Email Approval Response is a one-click enable for the entire org. Once on, every Approval Process supports email replies. The work is in training approvers on the keyword conventions.
- Enable in Process Automation Settings
Setup, then Process Automation Settings. Check Enable Email Approval Response. Save.
- Verify the approval notification template
Each Approval Process step has an email template. Confirm the template includes the response key (the platform default templates do). If you customized templates, validate they still contain the key by sending a test approval to yourself.
- Train approvers on the keywords
Send out a brief note: You can approve or reject approval requests by replying APPROVE or REJECT in the first line of the email. Mention that comments go after the keyword.
- Test with a real approval cycle
Submit a test record for approval. The approver replies APPROVE with a comment. Confirm the approval moves to the next step or completes, and the comment shows on the ProcessInstanceStep.
- Monitor for parsing failures
Watch the Setup, then Email Logs, for failed email-to-Salesforce parsing. Approvers who reply through unusual clients or forward and reply may fail; reach out to them with the correct format.
- Disable if it does not fit your culture
If your team relies on Slack notifications, mobile app approvals, or in-app approval, Email Approval Response may add noise. The feature is harmless when enabled but unused; disable if approvers prefer not to have the email-reply option.
Single toggle that affects every Approval Process.
The recognized keywords. Case-insensitive but English-only.
Whatever the approver types after the keyword becomes the approval comment.
In-app approval from any record page or the Notifications panel.
- Forwarded emails do not work. The From address must match the original approver.
- Approvals routed to a Queue cannot use email response. Queue members receive different notifications without a personalized response key.
- Custom email templates that remove or alter the response key break email response. Always preserve the key when customizing approval templates.
- Email parsing can fail for messages with disclaimers, signatures, or auto-replies that confuse the keyword detection. Train approvers to keep the first line clean.