--- schema_version: "1" id: bc332c48b4edf1244040680d697a33066e627137e5ae60d2d1631c7ea49b0702 title: Approval Steps collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/platform/264-0-0/automate_automated_approvals_concepts_approval_step.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_concepts_approval_step.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 1ba6873f447865d6a30906c33eec4ec1838258c115fa28d12516e426670a0fe8 description: Approval steps require user interaction and create approval actions that assigned approvers or delegates can complete asynchronously. Approvers can complete reviews without running the associated flow, so include only actions directly relevant to the approval work item. Use a background step after the approval step to update related records or send other notifications. products: - Flow Builder - Salesforce Platform release: "264" --- # Approval Steps Approval steps require user interaction and create approval actions that assigned approvers or delegates can complete asynchronously. Approvers can complete reviews without running the associated flow, so include only actions directly relevant to the approval work item. Use a background step after the approval step to update related records or send other notifications. ### Required Editions
View supported editions for Flow Approval Processes.
![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_note.png) Note Always create flow approval processes with at least one approval step. When an approval submission based on a flow approval process with no approval steps runs, the approval submission is always approved. ## When to Start the Step To control when an approval step starts, select a condition. | Step Condition | Requires | | --- | --- | | **When the stage starts, the step starts** | — | | **When another step is marked Completed, the step starts** | The name of the step that must be completed before the step can start | | **When the specified requirements are met, the step starts** | Up to 10 requirements that determine whether the step can start | | **When the specified evaluation flow returns True, the step starts** | The name of the active evaluation flow that determines whether the step can start | ## Select an Action to Run Each approval step is associated with an active screen flow. A flow approval process requires that all screen flows called by approval steps contain one output variable with the specified name and data type. If the required output variable is missing or contains an invalid value, the associated flow approval process fails. | Name | Required | Description | Used For | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | approvalDecision | Yes | A text variable that stores the result of the review. Valid values are `Approve` or `Reject`. | Use the step's approvalDecision output in conditions in other flow approval process elements to determine if a step was approved or rejected. | | approvalComments | No | A text variable that stores the approver's comments about the review. | The Comments field of the associated approval work item is set to the value in this output variable. | ## When to Complete the Step To control when an approval step completes, select a condition. | Step Condition | Requires | | --- | --- | | **When the assigned user has completed the screen flow, the step is marked Completed** | — | | **When the specified requirements are met, the step is marked Completed** | Up to 10 requirements that determine whether the step can be completed | | **When the specified evaluation flow returns True, the step is marked Completed** | The name of the evaluation flow that determines whether the step can be completed | ## Approval Step Assignment Types When you design a flow approval process, assign an approval step to a user, group, or queue.
Step Assignees
Type Description
User
  • The username of an internal user
  • The username of a credentialed Experience Cloud site visitor
Group
  • The API name of a group that includes only internal users
  • The API name of a group that includes only credentialed Aura site visitors
  • The API name of a group that includes only credentialed LWR site visitors
Queue
  • The API name of a queue that includes only internal users
  • The API name of a queue that includes only credentialed Aura site visitors
  • The API name of a queue that includes only credentialed LWR site visitors
Resource

The API name of a resource that contains one of these items at run time:

  • The username of an internal user
  • The username of a credentialed Experience Cloud site visitor
  • The API name of a group that includes only internal users
  • The API name of a group that includes only credentialed Aura site visitors
  • The API name of a group that includes only credentialed LWR site visitors
  • The API name of a queue that includes only internal users
  • The API name of a queue that includes only credentialed Aura site visitors
  • The API name of a queue that includes only credentialed LWR site visitors
Without unanimous approval, the orchestration run approves or rejects the step after any member completes the approval work item. When you assign an approval step to a group, you can require that all group members approve the step. With unanimous approval, the orchestration run creates and assigns an approval work item to each group member. It also creates a single parent approval work item assigned to the group. When all group members approve their work items, the orchestration run sets the parent work item status to Approved. Then it sets the status of the approval step to Approved. If any group member or delegate rejects their child work item, the orchestration run immediately sets all pending child approval work item statuses to Withdrawn. It then sets the approval step status to Rejected. ## Default Notifications by Recipient Type At run time, when the orchestration run creates or reassigns an approval work item, all assigned approvers receive notification emails. If assigned approvers have delegates, then their delegates also receive email notifications.
Default Notifications Sent When Approval Work Item Is Created
Notification Recipient DEFAULT Notification
Assigned internal user Personalized email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed
Assigned credentialed Experience Cloud site visitor Personalized email notification with a link to the record page of the record to be reviewed of the oldest live Experience Cloud site that they're a member of
Assigned group or queue of internal users (without unanimous approval) General email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed
Assigned group of internal users (with unanimous approval) Personalized email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed
Assigned group or queue of credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors who are all members of the same live site (without unanimous approval) General email notification with a link to the record page of the record to be reviewed of the live Experience Cloud site that they're all members of
Assigned group or queue of credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors who are all members of the same live site (with unanimous approval) Personalized email notification with a link to the record page of the record to be reviewed of the live Experience Cloud site that they're all members of
Assigned group or queue of credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors who are all members of one or more common, live sites (without unanimous approval) General email notification with a link to the record page of the record to be reviewed of the oldest live Experience Cloud site that they're all members of
Assigned group of credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors who are all members of one or more common, live sites (with unanimous approval) Personalized email notification with a link to the record page of the record to be reviewed of the oldest live Experience Cloud site that they're all members of
Assigned group or queue of credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors who have no live site in common (without unanimous approval)

