Building Approval Workflows in SharePoint

The Need for Approval Workflows

Approval workflows automate the review and approval of documents, requests, and content in SharePoint. From simple manager approvals to complex multi-department reviews, workflows ensure proper oversight while reducing manual effort.

Approval Workflow Options

Built-In Approvals

Content Approval

• Native SharePoint feature
• Simple approve/reject
• No Power Automate needed
• Limited customization

Enable Content Approval

• Library Settings
• Versioning settings
• Require content approval: Yes
• Draft item security: Choose option

Power Automate Approvals

Advantages

• Flexible approval routing
• Custom notifications
• Multi-stage approvals
• Integration with other systems
• Detailed tracking

Approval Actions

• Start and wait for an approval
• Create an approval
• Wait for an approval
• Respond to approval request

Simple Approval Workflow

Single Approver

Scenario

Document uploaded → Manager reviews → Approved/Rejected

Flow Design

```

Trigger: When a file is created (SharePoint)

Action: Start and wait for an approval

• Approval type: Approve/Reject - First to respond
• Title: Please review: [File Name]
• Assigned to: [email protected]
• Details: Link to document
• Item link: File URL

Condition: Outcome equals 'Approve'

Yes: Update file properties (Status = Approved)

No: Update file properties (Status = Rejected)

Send email notification to author

```

Implementation Steps

• Create the flow
• Go to Power Automate
• Create > Automated cloud flow
• Trigger: SharePoint - When a file is created

• Configure approval
• Add "Start and wait for an approval"
• Select approval type
• Set assignee
• Add document details

• Handle outcome
• Add condition for approval outcome
• Configure approved actions
• Configure rejected actions

Multi-Stage Approvals

Sequential Approval

Scenario

Document → Manager → Director → VP → Approved

Flow Design

```

Trigger: When a file is created

Stage 1: Start approval - Manager

If Rejected: End (notify author)

If Approved: Continue

Stage 2: Start approval - Director

If Rejected: End (notify author)

If Approved: Continue

Stage 3: Start approval - VP

If Rejected: End (notify author)

If Approved: Update status, notify all

```

Parallel Approval

Scenario

Document needs approval from multiple departments simultaneously

Configuration

• Approval type: Approve/Reject - Everyone must approve
• Assigned to: Multiple users
• All must approve for success

Flow Design

```

Trigger: When a file is created

Action: Start and wait for an approval

• Type: Everyone must approve
• Assigned to: Legal, Finance, Compliance

Condition: All approved

Yes: Mark as approved

No: Mark as rejected, identify who rejected

```

Conditional Routing

Amount-Based Routing

Scenario

Expense reports routed based on amount

Logic

```

If Amount < $1,000

→ Manager approval only

Else if Amount < $10,000

→ Manager + Director

Else

→ Manager + Director + VP

```

Implementation

Use conditions to check amount, then branch to appropriate approval chain.

Department-Based Routing

Scenario

Route to correct department head based on document type

Logic

```

If Department = "Marketing"

→ Marketing Director

Else if Department = "Sales"

→ Sales Director

Else if Department = "IT"

→ IT Director

```

Implementation

Use Switch control to route based on metadata.

Approval Features

Custom Responses

Beyond Approve/Reject

• Custom response options
• Approve with conditions
• Escalate
• Request more information

Configuration

```

Approval type: Custom Responses

Response options: Approve, Reject, Need More Info, Escalate

```

Attachments and Details

Rich Approval Requests

• Attach document directly
• Include key metadata
• Add context/instructions
• Link back to source

Timeouts and Reminders

Handling Delays

```

Approval timeout: 7 days

If no response:

• Send reminder at day 3
• Send reminder at day 5
• Escalate at day 7

```

Implementation

Use parallel branches with delays and conditions to check approval status.

SharePoint Integration

Updating Document Status

After Approval

```powershell

Action: Update file properties

• Status: Approved
• Approved By: [Approver Name]
• Approved Date: [Current Date]

```

Triggering on Status Change

Start on Submit

```

Trigger: When an item is modified

Condition: Status equals "Submitted for Review"

Then: Start approval workflow

```

Content Type Workflows

Attach to Content Type

• Specific document types trigger specific workflows
• Consistent process by content category
• Automatic routing based on metadata

Governance

Approval Audit Trail

Track Everything

• Who approved/rejected
• When decision made
• Comments provided
• Document version at approval

Implementation

Create an "Approval History" list to log all approval events.

Delegation

Handling Absences

• Configure out-of-office delegates
• Manual reassignment capability
• Escalation to backup approver

SLA Monitoring

Track Performance

• Time to approval
• Approval rates
• Bottleneck identification
• Compliance metrics

Best Practices

Design Principles

Keep It Simple

• Minimize approval stages
• Clear escalation paths
• Reasonable timeouts
• User-friendly notifications

Clear Communication

• Descriptive approval titles
• Sufficient context in requests
• Clear instructions
• Outcome notifications

Error Handling

Build Resilience

• Handle missing approvers
• Graceful timeout handling
• Clear error notifications
• Retry logic where appropriate

Testing

Before Production

• Test with all approval paths
• Verify timeout behavior
• Check notification content
• Test edge cases
• Get user feedback

Common Patterns

Document Approval

Standard Pattern

• Author submits document
• Approver reviews
• Approved: Published
• Rejected: Returned for revision

Request Approval

Request Pattern

• Requester submits form
• Routing based on type/amount
• Approval chain executes
• Outcome triggers fulfillment

Content Publishing

Publishing Pattern

• Content author drafts
• Reviewer approves content
• Publisher schedules release
• Content goes live

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Approval Stuck

• Check approver availability
• Verify email delivery
• Check timeout configuration
• Review flow run history

Wrong Approver

• Verify routing logic
• Check group membership
• Review condition evaluation

Notifications Not Received

• Check spam folders
• Verify email addresses
• Review notification configuration
• Check Outlook rules

Conclusion

Effective approval workflows balance governance requirements with user experience. By leveraging Power Automate's approval capabilities and following best practices, organizations can automate approval processes while maintaining proper oversight and audit trails.

Ready to automate your approval processes? Contact our automation specialists for workflow design and implementation services.