In Salesforce, approval processes are widely used to manage record approvals. However, one common problem is that approvers sometimes forget to approve requests on time.
To solve this issue, we can send reminder emails automatically using Salesforce Flow.
In Salesforce, when we send a record for approval, such as a reimbursement or leave request, the approver sometimes forgets to take action, and the request stays pending for a long time.
To avoid this, we want to automatically send a reminder email to the approver if the request is still pending 2 days before the salary day or the employee’s leave date.
In this article, we will learn about how to send a reminder email to the approver using Salesforce Flow.
What is the Approval Process in Salesforce?
The Approval Process in Salesforce automates how records are approved in your organization.
Example:
- Manager approves leave request
- Finance team approves expenses
- Sales manager approves discounts
When a record is submitted for approval:
- It goes to an approver
- Approver takes action (Approve/Reject)
Problem: Why Reminder Emails Are Needed?
In real projects, many times:
- Approvers forget to check requests
- Approval gets delayed
- Business process slows down
Solution:
Send automatic reminder emails
How Salesforce Flow Helps
Using Flow, we can:
- Schedule automation
- Check pending approval records
- Send email alerts
No coding required
Send Reminder Email to Approver in Salesforce Flow
First, I will show you the approval process I created for reimbursement.
Whenever an employee submits a reimbursement request for approval, and the assigned approver fails to act within 2 days of the salary day, a reminder email should be automatically sent to the approver.
Reimbursement Approval Process on Employee Object in Salesforce
Below is a screenshot of the Approval Process I created. In the approval process, the assigned approver should be there to approve or reject the approval request.
Create a Scheduled Trigger Flow with Send Email Action in Salesforce
Now, let’s create a flow to send a reminder email to the approver in Salesforce.
In that, I will explain how to retrieve the approval process details:
- Approval Process that we created for the object.
- Approval steps allow us to view the status of each step, such as pending, approved, or rejected, along with the assigned approver (User).
- How do you obtain the approver’s email address to send a reminder email?
We need to check daily for any pending approval requests. For this purpose, we use a schedule trigger flow that executes daily at the predefined time.
Log in to Salesforce Org. -> Click on the Setup -> Home Tab -> In the Quick Find Box, Search for Flows. You will see an option under Process Automation -> Click on Flows.
Then, click on the New Flow button to create a new flow.
Here, we will schedule the flow to the freeze user. To achieve this, create a flow with a Scheduled Triggered Flow.
As we click on the schedule trigger flow, we need to set a schedule time:
- Start Date: When do you want to start the flow?
- Start Time: When should it trigger in the day?
- Frequency: Here, we can select Once, Daily, and Weekly.
To initiate the flow, we added an Object, Employee, along with a condition that if the Approval Status of the record is ‘In Process‘, then only that record should be entered for further processing.
Next, we need to retrieve the approval process that we created for the Employee object. To achieve this, we need to add the Get Records element and enter a Label and API Name.
To get the overall approval request generated when an employee submits a record for reimbursement approval, we must add the Process Instance Object.
Then enter the Filter Conditions so that we get only those approval requests that are submitted from the employee object:
- Target Object ID– Equals – Employee>Record ID.
Now we need to retrieve the individual approval steps in a record’s approval process. To achieve this, again add the Get Records element and enter a Label and API Name.
To get the individual approval steps in a record’s approval process, we must add the Process Instance Step.
When a record, such as an expense, reimbursement, or leave, is submitted for approval, Salesforce creates a Process Instance, and within it, one or more Process Instance Step records are assigned to an approver.
Next, enter the Filter Conditions to retrieve only the approval steps within the approval process that were fetched in the previous step.
- Process Instance ID – Equals – Get Process Instance>ID.
To send the email to the approver assigned to approve or reject the approval, we first need to retrieve the user details.
For that, add the get records element again and set the User in the Object field. Next, to get only those users who are assigned to the approval step, we can add a filter condition as below:
- User ID – Equals – Process Instance Step > Actor ID (user).
We need to check if today’s date is two days before the salary date, and if so, send an email reminder to the approver. To create a Formula Resource, click the Toolbox icon and then click the New Resource button.
In the Resource Type dropdown field, provide the API Name. Select the Formula. Now we need to select the Data Type based on the desired output value.
Now, we need to create the logic using the fields, functions, and operators available in Salesforce Flow.
TODAY() =
IF(
MONTH(TODAY()) = 12,
DATE(YEAR(TODAY()), 12, 31) - 2,
DATE(YEAR(TODAY()), MONTH(TODAY()) + 1, 1) - 3
)This formula calculates the First Date of next month minus 3 days, then checks whether TODAY() equals that date.
Returns TRUE if yes, FALSE otherwise.
For example: DATE(YEAR(TODAY()), MONTH(TODAY()) + 1, 1) this returns the first day of next month. Then subtract 3 days to get two days before the last date of the current month.
To validate our formula, click the Check Syntax button. If it displays a valid message, then our formula is correct, and you can click the Done button.
To determine if today’s date is two days before the last day of the current month, we add the Decision Element. If it returns true, we will send a reminder email to the approver.
In the condition, we added the formula resource we created and will check if it is true.
Before adding the send email action, let’s create the Text Template for the email subject and body.
If the condition is true, then we will send an email reminder to the approver. For that, under that outcome, add the Send Email action element. Here, you need to select the field values to send an email, such as sender email, subject, body, recipient address, etc.
In the Recipient Address, select the Get Approver User > Email. Then, in the Subject and Body sections, provide the text template you created.
Now we are ready to save the flow. To do this, click the Save button, provide a flow Label, and the API Name will be automatically populated.
After that, always debug the flow before activating it to ensure that the working flow is correct and that there are no runtime errors. Then activate the flow
Proof of Concept:
When an employee submits a record for reimbursement approval, and the approver neglects to act on the request, our created flow sends a reminder email to the approver (user) two days before the last date.
In this way, we can automate the process of sending a reminder email to the approver who has forgotten to take action on the approval request using Salesforce Flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can we send a reminder email without Flow?
Yes, using Approval Process, but Flow gives more control
Q2: Which flow is best for reminders?
Scheduled Flow
Q3: Can we send multiple reminders?
Yes, using conditions
Q4: Can we escalate approval?
Yes, using Flow logic
Conclusion
Sending reminder emails to approvers in Salesforce is very important to avoid delays in business processes.
With Salesforce Flow, you can easily automate reminders, improve efficiency, and ensure approvals are completed on time.
By leveraging advanced features such as scheduling and escalation, you can build a powerful, real-time approval reminder system.
I hope you have got an idea about how to send a reminder email to the approver using Salesforce Flow.
I have explained the approval process that we created on the object approval steps, which allows us to view the status of each step, such as pending, approved, or rejected, along with the assigned approver (User) and how to get the approver’s email address to send a reminder email to them.
You may like to read:
- Send Email Alerts For Overdue Tasks Using Salesforce Flows
- Create and Send PDF Via Email Using Salesforce Flow
- Send Email with Flows in Salesforce
- Create a Scheduled Path in Salesforce Flow
- File Upload Approval Process Using Salesforce Flow
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.
