diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index e0c7911..00d933e 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -37,24 +37,36 @@ inputs:
     description: "URL to apprise-api endpoint (optional)"
     default: ""
 
+  repository:
+    description: "Repository name (optional, required for act testing)"
+    default: ""
+
 outputs:
   approved:
+    description: Approval result
     value: ${{ steps.wait.outputs.approved }}
 
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
-    # Detect platform
+
+    # Detect platform & repository
     - id: detect
       shell: bash
       run: |
-        URL="${{ github.server_url }}"
+        URL="${GITHUB_SERVER_URL:-${{ github.server_url }}}"
+        REPO="${{ inputs.repository }}:${{ github.repository }}"
+        if [[ -z "$REPO" ]]; then
+          echo "❌ Repository not set. Please provide inputs.repository or github.repository"
+          exit 1
+        fi
         if [[ "$URL" =~ gitea ]]; then
-            echo "platform=gitea" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "platform=gitea" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
         else
-            echo "platform=github" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "platform=github" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
         fi
         echo "api_url=${URL}/api/v1" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "repository=${REPO}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
     # Create approval issue
     - id: create-issue
@@ -73,7 +85,7 @@ runs:
 
         Please reply with a keyword on this issue."
 
-        # Proper JSON array for assignees
+        # Build JSON array of assignees
         ASSIGNEES_JSON=$(jq -nc --arg csv "$APPROVERS" '$csv | split(",")')
 
         json=$(jq -n \
@@ -86,33 +98,19 @@ runs:
           -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" \
           -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
           -d "$json" \
-          "${{ steps.detect.outputs.api_url }}/repos/${{ github.repository }}/issues")
+          "${{ steps.detect.outputs.api_url }}/repos/${{ steps.detect.outputs.repository }}/issues")
+
+        echo "Response from API: $resp"
+
+        # Extract issue number (GitHub: number, Gitea: index or id)
+        issue_number=$(echo "$resp" | jq -r '.number // .index // .id')
+        if [[ -z "$issue_number" || "$issue_number" == "null" ]]; then
+          echo "❌ Failed to create issue, response: $resp"
+          exit 1
+        fi
 
-        issue_number=$(echo "$resp" | jq -r '.number // .index')
         echo "issue=$issue_number" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
-    # Notification helper
-    - id: notify
-      shell: bash
-      if: always()
-      env:
-        APPRISE_URLS: ${{ inputs.apprise_urls }}
-        APPRISE_API: ${{ inputs.apprise_api }}
-      run: |
-        msg="$1"
-        if [[ -n "$APPRISE_URLS" ]]; then
-          IFS=',' read -r -a urls <<< "$APPRISE_URLS"
-          for u in "${urls[@]}"; do
-            apprise -b "$msg" -t "Manual Approval" "$u" || true
-          done
-        fi
-
-        if [[ -n "$APPRISE_API" ]]; then
-          curl -s -X POST "$APPRISE_API" \
-            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-            -d "{\"title\":\"Manual Approval\",\"body\":\"$msg\"}" || true
-        fi
-
     # Wait for approval with reminders
     - id: wait
       shell: bash
@@ -126,20 +124,34 @@ runs:
         DENIAL_KEYWORDS: ${{ inputs.denial_keywords }}
         REMINDER_INTERVAL: ${{ inputs.reminder_interval }}
         POLL_INTERVAL: ${{ inputs.poll_interval }}
+        APPRISE_URLS: ${{ inputs.apprise_urls }}
+        APPRISE_API: ${{ inputs.apprise_api }}
       run: |
-        # Split comma-separated inputs into Bash arrays
+        # Split inputs
         IFS=',' read -r -a approver_list <<< "$APPROVERS"
         IFS=',' read -r -a approved_kws <<< "$APPROVAL_KEYWORDS"
         IFS=',' read -r -a denied_kws <<< "$DENIAL_KEYWORDS"
 
         last_reminder=$(date +%s)
-        ISSUE_URL="${API_URL}/repos/${{ github.repository }}/issues/$ISSUE"
+        ISSUE_URL="${API_URL}/repos/${{ steps.detect.outputs.repository }}/issues/$ISSUE"
 
-        # Function to send notifications
+        # Notification function (integrated Apprise)
         notify_func() {
           msg="$1"
           echo "::notice::$msg"
-          bash $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH/notify "$msg"
+
+          if [[ -n "$APPRISE_URLS" ]]; then
+            IFS=',' read -r -a urls <<< "$APPRISE_URLS"
+            for u in "${urls[@]}"; do
+              apprise -b "$msg" -t "Manual Approval" "$u" || true
+            done
+          fi
+
+          if [[ -n "$APPRISE_API" ]]; then
+            curl -s -X POST "$APPRISE_API" \
+              -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+              -d "{\"title\":\"Manual Approval\",\"body\":\"$msg\"}" || true
+          fi
         }
 
         notify_func "Approval required on issue #$ISSUE"
@@ -215,4 +227,4 @@ runs:
           -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" \
           -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
           -d '{"state":"closed"}' \
-          "$API_URL/repos/${{ github.repository }}/issues/$ISSUE" >/dev/null || true
+          "$API_URL/repos/${{ steps.detect.outputs.repository }}/issues/$ISSUE" >/dev/null || true