diff --git a/docs/2-handbook/swarm/ui.md b/docs/2-handbook/swarm/ui.md
index 48a7b8c04..a6c744c21 100644
--- a/docs/2-handbook/swarm/ui.md
+++ b/docs/2-handbook/swarm/ui.md
@@ -607,9 +607,9 @@ and base branch, and what a reviewer or merger filters on:
   rule asks for (`1/2`). An approval counts when it stands as the reviewer's latest
   decision, on the PR's current head, neither stale nor dismissed, and from a
   reviewer whose approval the rule accepts. A reviewer whose latest review asks for changes shows **changes
-  requested**.
-- **approved**: the approvals meet the rule. A PR into a branch with no
-  protection rule has nothing to approve, so it counts as approved.
+  requested**. Filter the column to **complete** for the PRs whose approvals meet
+  the rule, or **missing** for the rest. A PR into a branch with no protection
+  rule has nothing to approve, so it counts as complete.
 - **diff**: the lines the PR adds and removes (`+120 −8`), as the forge counts them.
 - **conflicts**: the forge can't merge the PR as it stands.
 - **protected base**: the base branch has a protection rule. A stacked PR targets a
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/PrReportPage.tsx b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/PrReportPage.tsx
index 77a2870bc..089c95f23 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/PrReportPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/PrReportPage.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import {
   approvalsText,
   diffSize,
   diffText,
-  hasAllApprovals,
+  approvalsState,
   prReportUrl,
   yesNo,
   type PrReportRow,
@@ -125,14 +125,7 @@ const COLUMNS: TableColumn<PrReportRow>[] = [
       </>
     ),
     sortBy: (r) => r.approvals,
-  },
-  {
-    key: "approved",
-    header: "approved",
-    render: (r) =>
-      hasAllApprovals(r) ? <Badge tone="positive" value="yes" /> : "no",
-    sortBy: (r) => Number(hasAllApprovals(r)),
-    filterValues: (r) => [yesNo(hasAllApprovals(r))],
+    filterValues: (r) => [approvalsState(r)],
     filterMode: "multiselect",
   },
   {
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/pr-report.ts b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/pr-report.ts
index 6b8e8556c..c3d82e49b 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/pr-report.ts
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/pr-report.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ export function hasAllApprovals(row: PrReportRow): boolean {
   return row.approvals >= row.required_approvals;
 }
 
+/** What the approvals column filters on: whether the PR has all the approvals
+ * its base branch asks for. */
+export function approvalsState(row: PrReportRow): "complete" | "missing" {
+  return hasAllApprovals(row) ? "complete" : "missing";
+}
+
 /** The diff size cell: lines added and removed, `+120 −8`. A count the forge
  * did not give reads as a dash. */
 export function diffText(row: PrReportRow): string {
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/pr-report.test.mjs b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/pr-report.test.mjs
index a39648a27..658a3defd 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/pr-report.test.mjs
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/pr-report.test.mjs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import { test } from "node:test";
 import {
+  approvalsState,
   approvalsText,
   diffSize,
   diffText,
@@ -78,3 +79,18 @@ test("a PR has all approvals when it meets the rule, and an unprotected base alw
     true,
   );
 });
+
+test("the approvals column filters on whether the rule is met", () => {
+  assert.equal(approvalsState(row({})), "missing");
+  assert.equal(approvalsState(row({ approvals: 2 })), "complete");
+  assert.equal(
+    approvalsState(
+      row({
+        targets_protected_branch: false,
+        required_approvals: 0,
+        approvals: 0,
+      }),
+    ),
+    "complete",
+  );
+});