--- schema_version: "1" id: 38b56f166bf1c8ea2690ba0b73fc521dbc9d39d759fb2eba445f7f1175b35ddf title: Flow Approval Processes collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/automate_automated_approvals_concept_approval_orchestrations.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_concept_approval_orchestrations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: f6b6df519033b394a4803a6ce0932c57d71db51a55be6989eed7ea45a4d5002c description: A flow approval process contains stages, steps, and decisions to organize complex approval sequences. Create flow approval processes by using the Flow Approval Process tiles in the New Automation window. Create autolaunched flow approval processes in the Approval app. Build flow approval processes in Flow Builder. products: - Flow Builder - Salesforce Platform release: "264" --- # Flow Approval Processes A flow approval process contains stages, steps, and decisions to organize complex approval sequences. Create flow approval processes by using the Flow Approval Process tiles in the New Automation window. Create autolaunched flow approval processes in the Approval app. Build flow approval processes in Flow Builder. ### Required Editions
View supported editions for Flow Approval Processes.
The External System Change-Triggered Flow Approval Process requires the MuleSoft for Flow add-on. ## Flow Approval Processes Types The tiles for Flow Approval Processes are Autolaunched Flow Approval Process (No Trigger), External System Change-Triggered Flow Approval Process, and Record-Triggered Flow Approval Process. An autolaunched flow approval process launches when it’s invoked by the Request Approval component, Apex, REST API, custom buttons, or custom links. An autolaunched flow approval process can also be invoked from an autolaunched flow when the flow calls the flow-approval-process-specific version of the dynamic Request an Approval action. A record-triggered flow approval process launches when a record is created or updated, but only after the record is saved. ## Flow Usage Flow approval processes are related to flows in 3 ways:
Relationship Page list Description
Orchestration Step Action Orchestration Version Uses Flows
  • The active autolaunched flow that the flow approval process version uses as an background step
  • The active screen flow that the flow approval process version uses as an approval step
Evaluation Flow Orchestration Version Uses Flows

The evaluation flow that the flow approval process version to determine whether:

  • A stage can be completed
  • A background step can be started
  • An approval step can be started
  • An approval step can be completed
Request Approval Action Orchestration Used in Flow Versions The flow version that uses the flow approval process from an Action element that calls the Request Approval action
View the flows that a flow approval process version uses or the flow approval processes that a flow version uses in the Approval Lightning app. See [Determine Flow Usage in a Flow Approval Process Version](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_manage_flow_approval_process_flow_usage.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Flow approval process versions use flows to run approval and background steps. Flow approval process version stages and steps can use flows to evaluate complex criteria. Those criteria can determine when a background or approval step starts and when to mark a stage or approval step as completed. View the flows that a flow approval process version uses to understand these relationships.") or [Determine Flow Approval Process Usage in Flow Versions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_manage_flow_approval_process_usage.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Flow versions can call a flow approval process from an Action element using the Request Approval action. View the flow versions that use an autolaunched flow approval process before making changes to the active flow approval process version."). ## Available Elements and Resources Flow Builder limits the types of elements and resources that can be a part of a flow approval process. Elements Available in Flow Approval Processes | Element | PUrpose | | --- | --- | | Decision | Evaluate a set of conditions, and then route execution through a flow approval process based on the decision outcome. | | Stage | Group a series of related steps. Configure conditions to be met before a stage can be completed. | Resources Available in Flow Approval Processes | Resource | Description | | --- | --- | | Constant | Stores an unchanging value that you can use throughout a flow approval process. | | Formula | Calculates a value when the formula is used in an element or other resource in a flow approval process. | | Step | Defines an action to take as a part of a stage in a flow approval process. | | Text Template | Stores plain or formatted text that can include merge fields to create custom or personalized text. For example, create text templates that you specify for the subject and body of a custom email for an approval step. | | Variable | Stores a value that is assigned at run time. For information about using variable in flow approval processes, see [Variables in Flow Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_concept_approval_orchestrations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5). | ## Variables in Flow Approval Processes Autolaunched flow approval processes can use input variables to require input from a process that calls it. To reference output values from flows called by flow approval process steps, use the step’s automatic output.
Variable Description Notes
Internal-only Flow approval processes don’t have a way to assign a value to an internal-only variable.
Input The user-defined variable is marked Available for input. When an autolaunched flow approval process with input variables is called by another process, its input variables can accept input from the parent process.

Flow approval processes can’t change the value of variables, but they can pass input variables to input parameters for flows called by steps in a flow approval process. Flow approval processes can also pass input variables to input parameters for evaluation flows that are used in a flow approval process.

Each flow approval process also contains 3 variables:

  • recordId: The record ID of the record to be approved.
  • submitter: the ID of the user or credentialed Experience site visitor who submitted the approval.
  • submissionComments: Comments about the submission from the person who submitted the approval.
Output

Flow approval processes don’t use output variables.

For information about output variables in flows called by flow approval process steps, see Flows in Flow Approval Processes.
## Recall Paths in Flow Approval Processes Configure the Start element in a flow approval process to add a recall path. This path runs if an approval submission based on that flow approval process is recalled. The recall path can have a single stage that contains only background steps. When an approval submission is recalled, the stage that was running and its child steps are canceled. All open approval work items associated with the approval submission are also canceled. Then the stage in the recall path runs. When the recall path stage is completed, the approval submission is recalled. ## Record Refresh in Flow Approval Processes When a flow approval process references a record variable or a record collection variable, those variables are refreshed with their latest record values each time the orchestration run associated with a parent approval submission based on that flow approval process resumes. For approval submissions based on an autolaunched flow approval process, all referenced records are refreshed. For approval submissions based on a record-triggered flow approval process, all referenced records except $Record\_Prior are refreshed.