Approval Process
An Approval Process in Salesforce is an automated process that an organization uses to approve records.
Definition
An Approval Process in Salesforce is an automated process that an organization uses to approve records. It specifies the sequence of steps required for a record to be approved, including who must approve it at each step, the actions to take when a record is submitted, approved, rejected, or recalled, and the entry criteria that determine which records enter the process.
In plain English
“An Approval Process is the path a record takes to get approved in Salesforce. You set up rules like 'if the discount is over 20%, send this to the manager, and if they approve, send it to the VP'. Salesforce routes the record through each step and tracks who said yes or no.”
Worked example
Foxglade Software's Approval Process for purchase orders has three steps: under $5K, the requester's direct manager approves; $5K-$25K, the manager and the department VP approve sequentially; over $25K, manager + VP + CFO approve in sequence. Each step has entry criteria, an approver assignment, escalation rules if the approver doesn't act in 3 days, and approval/rejection actions. The Approval Process is the structured workflow that turns ad-hoc approval emails into a tracked, auditable, automated process. Once configured, every PO submission flows through it consistently.
Why Approval Process matters
Approval Processes in Salesforce are declarative workflows that route a record through one or more approval steps before it reaches a final approved or rejected state. Each process has entry criteria that determine which records enter it, a sequence of steps (each with its own criteria, approvers, and behavior), and a set of actions that fire at key moments. Approvers can be specified as specific users, queues, roles, or determined dynamically via a lookup field on the record being approved.
The Approval Process supports branching logic through step-level entry criteria: a step only fires if its criteria are met, so you can build processes like 'small discounts skip manager approval and go straight to VP'. Approvers can approve, reject, or reassign the request, and the process maintains a full approval history visible on the record. Despite being older than Flow, Approval Processes remain the primary way Salesforce handles approvals because the built-in routing and history features are deeply integrated into the platform.
How to set up Approval Process
Approval Processes route a record through a chain of approvers (or a single approver) before a deal closes, a discount is granted, or a contract goes out. Setup lives under Approval Processes — you build one process per object per scenario.
- Open Setup → Approval Processes
Top-right gear icon → Setup → quick-find "Approval Processes" → click the result.
- Pick the object
Approval Processes are object-specific. Pick the object whose records will go through approval (Opportunity, Contract, custom object, etc.).
- Click Create New Approval Process
Choose either "Use Jump Start Wizard" (single-approver, good for simple cases) or "Use Standard Setup Wizard" (full control).
- Define entry criteria
Which records enter this approval process — by criteria (Discount > 20%) or by formula. Records not matching the entry criteria skip the process entirely.
- Configure Approver routing
Pick the approver: a specific user, the submitter's manager (via the User.Manager field), a queue, or a per-step formula.
- Add Approval Steps
Each step is a stage in the chain. Steps can be sequential (each must approve in turn) or parallel (multiple approvers, any one or all must approve).
- Set Final Approval, Final Rejection, and Recall Actions
What happens when the chain finishes — typically updating a Status field, sending an email, or unlocking the record.
- Set Initial Submission Actions
What happens the moment a record enters the process — typically locking the record.
- Activate
Activate the process. Inactive processes don't fire.
Filters which records can enter the process. Records that don't match are skipped silently — surprising users when their submit button does nothing.
Assigned approver, related user (Manager), queue, or formula. Manager-based routing relies on the User.Manager field being populated org-wide.
Default: lock the record, send a notification email. Customize to update Status fields or set ownership.
What happens at the end of the chain — typically unlocking the record and updating the Status.
Whether the user who submitted can pull the request back. Off by default.
- An object can have many approval processes, but only the first one whose entry criteria match will fire — order them carefully (most-specific first).
- Locked records can still be edited by the System Administrator profile and via Apex `set` operations — locking is a UX guard, not a security control.
- If the assigned approver is on vacation or inactive, the process gets stuck. Configure delegated approvers on the User record, and monitor the "Items to Approve" queue.
How organizations use Approval Process
Built a three-step discount approval process: deals under 10% are auto-approved, deals between 10% and 25% require manager approval, and deals over 25% require both manager and VP approval. Rejection at any step unlocks the record for the rep to revise and resubmit.
Uses an Approval Process for expense reports with dynamic approver assignment. The approver is pulled from a field on the user record that identifies their manager, so the approval routes correctly even as reporting structures change.
Implemented parallel approvals in their purchase order approval process so that both Legal and Finance must approve before the PO is finalized. The process uses a unanimous approval rule at that step to require both approvers.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Approval Process.
- Create an Approval ProcessSalesforce Help
- Classic Approval ProcessesSalesforce Help
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is an Approval Process in Salesforce?
Q2. How can approvers be specified in an approval step?
Q3. What allows an Approval Process to skip unnecessary steps for low-risk records?
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