Enabling approval posts is a short Setup task, but it has three moving parts: the org switch, a post template, and feed tracking on the object. Do all three or the post will not appear. These steps cover a Classic Approval Process; Flow based approvals do not use this feature.
- Turn on approval posts
In Setup, enter Chatter Settings in Quick Find and click Edit. In the Approval Posts section, select Allow Approvals and save. This is the org wide master switch.
- Enable feed tracking on the object
In Setup, open Feed Tracking, pick each object your approval processes use, and check Enable Feed Tracking. Without a feed, the record has nowhere to show the approval post.
- Build an approval post template
In Setup, open Post Templates, click New Template, choose the object, name it, optionally mark it Default, and select the few fields the approver needs. Put text heavy fields like Comments at the bottom.
- Attach the template to the process
Open the Classic Approval Process and associate your post template with it. New requests for that process now post to the assigned approver, the record feed, and followers of the record.
The org wide switch in Chatter Settings that permits approval posts. Off by default; one setting for the whole org.
The record fields shown in the post. Keep the list short and decision relevant so the post stays readable in feed and on mobile.
Mark one template per object as the default so new approval processes on that object have a sensible post layout to start from.
Each user can opt out of approval posts in their personal settings; they keep email notifications but stop seeing the posts in their own feed.
- The feature only applies to Classic Approval Processes. Approvals built in Flow Orchestration use Flow screens and notifications, not Chatter posts.
- Forgetting feed tracking on the object is the most common reason the post never appears, because the record has no feed to host it.
- Queue based steps post to every queue member, so a large queue can flood many feeds with one request. Keep queues tight.
- Anyone with access to the approved record can see the approval post in the record feed, so the post inherits record sharing rather than hiding the approval.