Approval Process Diagram
The Approval Process Diagram is the visual flowchart Salesforce generates from an Approval Process definition.
Definition
The Approval Process Diagram is the visual flowchart Salesforce generates from an Approval Process definition. The diagram shows entry criteria as the starting node, each Approval Step as a branch with its approver and conditions, the Yes and No outcomes of each step, and the Final Approval, Final Rejection, and Recall actions as terminal nodes. It is the closest thing to a state-machine view that admins get for their approval logic. The diagram is read-only; admins use it to verify that the configuration matches the intent before users ever submit a record.
The Approval Process Diagram lives at Setup, Approval Processes, then opening any process and clicking View Diagram. The diagram renders as a static image that can be exported for documentation. For complex multi-step processes with parallel approvers, branching criteria, and per-step actions, the diagram is far easier to validate than the tabular Setup view. Reviewers, auditors, and stakeholders typically prefer the diagram to scrolling through nested configuration screens. The image itself does not update automatically when the underlying process changes; admins refresh it after every change to keep the documentation current.
What the Approval Process Diagram reveals and how to use it
How the diagram is generated
Salesforce renders the diagram from the same metadata that drives the runtime Approval Process. The Entry Criteria, every Approval Step, every approver, every step's filter criteria, and every action attached to each trigger point are mapped to nodes. The output is a static flowchart drawn left-to-right, with Yes and No branches showing the path the record can take.
Reading the diagram top to bottom
The top of the diagram is the Initial Submission node, fed by the process's entry criteria. From there, the record moves through each Approval Step in order. Branching shows Yes and No outcomes plus any per-step approval-step criteria that route to specific approvers. Terminal nodes at the bottom show Final Approval Actions, Final Rejection Actions, and (if configured) Recall Actions.
When the diagram is most useful
Three moments deserve the diagram. First, during design, to validate that the process matches the business intent. Second, during change review, to compare the before and after of a configuration change. Third, during audit, to document the approval logic for compliance or SOX reviewers. Each is much faster with the diagram than with the tabular Setup view.
Limitations of the diagram
The diagram does not show Flow Actions inline; it shows them as a generic action node. Complex Flow logic invoked from an Approval Action is invisible at the diagram level. The diagram also struggles to render very wide processes (dozens of branches) on a single image; admins sometimes split a complex process into two for readability rather than fighting the diagram layout.
Exporting and sharing
The diagram is a static image and can be downloaded directly from the View Diagram page. Most teams paste the export into Confluence, Wiki, or a change-management ticket to record the current state. Diagram exports are how Approval Processes appear in formal audit packages.
Diagram and metadata stay in sync automatically
Salesforce regenerates the diagram on every View, so it always reflects the current metadata. Admins never have to manually refresh it. The risk is that exports get stale; the rendered image saved last quarter does not reflect this quarter's changes.
Diagram versus pre-deployment review
Mature change-management workflows attach a fresh diagram export to every Approval Process change ticket. Reviewers compare the before and after diagrams visually rather than reading raw metadata diffs. The pattern catches errors that pure text review misses, especially when steps are reordered or approver criteria shifted.
Approval Process Diagram and Flow Builder
For Approval Processes increasingly powered by Flow Actions, the Approval Process Diagram is only half the story. The companion Flow Builder canvas shows the rest. Some teams diagram both surfaces together to keep the full process visible to reviewers and auditors.
How to use the Approval Process Diagram
The diagram is read-only. The work is generating it, reviewing it, and using it as the canonical documentation for the Approval Process.
- Open the Approval Process
Setup, Approval Processes. Pick the object, then open the Approval Process you want to inspect.
- Click View Diagram
Salesforce renders the flowchart from the current metadata. The view shows Initial Submission, each step, approvers, branching, and terminal actions.
- Walk the diagram with a stakeholder
Before publishing changes, review the diagram with the business stakeholder. Visual review catches misrouted approvers faster than tabular review.
- Export the diagram
Use the browser's screenshot or print to capture the diagram. Paste into the change-management ticket, Confluence page, or audit package.
- Refresh exports after every change
The platform regenerates the diagram automatically. Exported copies do not update; refresh them whenever the process changes.
- The diagram does not show Flow Action contents inline. Flow logic is rendered as a single generic node; complex logic is invisible at the diagram level.
- Very wide processes render poorly. Consider splitting a complex Approval Process into two for readability rather than fighting layout.
- Exported images get stale. The platform regenerates the live diagram automatically, but saved exports do not.
- The diagram is read-only. Edits happen in the standard Approval Process editor, not the diagram itself.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- View an Approval Process DiagramSalesforce Help
- Approval Processes OverviewSalesforce Help
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Approval Process Diagram.
- Create an Approval ProcessSalesforce Help
Hands-on resources to go deeper on Approval Process Diagram.
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is an Approval Process Diagram?
Q2. Can you edit an Approval Process from inside the diagram?
Q3. When is the Approval Process Diagram most useful?
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