Recall Actions
In Salesforce approval processes, the automated actions that execute when an approval request is recalled (withdrawn) by the submitter, such as field updates to revert the status or email notifications.
Definition
In Salesforce approval processes, the automated actions that execute when an approval request is recalled (withdrawn) by the submitter, such as field updates to revert the status or email notifications.
In plain English
“Recall Actions in Salesforce approval processes are automated actions that fire when someone withdraws an approval request they submitted. Actions might include field updates to revert status or email notifications letting approvers know the request was recalled.”
Worked example
An employee at Larkmoor Capital submits an expense report for $4,200, then realizes within 5 minutes that he submitted the wrong receipts. He recalls the approval request before his manager has acted. Recall Actions fire automatically: a Field Update reverts ApprovalStatus__c to "Draft," an Email Alert notifies the manager that the request was withdrawn, a record is logged in the audit trail. The employee can revise and resubmit. Without Recall Actions, recalling would leave the record's status field stale; with them, the platform handles cleanup automatically.
Why Recall Actions matters
In Salesforce approval processes, Recall Actions are the automated actions that execute when an approval request is recalled (withdrawn) by the submitter, such as field updates to revert the status or email notifications. Recall happens when the submitter realizes they need to change something or no longer need the approval, and recall actions handle the cleanup of any changes that were made when the request was submitted.
Recall actions are part of the approval process configuration. When you design approval processes, you configure what should happen on submission (initial actions), at each approval step, on final approval, on final rejection, and on recall. Thoughtful recall action design ensures that recalled requests are handled cleanly, with any submission-time changes reverted so the record is back to where it was before submission.
How to set up Recall Actions
Recall Actions are the automated actions that fire when a submitter recalls their own approval request — typically reverting a Status field, unlocking the record, sending a notification. Less common than Initial Submission / Final Approval / Final Rejection actions because most orgs don't allow recall, but important when they do.
- Open Setup → Approval Processes → click into the relevant process
Recall Actions are configured per Approval Process.
- Confirm Allow Submitters to Recall is ticked
On the Approval Process detail page. Without this, submitters can't recall — Recall Actions never fire.
- Scroll to Recall Actions section
Below Final Rejection Actions.
- Click Add New → pick Action Type
Field Update / Email Alert / Task / Outbound Message. Field Update commonly reverts Status to Draft.
- Configure the Field Update
Pick field, new value ("Status = Draft"). Make sure to also Unlock the record — otherwise recalled records stay locked.
- Save the action
Action runs when submitter clicks Recall. Test in a sandbox by submitting and recalling a sample record.
Master toggle. Required for Recall Actions to fire.
Field Update / Email Alert / Task / Outbound Message.
Critical — otherwise recalled records stay locked.
- Recall Actions only fire if Allow Submitters to Recall is ON. Many orgs leave it OFF, making Recall Actions config dead code.
- Forgetting to unlock the record on recall leaves recalled records LOCKED — same issue as Final Rejection Actions. Always include an Unlock action.
- Recall is submitter-initiated, not approver-initiated. Approvers can't unilaterally recall a request — they can only approve / reject. Build a separate process if you need approver-initiated cancellation.
How organizations use Recall Actions
Configures recall actions to revert field updates that happened on submission, keeping records clean after recalls.
Uses recall email notifications to inform approvers when requests are withdrawn before they have to act.
Treats recall action design as part of complete approval process configuration.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Recall Actions.
- Classic Approval ProcessesSalesforce Help
Test your knowledge
Q1. What are Recall Actions?
Q2. What can recall actions do?
Q3. Why design recall actions carefully?
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