Every business has processes that require approval before an action can move forward. A sales manager may need to approve a high-value discount, a finance manager may need to review an expense claim, or an HR manager may need to approve an employee’s leave request.
Without a structured approval system, requests are often managed through emails, spreadsheets, or chat messages. This not only slows down the process but also makes it difficult to track who approved what and when.
Salesforce Approval Process helps organizations automate these approval workflows. Instead of manually following up with approvers, Salesforce automatically routes records to the right person, tracks every approval step, locks records when necessary, and performs actions after approval or rejection.
In this guide, you’ll learn how Salesforce Approval Processes work, how to configure them, when to use them, and the best practices that experienced Salesforce Admins follow.
What Is a Salesforce Approval Process?
A Salesforce Approval Process is an automation feature that routes a record through one or more approval stages before it reaches its final status.
During this process, Salesforce sends approval requests to designated users, records every decision, and automatically performs actions based on whether the record is approved or rejected.
Unlike regular automation, an approval process involves human decision-making. Instead of updating records immediately, Salesforce waits for one or more users to review the record before continuing.
For example:
- A discount above 25% requires Sales Manager approval.
- Purchase requests above ₹1,00,000 require Finance approval.
- Employee leave requests require HR approval.
- Contract renewals require Legal approval.
These are common business scenarios where an approval process is a better choice than simple automation.
Why Use an Approval Process Instead of Manual Approval?
Many organizations initially manage approvals using emails or messaging applications.
Although this approach works for small teams, it quickly becomes difficult to manage as the business grows.
An Approval Process offers several advantages:
- Approval history is stored automatically.
- Managers receive notifications instantly.
- Records can be locked while awaiting approval.
- Every approval decision is fully traceable.
- Business rules remain consistent for every request.
- Users no longer need to manually remind approvers.
This improves accountability while reducing delays.
Real Business Scenario
Imagine a company that sells industrial equipment.
Sales representatives can offer discounts up to 10% without approval.
If the discount exceeds 10%, the Opportunity must be reviewed by the Sales Manager.
If the discount exceeds 25%, it must also be approved by the Regional Director.
Instead of relying on emails, Salesforce can automate the entire approval chain.
The sales representative simply clicks Submit for Approval, and Salesforce handles the rest.
How a Salesforce Approval Process Works
Every approval process follows a sequence of events.
A record is created or updated.
↓
The user submits the record for approval.
↓
Salesforce checks whether the record matches the entry criteria.
↓
The record is routed to the first approver.
↓
The approver either approves or rejects the request.
↓
If additional approval levels exist, Salesforce automatically sends the request to the next approver.
↓
Once all approvals are complete, Salesforce performs the configured final actions.
Although this workflow appears simple, each stage can trigger notifications, field updates, record locking, tasks, and other automated actions.
Components of an Approval Process
Understanding each component makes it much easier to design approval workflows that work correctly.
Entry Criteria
Entry criteria determine whether a record should enter the approval process.
Example:
Opportunity Amount > ₹5,00,000
Only opportunities above this amount will require approval.
Lower-value opportunities continue normally without any approval.
Initial Submission Actions
These actions occur immediately after the user submits the record.
Common actions include:
- Lock the record
- Send an email notification
- Update a status field
- Create a task
Many companies lock records during approval to prevent users from changing important information midway through the process.
Approval Steps
Approval Steps define who must review the record.
Each step can have different approval criteria.
Example:
Step 1
Sales Manager
↓
Step 2
Finance Manager
↓
Step 3
Director
Salesforce automatically moves the record from one approver to the next until every required approval is completed.
Assigned Approver
Approvers can be selected in several ways.
For example:
- Specific User
- Manager
- Queue
- Role
- Record Owner’s Manager
- Custom User Lookup Field
Using dynamic approvers instead of hardcoded users makes approval processes easier to maintain as teams grow.
Final Approval Actions
These actions execute only after every approval step is completed successfully.
Typical actions include:
- Update Status to Approved
- Unlock the record
- Send confirmation email
- Create follow-up task
- Launch another automation
Final Rejection Actions
If an approver rejects the request, Salesforce performs rejection actions instead.
Examples include:
- Update Status to Rejected
- Unlock the record
- Notify the submitter
- Create a follow-up task
This ensures everyone knows why the approval stopped.
Recall Actions
Sometimes users submit records by mistake.
Recall Actions allow submitters to withdraw the approval request before completion.
Organizations commonly unlock the record after recall so users can make corrections before submitting again.
Step-by-Step: Creating an Approval Process
Creating an Approval Process in Salesforce is straightforward once the business requirements are clear.
Step 1
Navigate to:
Setup → Approval Processes
Select the object that requires approval.
For example:
Opportunity
Purchase Request
Expense Report
Custom Object
Step 2
Click New Approval Process.
