Approveit Guide: How to Create a Workflow?
While creating a workflow, we will:
- Select the communication channel where you will receive notifications
- Set up the request form your teammates will be filling
- Build a sequence of approval steps with designated approvers
- Set reminders
- Choose watchers
- Set up post-approval actions automation
So, let’s dive into it!
To Create a Workflow:
Left sidebar ➠ Workflows ➠ Create new workflow
Choose your use case
It will define the request form template we’ll be working with on the next steps.
We are now in the workflow builder. It is divided into four sections:
- Workflow
- Form
- Approvers
- Post-approval actions
Let me guide you through them one by one.
Workflow section:
- Type in Workflow name: e.g. Finance Folder Access Approval.
- Choose categories from the dropdown list, or just type in the categories that you want to add. Categories will help you filter your workflows later.
- Select communication channel: depending on whether you want your team members to receive notifications in Email or Slack.
Form section
Select the Form type:
- Custom Form can be customized, you can choose the fields your requestors will be filling
- Email: You will be given the email address to which you can send emails that will be automatically turned into requests. See a quick video about this feature here.
Let us proceed with the custom form.
- Add fields that requestors will be filling when they are creating requests
- To add a new field, click the ‘Form Builder’ button
- Make the fields optional or required for requesters to fill
- Name the fields (requestors will see the name of the field when they are creating the approval request)
- You can click the ‘Preview’ button and see how requestors will see the request form
- You can add the description to the approval form that your requestors will see
💡 Let’s find the difference between the field types:
- Text (Single line) vs Text (Multiline)
Select Text (Single line), if you want to receive a short comment.
Select Text (Multiline), if you expect detailed comments/notes from your team members
- Amount vs Number
For the AMOUNT field any number is allowed, for the NUMBER field only integers are allowed:
- File vs Multiple Files
FILE field allows only one file to be attached. MULTIPLE FILES field allows multiple files to be added:
- Dropdown and Date
The user creating the approval request will have to choose one of the options. To add options to the dropdown field start typing in the Options field or import the dropdown options in a .csv file:
For the DATE field the requestor will choose the date from the calendar
Select an Image
- Watchers / CC
You can add the WATCHERS / CC field so that your team members can set colleagues who will be notified when the request is approved:
- Line items (table)
You can configure the table. You can add up to 8 columns of different types
Requestors will be filling the table by adding rows
Approvers section:
- Watchers / CC
- Set REMINDER to remind approvers to approve requests each day at a particular time
- Select WATCHERS (watchers do not approve/reject but stay updated on the approval process)
Now, we are going to build our approval steps.
- Add the step name, add the step description
- Choose approvers using the org structure, or by typing in the name of the user (switch the button to change options) – see the org structure guide
- You can rename the action buttons your approvers will be clicking. It is optional
- Specify the conditions under which the steps will run. See the guide on how conditions work here.
Сreate a sequential approval workflow by adding Approval Steps or Tasks.
Task is useful when not the approval, but the action is required from one of your teammates.
You can add as many steps and tasks as you need.
Post-Approval Actions
Here you can automate whatever it is you want to happen after the request gets fully approved. For example, record a transaction in the accounting software, or send an email with the request details.
To do this, we use integrations. If you would like to explore integrations further, here’s the link to the integrations guides.
Choose the app where you want to trigger the event upon the request completion:
If you select Email as a Post-approval action, it means that after the request is fully approved, its details will be sent to the specified email address.
Enter the email addresses to which the emails will be sent upon the request completion and specify the data from the request that will be included in the email.
In the workflow tab, you can edit, copy and delete the workflow.
If you have any additional questions, contact us right away.