---
title: "The {approval_status} Merge Tag"
date: 2026-04-23
author: "GravityKit"
link: "https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/entry-approval/approvalstatus-merge-tag/"
---

In GravityView, entries have three approval options:

- "Approved": The entry has been approved
- "Disapproved": The entry has not been approved
- "Unapproved": The entry has not yet been reviewed

You can display the status using the `{approval_status}` Merge Tag (added in GravityView 1.18). It will, by default, display the label of the approval status.

What does "disapproved" mean? It means the entry is rejected. The word "reject*"* sounds harsh, so we use "disapprove" instead. Words have meaning!

## Using the `{approval_status}` Merge Tag in a Custom Content field.

### Approved entry:

`{approval_status:label}` outputs "Approved"  
 `{approval_status:value}` outputs "1"

### Disapproved entry:

`{approval_status:label}` outputs "Disapproved"  
 `{approval_status:value}` outputs "2"

### Unapproved entry (not yet reviewed):

`{approval_status:label}` outputs "Unapproved"  
 `{approval_status:value}` outputs "3"

## Using the Merge Tag with the [`[gvlogic]`](/article/252-gvlogic-shortcode) shortcode

If you would like to show content based on the approval status, you can.

```
[gvlogic if="{approval_status:value}" is="1"] 
This entry has been approved by the mission commander! 
[/gvlogic]

[gvlogic if="{approval_status:value}" is="3"] 
This entry has not been moderated. Ping headquarters!
[/gvlogic]
```

```
[gvlogic if="{approval_status:value}" is="1"] 
This entry has been approved by the mission commander! 
[/gvlogic]

[gvlogic if="{approval_status:value}" is="3"] 
This entry has not been moderated. Ping headquarters!
[/gvlogic]
```

Note: The `{approval_status}` Merge Tag will not work in a Custom Content widget.