How to Create an Approval Workflow in SharePoint
Approval workflows automate the review and sign-off process. Built well, they save time, create audit trails, and keep approvers from drowning in email.
What it is
An approval workflow is an automated process that routes a document (or item) through one or more reviewers, captures their decision, and acts on the result. The simplest approval workflow has one approver who says yes or no. The most complex have conditional logic, multiple approvers, deadlines, escalation, and integration with other systems. Most teams need something in between.
Microsoft 365 offers two main paths. SharePoint’s built-in content approval covers basic ‘document needs to be approved before publishing’ use cases without any setup beyond a library configuration. Power Automate handles everything more sophisticated — approval flows triggered by file uploads, multi-step approvals, conditional routing, integration with Teams notifications, the lot.
The trap with approval workflows is over-engineering. Teams build elaborate flows with five approvers, complex routing, and conditional logic — then nobody uses them because they’re too slow. Start simple: one approver, clear criteria, a target turnaround. Make it complex only when you’ve proven you need to.
When to use this
- When documents need formal approval before publication.
- When you have a clear approval rule that’s currently happening informally over email.
- When you need an audit trail of who approved what and when.
- When approvals are getting lost or delayed because there’s no system tracking them.
How to do it
- Decide your approach: built-in content approval (simple) or Power Automate (flexible).
- Define the approver(s) — keep this small, ideally one person per document type.
- Set up the trigger (e.g. when a file is added or modified in a specific library).
- Configure the approval action with a clear description and deadline.
- Add a notification step so approvers get pinged in Teams or email.
- Add the post-approval action (publish, move file, update status, notify author).
- Test the workflow end-to-end before rolling it out.
- Train authors and approvers on the new process.
Best practices
- Start simple. Single approver, clear criteria, fast turnaround. Add complexity only when needed.
- Set deadlines. Approvals that sit in inboxes forever defeat the purpose.
- Notify in Teams, not just email. Approvers see Teams notifications faster.
- Capture rejection reasons. ‘Rejected’ alone tells the author nothing. ‘Rejected because section 3 references outdated policy’ is actionable.
Common mistakes
- Five-approver chains. Slows everything down. Most documents need one approver, not a committee.
- No deadline. Approvals stall indefinitely. Always set a target turnaround.
- No fallback if approver is unavailable. What happens when the approver is on leave? Plan for it.
- Building a workflow with no audit output. The whole point is the trail. Make sure it’s captured.
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How do I create an approval workflow for a SharePoint library?
Open the library, click Integrate -> Power Automate -> Create a flow. Pick the ‘Request approval’ template. Configure the approver, the approval criteria, and what happens on approve/reject. Save and turn on. New uploads trigger the approval automatically. Approvers respond in email, Teams, or the Approvals app.
What’s the difference between content approval and an approval workflow in SharePoint?
Content approval is a built-in library setting that hides new versions until approved. Approval workflows are Power Automate flows that route the approval request, notify approvers, set deadlines, and trigger actions. Use content approval for the simple case; build a workflow for anything beyond one approver.
Can I require multiple approvers for SharePoint documents?
Yes — in Power Automate, use the ‘Custom Responses’ approval type and add multiple approvers in sequence (each must approve) or parallel (any can approve). For more complex flows (e.g. two-of-three required), build conditional logic into the flow. Approval workflows in 2026 are far more flexible than SharePoint’s legacy approval workflows.
Why is my SharePoint approval workflow not triggering?
Common causes: the flow’s trigger condition doesn’t match (e.g. requires a specific Document Type but the uploaded file has none); the flow is turned off; or the file was added via a method the trigger doesn’t catch (e.g. sync upload sometimes bypasses certain triggers). Test with a known matching file to isolate the cause.