Returning a delegated task

What you'll learn#

• When to return a delegated task instead of approving or rejecting it
• How to return the task to the person who delegated it
• What that person sees afterwards

What returning a task means#

When someone delegates a task to you and you can't handle it, you can return it — also known as undelegating. The task goes back to the person who delegated it to you, along with an explanation.

Returning is different from approving or rejecting:

• Approve / Reject — you're making a decision about the document. The workflow advances or ends.
• Return — you're saying "I shouldn't be the one deciding". The document doesn't progress; the task goes back to your colleague so they can handle it (or delegate to someone else).

When to return#

Typical reasons to return a delegated task:

• The wrong area of expertise — you got the task but it needs someone with different knowledge.
• Conflict of interest — the document involves you or someone close, so you shouldn't review it.
• You're also unavailable — if the person who delegated to you was going to be out, and you are too, the task needs to go back rather than sit in limbo with you.
• You think the delegation was a mistake — the original person should make the call themselves.

If the task just needs more information, use the Discussion Board to ask a question. Returning is for cases where the task shouldn't be yours at all.

Where the Return button is#

The button is only visible on tasks that were delegated to you. In My Tasks, these tasks show the amber "Delegated to you" label beneath the task name. When you open one of them:

• The right-column Action Panel shows an Undelegate button in amber (distinct from Approve's green, Reject's red, and Delegate's blue).
• If the task wasn't delegated to you, the Undelegate button won't appear at all.

There's one exception — creator-confirmation steps at the end of a workflow can't be returned. This should rarely come up in practice, since creator-confirmation tasks normally aren't delegated in the first place.

Step-by-step#

1. Open the task from My Tasks.
2. In the Action Panel on the right, click the amber Undelegate button.
   • The button highlights and a form expands below.
3. Write a comment explaining why you're returning it. The comment is required and must be at least 5 characters long.
   • Be specific: "I'm out on leave next week — please reassign to someone in the finance team" or "This conflicts with my own project — I shouldn't review it".
4. (Optional) Attach supporting files if it helps the next person understand what you looked at.
5. Click the amber Undelegate button at the bottom of the form.
6. After a moment, you're redirected back to My Tasks. The task is no longer yours.

What happens after you return#

• The task reappears in the My Tasks list of the person who originally delegated it to you. They see it with your comment.
• They can then choose to act on it themselves, or delegate it to someone else (not necessarily you).
• The document's audit history records the full chain: original assignee → delegated to you → returned → back to original. Nothing is lost.
• The document's status doesn't change — it stays in Approving.

Common questions#