General email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed

The link is invalid for Experience Cloud site visitors, because they don't have access to internal pages. They can use the Approval Work Item Object List page to view and access their assigned work items from an Experience Cloud site that they're a member of.
Assigned group of credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors who have no live site in common (with unanimous approval)

Personalized email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed

The link is invalid for Experience Cloud site visitors, because they don't have access to internal pages. They can use the Approval Work Item Object List page to view and access their assigned work items from an Experience Cloud site that they're a member of.
Assigned group or queue of internal users and credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors (without unanimous approval)

General email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed

The link is invalid for Experience Cloud site visitors, because they don't have access to internal pages. They can use the Approval Work Item Object List page to view and access their assigned work items from an Experience Cloud site that they're a member of.
Assigned group of internal users and credentialed Aura or LWR site visitors (with unanimous approval)

Personalized email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed

The link is invalid for Experience Cloud site visitors, because they don't have access to internal pages. They can use the Approval Work Item Object List page to view and access their assigned work items from an Experience Cloud site that they're a member of.
Delegated internal user Personalized email notification with a link to the internal record page of the record to be reviewed and a link to the approval work item
Flow approval processes send email notifications from the Automated Process User Email Address specified in Process Automation Settings. If you don't specify this setting, Salesforce looks for an organization-wide email address with a purpose of Default No-Reply Address. If that doesn't exist, Salesforce uses any verified organization-wide email address. If no organization-wide email address exists, Salesforce uses the email address of the user running the flow approval process. If the orchestration run associated with the flow approval process runs in system context without a user, Salesforce doesn't send the email. See [Set Up an Org-Wide Email Address for Flow Approval Processes](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_deploy_create_org_wide_email_address.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To send emails from Flow Approval Processes, create an org-wide email address."). ## Approval Email Notification Customization You can customize the approver email notification. When you create a custom email for an approval step, it's sent to approvers and their delegates when the work item is created. For more information on customizing notification emails, see [Approver and Delegate Emails](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_concepts_approval_user_emails.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5). If you reassign an approval work item, default notifications go to the new approver and their delegates. Default notifications are sent even when the approval step has a custom email notification. ## Disable Approval Email Notifications You can disable all email notifications to approvers and their delegates. To manage email settings for flow approval processes, see [Manage Approval Email Notifications](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_manage_control_email_notifications.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "By default, a flow approval process sends email notifications to assigned approvers, their delegates, and approval submitters. Use approval email settings to manage emails sent to these groups."). You can also disable all email notification to approvers and their delegates for a specific flow approval process. To stop sending emails for a specific flow approval process, see [Control Approver Emails for a Flow Approval Process](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_manage_control_approver_emails_for_specific_approval_orchestration.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To stop sending email notifications to approvers and their delegates for approval submissions based on a specific flow approval process, use the advanced setting Don’t send approver notifications."). ![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 Approvers and their delegates can always see their assigned approval work items in the Approvals app or in the Approval Work Items list view. However, if you disable notifications to approvers and their delegates, they can’t approve or reject approval work items by replying with a keyword to their email notifications. ## Where to Complete the Step Approvers and their delegates can complete their assigned work items in multiple ways. How approvers and their delegates complete approval work items depends on the selected settings.
Availability How to Complete Approval Work Items
Always available (default)
  • On the record page of the record to be reviewed, by selecting the approval work item in the Work Guide
  • From the Approval Work Item list view, by selecting Review from an approval work item’s quick actions
When Enable email approval response in Process Automation Settings is selected From email, by replying to the email notification with specified keywords.
Email notifications inform approvers, delegates, and group or queue members about assigned work items. A delegate of an assigned approver always receives an email notification, but the notification itself can vary. The notification type depends on the approval step's email configuration and whether the work item is assigned or reassigned. The Enable email approval response Process Automation setting also controls notifications to group and queue members. The notification type depends on the approval step's email configuration and whether the associated approval work item is being assigned or reassigned. ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-platform-platform_automation-264-0-0-production-enus/60568438-ec7e-4665-acd1-7c80dcbe60d5/images/icon_note.png) Note You can't reassign approval work items from approval steps that require unanimous approval. With unanimous approval, each group member assigned to the approval step receives a personalized notification. For unanimous approval notification behavior, see [Approval Work Items and Orchestration Work Items](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.automate_automated_approvals_concepts_work_items.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Approval steps create work items assigned to users, groups, or queues. Approval steps also automatically send email notifications to approvers. Approvers complete approval work items through the Orchestration Work Guide component, email responses, or the Approval Work Items list view. Each approval work item is linked to an orchestration work item.").
Configuration Email Field Assignment Status Notification Received
  • Enable email approval response is selected.
  • Approval step has no custom email notification configured.
 To Assigned Each member receives their own version of the default approver email notification.
Reassigned Each member receives their own version of the default approver email notification.
  • Enable email approval response is selected.
  • Approval step has a custom email notification configured.
 To Assigned Each member receives their own version of the approval step's approver email notification.
Reassigned Each member receives their own version of the default approver email notification.
  • Enable email approval response is deselected.
  • Approval step has no custom email notification configured.
 BCC Assigned Each member receives a copy of the default approver email notification.
Reassigned Each member receives a copy of the default approver email notification.
  • Enable email approval response is deselected.
  • Approval step has a custom email notification configured.
 BCC Assigned Each member receives a copy of the approval step's custom email notification.
Reassigned Each member receives a copy of the default approver email notification.
## Running Context of an Action Called by an Approval Step An active screen flow called by an approval step runs in the context of the person who’s completing it.