---
schema_version: "1"
id: 06918eb75c4c06adb268045d477f148b7e80b4b5f1f9dacd41d4ce12a7ea9984
title: Automate the Approval Process for Knowledge Article Relationships
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/knowledge_maps_automate_approval_process.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.knowledge_maps_automate_approval_process.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 6327cfd1e5d9dd2c0fd57982c996fe33f0b422450affc3b931d26fa3dc593456
description: If needed, you can automate the process for reviewing and approving knowledge article relationships. Knowledge Managers can review, approve, or reject the hierarchy of knowledge articles before they’re published.
products:
  - Service Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Automate the Approval Process for Knowledge Article Relationships

If needed, you can automate the process for reviewing and approving knowledge article relationships. Knowledge Managers can review, approve, or reject the hierarchy of knowledge articles before they’re published.

### 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 Lightning Experience. <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.service_editions_reference.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d157120e60">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d157120e60 ">To view Enhanced Knowledge Settings in Setup:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d157120e60 ">Knowledge User license</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d157120e60 ">To set up Knowledge Maps</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d157120e60 ">
              <p>Customize Application </p>
              <p>AND</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Read, Create, and Edit access for Knowledge Article
                Relationships.</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

## Step 1: Create an approval process.

1. From Setup, in the Quick Find box, enter Approval Processes, and then select **Approval Processes**.
2. In the Manage Approval Processes For field, select **Knowledge Article Relationship**.
3. Click **Create New Approval Process**, and then select **Use Standard Setup Wizard**.
4. Enter a name for the approval process and press tab to autofill the Unique Name field.
5. Enter a description and click **Next**.
6. In the Specify Entry Criteria section, specify the criteria a knowledge article relationship record must meet to be submitted for review and approval.
    
    - Select **Knowledge Article Relationship: Status** from Field.
    - Select **equals** from the Operator field.
    - Enter **Pending** as the Value.
        
        ![The Approval Process setup page showing the entry criteria for review and approval of knowledge article relationship.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/support/images/knowledge/knowledge_article_relationship_approval_criteria.png)
7. Click **Next**.
8. Optionally, you can add automated approvals by selecting a value from Next Automated Approver Determined By.
9. Select the Record Editability Properties. For example, select Administrators ONLY can edit records during the approval process to lock the record from edits outside admins.
10. Click **Next**.
11. In the Approval Assignment Email Template field, search and select an email template. This notifies an approver that an approval request is assigned to them.
12. Click **Next** and configure the approval page layout by adding or removing Available Fields to Selected Fields. Fields added to the Selected Fields list display to the approver.
    
    ![The Approval Process setup page showing the fields selected to show on the approval page layout.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/support/images/knowledge/knowledge_article_relationship_approval_select_fields.png)
13. To display the approval history, select **Display approval history information in addition to the fields selected above**, and click **Next**.
14. Select **Add the Submit for Approval button and Approval History related list to all Knowledge Article Relationship page layouts** and **Allow submitters to recall approval requests**.
15. Save your changes.
16. Next, to add approval steps, select **Yes, I’d like to create an approval step** and click **Go!** to continue.

## Step 2: Add approval steps.

Approval steps are milestones within your process that determine where the record moves next.

1. Enter a name for the approval step and press tab to autofill the Unique Name field.
2. Enter a description.
3. Enter a step number if you have more than one step in your process, and click **Next**.
4. Specify the criteria for the record to enter this approval step. For example, “All records should enter this step” submits every record for approval. If there are exceptions, select **Enter this step if the following** and specify the criteria.
5. Click **Next**.
6. Select **Automatically assign to approver(s)** and then search for and select a specific user to be the approver.
7. Save your changes.
8. Select **No, I'll do this later. Take me to the approval process detail page to review what I've just created** and click **Go!**.

## Step 3: Add approval actions

The last step in creating an approval process is to add an approval action. Create an action for both approval and rejection.

1. On the Approval Processes page, in the Final Approval Actions section, click **Add New**, and select **Field Update**.
    
    ![The Final Approval Actions section highlighting the add new field update option.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/support/images/knowledge/knowledge_article_relationship_approval_action.png)
2. On the New Field Update page, enter a name for the approval action and press tab to autofill the Unique Name field.
3. Enter a description.
4. In the Field to Update field, select **Status**.
5. In the Specify New Field Value section, select **A specific value** and then select **Approved**.
6. Save your changes.
7. Next, in the Final Rejection Actions section, click **Add New**, and select **Field Update**.
8. On the New Field Update page, enter a name for the rejection action and press tab to autofill the Unique Name field.
9. Enter a description.
10. In the Field to Update field, select **Status**.
11. In the Specify New Field Value section, select **A specific value** and then select **Rejected**.
12. Save your changes.

## Step 4: Activate the approval process

When you're ready to activate the approval process, on the Approval Processes page, click **Activate**. Only one active version of each approval process can exist at a time. To change an approval process, first deactivate it, and then make your changes.

![The Approval Processes page highlighting the Activate button.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/support/images/knowledge/knowledge_article_relationship_activate_approval.png)

## Step 4: Add the Approval Action to Page Layout

Add a quick action to the Knowledge Article Relationship layout to submit the Knowledge Article Relationship records for approval.

1. From Setup, go to the Object Manager tab, and click **Knowledge Article Relationship**.
2. On the Knowledge Article Relationship page, go to Page Layouts, and click **Knowledge Map Layout**.
3. Click **Mobile & Lightning Actions**, and add **Submit for Approval** if it’s not already available.
    
    ![The Knowledge Map Layout showing the Submit for Approval action.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/support/images/knowledge/knowledge_article_relationship_approval_page_layout.png)
4. Click **Related Lists**, and add **Approval History** if it’s not already available.
5. Save your changes.