Real-World Examples

1. Content Approval Workflow

• A writer uploads an article draft to Google Docs.
• viaSocket sends the document to the editor on Slack.
• The editor reviews it and reacts with ✅.
• viaSocket then publishes the approved article to WordPress.

2. Customer Refund Review

• A customer submits a refund form.
• viaSocket routes the request to the finance team via Gmail.
• A manager clicks “Approve” in the email.
• viaSocket automatically processes the refund and updates the accounting sheet.

3. Candidate Hiring Workflow

• Applicant submits details via Typeform.
• viaSocket sends the details to the HR team’s Slack channel.
• HR reviews and clicks “Proceed.”
• The candidate’s info is automatically added to the HR system.

Each of these examples shows how human judgment adds reliability to automated flows.

When to use Human internvention

You don’t need humans in every step — just where it makes sense.
Use Human intervention when:

• Decisions require subjective judgment or creativity.
• Data accuracy and compliance are crucial.
• You’re managing sensitive information or approvals.
• Exceptions or edge cases frequently occur.

If your automation can’t make the call, that’s your cue to bring a human in.

How to get started with Human intervention

Ready to add human oversight to your workflows? Log in to viaSocket and open your workflow panel.

First, set up your trigger step. Choose the app and event that will start your workflow, along with any actions you want to occur before the Human Intervention step.

When you’re ready, add a new action and select Human Intervention as the next step.

Next, choose how to send your review requests. You can send them via email, Slack, or WhatsApp Business Cloud.

Finally, configure the step by filling in all the required fields. The workflow will then continue based on the reviewer’s response, taking the appropriate action automatically.

Add the human touch to automation with viaSocket

Automation doesn’t have to mean removing people from the process.
With Human intervention workflows in viaSocket, you can strike the perfect balance between speed and accuracy — letting automation handle the busy work while humans stay in charge of critical moments.

It’s not about replacing humans.
It’s about empowering them to do their best work — smarter, faster, and with confidence.