# Choose a substitute and people in copy

> In Weplanify, a substitute approves instead of an absent, silent or missing approver; people in copy follow every request and decision without approving.

- Product: Weplanify (https://weplanify.io)
- Section: Approvals & automations
- Web page: https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.remplacant?lang=en
- Other language: https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.remplacant.md
- Last updated: 2026-09-30

In Weplanify, the **For the whole circuit** part sets what applies to every step: the substitute, the people in copy and not asking the same person twice. It sits under the steps of each [circuit](https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.circuit?lang=en).

![The For the whole circuit part: don't ask twice, substitute, in copy](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/weplanify/o/docs%2Fvalidations%2Fmaj-2026-09-28%2Fva-pour-tout-1084a126.webp?alt=media&token=a7411ad7-0bad-48be-937d-e35323b1d746)

## Steps

1. Open the circuit: a form's **Validation** tab, the leave **Approval circuit**, or **Settings → Approvals**.
2. In **Substitute**, choose the person who approves instead of an absent, departed or missing approver (employee without a manager).
3. In **In copy**, add the people who see every request and decision, without approving.
4. Leave **Don't ask the same person twice** on: an approver present at several steps approves only once.
5. Click **Save**.

## Good to know

- The substitute also takes over when an approver does not answer in time, if the step says so: see [remind an approver](https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.relances?lang=en).
- The **The employee's manager** choice shows how many employees have no manager: their requests go to the substitute. The best fix is still to fill in the manager on the [employee record](https://weplanify.io/docs/employes.fiche?lang=en).
- To check who will approve: [test the circuit](https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.tester?lang=en).

## Related guides

- [Configure an approval circuit](https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.circuit?lang=en) — In Weplanify, build the approval steps of a leave request, an expense, an advance or a form: the order, the name, the approver and when each step applies.
- [Remind an approver who does not answer](https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.relances?lang=en) — In Weplanify, automatically remind a silent approver, then hand the request to the substitute or move on to the next step after a delay you choose.
- [The employee record](https://weplanify.io/docs/employes.fiche?lang=en) — In Weplanify, the employee record brings together everything about a person in five tabs, with sections that you edit one at a time, separately.
- [Test an approval circuit before using it](https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.tester?lang=en) — In Weplanify, pick an employee and describe a request (duration, site, amount) to see, step by step, who will approve it, without sending anything.
- [Choose who approves a step of the circuit](https://weplanify.io/docs/validations.responsable?lang=en) — In Weplanify, choose who approves a step: the manager, the head of a site or a department, specific people, or a different person depending on rules.