As a Salesforce admin, I was required to streamline the process of approving employee reimbursement expenses. Employees submit expenses, and their manager must approve any expense exceeding $5,000.
If the cost is over $8,000, approval from HR is also required. We have a feature called the approval process in Salesforce to fulfill this requirement.
Here, I will explain the approval process in Salesforce, including when to use it, how to create an approval process, and how it works in real-time scenarios, with step-by-step explanations.
What is the Approval Process in Salesforce?
An approval process in Salesforce automates the approval process for records like expenses or leave requests. It ensures that specific actions (such as approving, rejecting, or escalating) occur in a particular order when certain conditions are met.
How does the Approval Process work in Salesforce?
An approval process in Salesforce automates the steps for getting a record, such as a request or a report, approved by specific users within an organization. It starts when a user submits a record that meets predefined conditions, triggering the approval flow.
Based on the process rules, the system then sends the record to one or more approvers, such as a manager or department head. Approvers can approve, reject, or send it back for revisions.
Depending on their decision, Salesforce can update the record’s status, send notifications, or move it to the next step. This workflow ensures that approvals are handled consistently and efficiently, reducing the need for manual intervention.
Who is a Delegated Approver in Salesforce?
A Delegated Approver in Salesforce is someone who is assigned to approve records on behalf of the original approver in an approval process. This person can step in to approve or reject records when the primary approver is unavailable, like during vacations or busy periods.
Create an Approval Process in Salesforce
In the following steps, I will use the above scenario to illustrate how to create an approval process in Salesforce and then demonstrate how the approval process works.
To access the approval process, go to the Home Page, search for the approval process in the Quick Find Box, and click on the option under Process Automation.
Then select the object in the Manage Approval Processes for which you want to create the process. Click “Create New Approval Process” and select “Use Standard Setup Wizard.“
Now, there are six steps that we need to follow to create an approval process.
1. Enter Name and Description
Enter the Process Name, and the Unique Name will automatically populate as you click on it. It’s an API Name. Then click the Next button to proceed.
2. Specify Entry Criteria
Then, we need to specify when the approval process will start to execute. In our scenario, we are sending approval for reimbursement expenses. So, if that particular field has some value or is greater than zero, then only that record can be sent for approval.
Then click the Next button.
3. Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties
Here, we need to select who will be the approver or whom we want to assign this approval request. This option can be changed when we add the approval steps.
Then, select who can edit the record. After sending the record to the approval process, we have two options: either only the Administrator or both the Approver and Admin.
4. Select Notification Templates
In this step, we need to select an email template by clicking the lookup icon so that we can notify the assigned approver. As the user submits the record for approval, the email will be automatically sent with the selected email template.
5. Select Fields to Display on Approval Page Layout
Here, we need to add fields to the page layout that we want to display on the approval form so that the approver can see those fields. We can select these fields and add them to the selected fields.
If we check the ‘Approval History Information’ checkbox, we can view the approval logs, whether they were approved or rejected.
After that, in the Security Settings, we can select the setting for approvers, whether they can approve or reject approval by logging in to the Salesforce org or any external mobile device.
Then click the Next button to proceed.
6. Specify Initial Submitters
Here, we need to select the Initial Submitters. In the Submitter type, we can choose record creator, record owner, public groups, roles, and subordinates.
I selected Owner, and you will see the users in the available submitters accordingly. From there, you need to choose and click the Add button to give them the authority to submit records for approval.
Then, here, we need to check the Page Layout Settings checkbox to add the Submit for Approval button and approval history. If we don’t add them now, we need to add them from the page layout of that particular object.
Then, in the Submission Setting, if we check the allow submitters to recall approval requests, then they can cancel the approval request. After that, click the Save button.
Finally, click the last option and click the Go button.
In this way, we can create an approval process in Salesforce. However, the process is currently not activated. Before activating the process, we need to add other actions such as initial submission, approval, rejection, and recall.
Add Actions For the Approval Process
Here, I will outline the actions we need to take to automate the approval process. We can then decide what should happen after the approver approves or rejects the approval. We can use the following actions to edit existing or add new actions for the approval records.
1. Initial Submission Actions
In Salesforce, initial submission actions are the actions that get executed whenever a new record gets submitted to this approval process.
In our example, a new record is submitted for the approved reimbursement expenses. In this step, we will define the action performed immediately.