Choose either:
For most business scenarios, the Standard Setup Wizard provides greater flexibility.
Configuring Approval Steps
After creating the approval process, the next step is defining how the approval should move through your organization.
Each Approval Step represents one stage in the approval chain.
For example:
- Step 1 → Sales Manager
- Step 2 → Finance Manager
- Step 3 → Regional Director
Salesforce automatically sends the record to the next approver after each approval. If any approver rejects the request, the approval process stops immediately and executes the configured rejection actions.
When designing approval steps, keep the business process as simple as possible. Long approval chains often delay business operations and reduce user adoption.
Approval Actions Explained
Approval actions determine what Salesforce should do automatically during different stages of the approval lifecycle.
Initial Submission Actions
These actions occur immediately after the user clicks Submit for Approval.
Common examples include:
- Lock the record
- Send an email notification
- Update the Approval Status field
- Create a follow-up task
Approval Actions
Actions configured inside an approval step execute every time that particular step is approved.
For example:
When the Sales Manager approves a discount request, Salesforce can automatically notify the Finance team that the request is ready for the next review.
Final Approval Actions
These actions execute only after every approval step has been completed successfully.
Typical actions include:
- Unlock the record
- Change Status to Approved
- Update Approval Date
- Send confirmation emails
- Create downstream tasks
Final Rejection Actions
If any approver rejects the request, Salesforce immediately performs the rejection actions.
Examples include:
- Change Status to Rejected
- Unlock the record
- Notify the submitter
- Create a task explaining why the request was rejected
Real Business Example
Let’s consider a simple Purchase Request approval process.
A company has the following approval policy:
- Purchases below ₹25,000 do not require approval.
- Purchases between ₹25,000 and ₹1,00,000 require Manager approval.
- Purchases above ₹1,00,000 require both Manager and Finance Director approval.
The Approval Process can be configured like this:
Entry Criteria
Purchase Amount ≥ ₹25,000
Approval Step 1
Manager Approval
Approval Step 2
Finance Director Approval (only if Amount > ₹1,00,000)
Final Approval Action
- Status = Approved
- Unlock Record
- Email Procurement Team
Final Rejection Action
- Status = Rejected
- Unlock Record
- Notify Request Creator
Without any manual follow-up, Salesforce routes the request through the correct approvers and records every decision.
Approval Process vs Flow Approval
This is one of the most common questions among Salesforce Admins.
| Approval Process | Salesforce Flow |
|---|---|
| Designed specifically for approvals | General-purpose automation |
| Built-in approval history | Requires custom configuration |
| Automatic record locking | Manual configuration required |
| Easy to configure | More flexible but more complex |
| Best for simple approval chains | Best for advanced business logic |
For straightforward approval scenarios, Approval Processes are usually the fastest solution.
However, if your organization requires highly customized routing, dynamic decisions, integrations, or complex business logic, Salesforce Flow may be the better choice.
If you’re already using advanced automation, our guide onSalesforce Flow Loops: Collections, Iteration, and Best Practices explains how to process multiple records efficiently within Flow.
Best Practices
Follow these recommendations to build scalable approval processes.
- Keep approval chains short and easy to understand.
- Use roles or managers instead of assigning approvals to specific users whenever possible.
- Lock records during approval to prevent accidental edits.
- Always configure rejection and recall actions.
- Test every approval path before activating the process.
- Use meaningful email templates so approvers understand why approval is required.
- Document approval criteria for future administrators.
Common Mistakes
Creating Too Many Approval Processes
Multiple approval processes on the same object can make troubleshooting difficult.
Whenever possible, use entry criteria and approval steps instead of creating separate approval processes.
Hardcoding Users
Assigning approvals to specific users creates maintenance problems when employees change roles.
Using Roles, Managers, or User Lookup fields makes the process much easier to maintain.
Ignoring Rejection Scenarios
Many admins configure only the approval path.
Always define what should happen when a request is rejected.
Not Testing Entry Criteria
Incorrect entry criteria can cause records to bypass approval completely.
Test with multiple record variations before deployment.
Forgetting Record Locking
If records remain editable during approval, users may change important information after submission.
Locking records protects data integrity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Salesforce Approval Process?
A Salesforce Approval Process automates the routing of records to one or more approvers before a business action is completed.
Which objects support Approval Processes?
Approval Processes can be created for both standard objects (such as Opportunities and Cases) and custom objects.
Can multiple approval steps be created?
Yes. An approval process can include multiple sequential approval steps based on your business requirements.
Does Salesforce automatically lock records during approval?
Yes. Record locking is supported and is commonly used to prevent changes while approval is in progress.
When should I use Salesforce Flow instead of an Approval Process?
Use Flow when your approval logic requires complex branching, integrations, dynamic routing, or automation beyond standard approval capabilities.
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