How to Create Your First Approval Process in Salesforce

What is Approval Process in Salesforce?

Salesforce approval process is an automated process which automated way of submitting a record for approval. An approval process is a combination of steps for a record to be approved and the person has to approve it each step. A step can apply to all the records to that object or just record that meets the certain criteria. An approval process also specifies the action to take when a record is approved, rejected, recalled or first submitted for approval. An Approval process is triggered when the user clicks on “Submit for approval button”.

How Does Approval Process Work?

• Automatically submit the record for approval on the basis of criteria.
• Automatically select who is the next Approver.
• Approve / Reject the record.
• Create a Task
• Send an email
• Update a field on the object.
• Send outbound messages

Navigation to Approval Process

Setup=> Build=>Create =>Workflow& Approvals =>Approval Processes.

Multi-Steps for the Approval Process in Salesforce 

1. Selecting Approval wizard
2. Enter name, unique name and description.
3. Select Criteria for Entering Process.
4. Specify Approver Field and Record Editability.
5. Select Email Notification Template.
6. Configure Approval Request Page Selecting Approval wizard Layout.
7. Specify Initial submitters.
8. Activate the approval process

Choose Object on which object you want to perform approval process Choose a process type

There are two types of approval process one is jump start wizard and another one is a standard setup wizard

1. Jumpstart wizard is very simple and one step approval process to create simple approval processes
2. The standard setup wizard is multiple steps and more complex but it gives more flexibility and option

Select Standard Setup Wizard and selected Standard Object account.

The Standard Wizard provides six basic steps that need to be carried out to create an approval process.

STEP 1: ENTER NAME AND DESCRIPTION

Provide a name, unique name, and a description for your new approval process.

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Step 2. Specify Entry Criteria

Now specify the entry criteria. In this option under what condition a record can be submitted for approval.We can go for criteria based or formula evaluates

• The below criteria checks whether a record has to go through the approval process or not. Here I am taking criteria is if account Annual revenue is greater than 100000 and Account industry equals banking.

Step 3. Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties

• We need to decide who will approve the record and who can modify the record while it’s in the approval process. Who you would choose really depends on your organization. Then press next

Next, we need to set the Approver Settings

• Here when the account is submitted for review, I want the manager should be the first automated approver. The submitting user’s manager should always review the account record and approve. By selecting Manager from the pick list above, we’re indicating that the Manager can submit the record.
• If we enabled Approver Field of account Owner then owner of the record can also approve the process.

Next, we need to set who can edit the record.

Step 4. Select Notification Templates

Select the email template that will be used to notify approvers that an approval request has been assigned to them. Note that this template will be used for all steps for this process.

Step 5. Select Fields to Display on Approval Page Layout

• Here we select the fields that to display on the approval request page. We have selected the field to display like Account name, industry, annual revenue, account owner shown below.
• If the checkbox is checked the box to allow display the approval history to the page layout which can be helpful when there is the potential for the record to be submitted for approval multiple times.

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• We have selected a user JanBask training to submit records for approval
• If we select page layout it will display the approval history relates list to all account page layouts.
• If checking by the box in Submission Settings, submitter have the ability to recall the approval request.

• If you want to create an approval immediately click on Go button.
• If you want select I’ll do this later it will go approval detail page.
• If you choose last option then it will go to approval process home page

DEFINING APPROVAL STEPS

• When we select the first option every record submitted will go through this step.
• If there are exceptions, then the second option would come to picture.

• The first options allow the submitter to choose a specific approver manually
• In a second step we selecting manger as approver will be for this step.
• The last option we allow Salesforce to automatically assign the approver.

When multiple approvers are selected

• Approve or reject based on the First response: If we have multiple submitters then any one of them can approve the record.
• Require UNANIMOUS approval from all selected approvers: When we have multiple approvers are selected for submitting then the record is only approved if all of the approvers approve the record if any of the approvers reject the request then the approval request is rejected.
• The approver delegation may also approve this request checkbox enabled means an approver's delegate may also approve the record in their absence. To set delegate approver to go to user detail page.

• Select first and second option to create task, email alert or field update.
• Choose last option to create an approval process immediately.

Add Submit for approval button to detail page from page layout. Once record meets the criteria record automatically locked. You can see below lock sign in record detail page

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You can see the record is pending for approval from user shubham to whom the record is assigned

Login as user shubham approve/reject the record

Record Approved

Read: Learn how to Create Different Format Reports in Salesforce.

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