Here, we already have one action, which is to lock the record from being edited after it is submitted for approval. After that, only the user that we selected while creating the approval process can edit the record.
If we select the Add New action, we will see four actions that we can perform after the record is submitted for approval. We have Tasks, Email Alerts, Field Updates, and Outbound Messages.
2. Approval Steps
The approval steps are explained below.
3. Final Approval Actions
This step is executed whenever the record is finally approved. Then, you can add any action you want to perform here.
Here, we also have a predefined action, which is to lock the record. We can modify this action to unlock the record after it has been approved. We cannot do this during the initial action.
4. Final Rejection Actions
This step is executed whenever the approver finally rejects the record. Here, we can also add actions, such as sending an email or updating fields. Then, after the approval is rejected, an action is taken that unlocks the record.
This is because the user can edit the record and submit it again for approval. However, you can also change the unlock action to lock the record as needed.
5. Recall Actions
In the recall action, we don’t have an edit option to change the record lock type. By default, the record is unlocked in this step. This is because when the user cancels the approval, it must always be unlocked so that the user can edit the record.
Approval Steps in the Salesforce Approval Process
In the approval steps, we defined the Name of the approval step, the criteria for sending a record to approval or automated approval, and selected approvers and delegated approvers.
Click the New Approval Step button to add these things to the approval process.
1. Enter Name and Description
Enter the Name of the approval step. The Unique Name will automatically populate as you click on it. Enter the Description; it’s optional. Then click the Next button to proceed.
2. Specify the Criteria
Here, we have two options. The first one is All records should enter this step, which means there will be no criteria to send approval to the approvers.
Then the second one is Enter Criteria. If the criteria are met, as defined, then it will be sent for approval. Otherwise, it will get automatically approved.
In our scenario, if the reimbursement expenses exceed $5,000, then the record should be sent to the approvers for approval. If the expense is less than $5,000, it will be automatically approved. Then click the Next button.
3. Select Assigned Approver
Now, we need to assign an approver to approve the approval. Here we have the following three options:
- Let the submitter choose: Here, the user can select the approver while submitting the record for approval.
- Assign to queue: Selecting this option automatically assigns the record to your chosen queue.
- Automatically assign to approver(s): We can add one or more users as approvers. I added one user. If there is more than one approver, then there are two more options to select.
- Approve or reject based on the First response: If there is more than one user, then who will approve or reject first? That response will be final.
- Require UNANIMOUS approval: Only if all approvers approve the record will the approval be approved. If any of them are rejected, then it is marked as rejected.
If you check the delegated approver, then the user you selected as the delegated approver on behalf of the real approver can also approve or reject the approval.
Then click the Save button to save the steps. Then, activate the approval process that we created.
In this way, we can set the approval steps in the Salesforce approval process.
Proof of Concept: How The Approval Process Works in Salesforce
Here, I will show you how, after submitting the record for approval, the record approver approves it, and the user receives a notification.
I have opened the Employee__c object, and there is one record of an employee with Riembarasmenet expenses of $6,000.
To submit this record for approval, click the dropdown arrow, and you will see the Submit for Approval button. Click it to send the record for approval.
As you submit a record for approval, you can see the logs in the approval history. There is one pending approval from the manager.
Then, as you log in with the manager role user whom you assigned as an approver, you will receive a notification, and you will see the approval request.
A manager can perform three actions on an approval request: approve, reject, or reassign. Here, I click the Approve button. As I approve this approval request, you will see it in the list of employee objects.
Here, you can see the approval history. Finally, the approval request gets approved by the manager.
In this way, the approval process in Salesforce allows for the approval or rejection of any approval request.
Conclusion
I hope you have got an idea about the approval process in Salesforce. In that, I have explained the approval process, how it works, and who the delegated approver is in the Salesforce approval process. After that, we saw how to create an approval process, which is the actions in the approval process, and how to add approval steps.
Finally, using the scenario, I have shown how the approval process works in Salesforce to approve or reject any approval request.
You may like to read:
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- Create a Process with Process Builder in Salesforce
I am Bijay Kumar, the founder of SalesforceFAQs.com. Having over 10 years of experience working in salesforce technologies for clients across the world (Canada, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, etc.). I am a certified salesforce administrator and expert with experience in developing salesforce applications and projects. My goal is to make it easy for people to learn and use salesforce technologies by providing simple and easy-to-understand solutions. Check out the complete profile on About us.
