---
schema_version: "1"
id: 51732fec249807a77ac3b37bcbdd9f5e95e714327b7f4bb6609222a66bd9a1f9
title: Merge Fields for Classic Approval Processes
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/approvals_considerations_mergefields.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_considerations_mergefields.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: c8da5cd26dfe3661a80efdd65903d6200f484b8656dfcdd275bc0ca885527d69
description: Approval merge fields include {!ApprovalRequest.fieldName} and {!Approval_Requesting_User.fieldName}. They’re supported in certain email templates and return different values based on the status of the classic approval process instance.
products:
  - Flow Builder
  - Salesforce Platform
release: "264"
---
# Merge Fields for Classic Approval Processes

Approval merge fields include {!ApprovalRequest.fieldName} and {!Approval\_Requesting\_User.fieldName}. They’re supported in certain email templates and return different values based on the status of the classic approval process instance.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class="" id="approvals_considerations_mergefields__d2808e54"><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</td></tr></tbody></table>

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_important.png)

Important Try [Flow Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "As your company grows, so does the complexity of your approvals, often requiring input from multiple people in different departments across different time zones. This complexity can mean that you spend more time waiting for each person to complete their review in the right order. Flow Approval Processes helps you coordinate multistep reviews that involve users, systems, and conditional paths."), a modern alternative to Classic Approval Processes. This new feature provides a more flexible, user-friendly flow-based interface, and it can trigger on record changes, supporting Apex extensibility and detailed logging for compliance and audit trails. It supports dynamic routing based on data and business rules, unlike Classic Approval Processes, which are tied to specific objects and offer limited support for processes by using conditions. With Flow Approval Processes, you can monitor submitted records and quickly identify bottlenecks, giving you unprecedented visibility into approval workflows. And, like Classic Approval Processes, Flow Approval Processes don’t consume automation credits or orchestration runs.

![Tip](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_tip.png)

Tip The submitter isn’t always the current user. For custom email templates, use {!Approval\_Requesting\_User.fieldName} instead of {!User.fieldName}.

## Where Are Approval Merge Fields Supported?

You can use classic approval process merge fields in email templates, but not mail merge templates. Except for {!ApprovalRequest.Comments}, approval merge fields named {!ApprovalRequest.field\_name} in email templates return values only in approval assignment emails and email alerts for classic approval processes. When used in other emails—including email alerts for workflow rules—the approval merge field returns `null`.

## What Values Does a Merge Field Provide?

The generated value of an ApprovalRequest merge field depends on which step the classic approval process is in.

- In the approval request email, a merge field returns the submitter’s name and the name of the first step.
- When the request is approved, the merge field returns the most recent approver’s name and the name of the second step, if applicable.
- For subsequent actions, a merge field value returns the previous completed step.
- For an approval step that requires unanimous approval from multiple approvers, {!ApprovalRequest.Comments} returns only the most recently entered comment in emails.

#### See Also

- [Default Template for Email Approval Response used by Classic Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.approvals_email_default.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "When you enable email approval response, Salesforce uses a default email template for classic approval processes—unless you specify a custom email template.")
- [Email Templates in Salesforce Classic](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sales.admin_emailtemplates.htm&language=en_US)