Create an Approval Process

Configure approval basic info, triggers, filters, and advanced settings.

Overview

An Approval Process submits qualifying data to Designated Personnel for approval. When you create an Approval Process, configure basic info first. Then configure triggers, filters, email approval, advanced settings, and whole-process functions.

Before you begin

• You have Approval Process management permissions.
• You have identified the approval object.
• You have identified the initiator identity.
• You have identified the trigger method and filter conditions.
• To use email approval, complete system mailbox configuration first.

Step 1: Open Approval Process management

1. Go to Setup > CRM Platform Management > Process Management > Approval Process Management, and click Create in the upper-right corner.
2. Open the Basic Settings page.

Step 2: Configure basic info

Configuration item	Description
Approval Process Name	Used for display and later calls. The maximum length is 100 characters
API Name	Unique process identifier for code calls. You cannot change it after creation
Approval Process Description	Describes the process purpose. The maximum length is 500 characters
Initiator identity	Supports Data Submitter and Data Owner
Enable External Approval	Allows external users to start approval, such as agent connector, service connector, and Channel Portals users

The data submitter and data owner can be different users. For example, if assistant A creates an opportunity for sales rep B, A is the data submitter and B is the data owner.

Step 3: Configure the trigger

A trigger defines when the Approval Process starts automatically.

Configuration item	Description
Object	Supports standard objects and custom objects. Child objects are not supported
Trigger type	Create, edit, void, change owner, stage change, partner change, claim, return, invalidate, request extension, convert, and more
Master-detail object constraints	Locks child data when approval is triggered, and unlocks child data after approval is completed
Trigger method	Always trigger or trigger when conditions are met
Email configuration	Supports custom email or email templates, and lets you set the language for email content variable values

WARNING

You cannot change the trigger object after saving it. Filters and post-node actions depend on this object.

Step 4: Configure trigger condition fields

Trigger conditions and filter conditions support field types such as multi-select, single select, image, number, email, Boolean, Date Time, mobile number, single-line text, percentage, time, department, collaborative rich text, date, user, attachment, Formula, Roll-Up Summary, multi-line text, amount, multi-select user, URL, multi-select department, and date range.

Step 5: Configure the filter

A filter further limits which data runs the Approval Process and post-node actions.

1. In Filter, click Add Condition.
2. Select a field source.
3. Select an operator.
4. Enter or select a condition value.
5. Configure the condition combination relationship.
6. Click Save.

Filter conditions support:

• Fields on this object.
• Lookup object fields.
• Owner's primary department.
• Users.
• User attributes.
• Process-related variables.

Approval Process filter conditions support before-change, during-change, and after-change states.

Type	Description
Before change	Triggers when the field value before change equals the specified value
During change	Triggers when the specified field changes
After change	Triggers when the field value after change equals the specified value

Time and numeric fields support variable filtering. Variables can come from trigger object fields or same-type fields under lookup-related objects of the trigger object.

Step 6: Configure email approval

Email approval lets approvers view and handle approvals by email.

Prerequisites

• Enable the system mailbox in Mailbox Management > System Mailbox.
• The system mailbox must enable email sending retention and email receiving retention.
• Select the mailbox for sending approval emails in Process Global Settings.
• Select an approval email template in Email Configuration for the Approval Process.
• The approver has a bound email account in Org Structure or personal settings.

Configure approval keywords

Admins can set email approval keywords in Process Global Settings.

Operation	Default keywords
Approve	Approve, Agree
Reject	Reject
Complete	Complete

Keyword rules:

• Each operation type supports up to 20 keywords.
• Each keyword can contain up to 50 characters.
• Keywords are not case-sensitive in Chinese or English.
• Keywords cannot be duplicated.

Configure the email template

Email templates support an email subject, email body, and language for email body variable values.

The email subject and body can insert:

• Trigger object fields.
• Lookup-related object fields of the trigger object.
• Process-related variables.

The email body supports HTML. When the system sends the email, it automatically adds the approval email remark content.

Reply Email handling

When an approver replies to an email, the first line is the approval keyword and the second line is the approval comment. The approval keyword is required, and the approval comment is optional.

Step 7: Configure advanced settings

Setting	Description
Send results to initiator during approval	Notifies the initiator after each approver acts
Send results to initiator after approval is completed	Notifies the initiator after final approval or rejection
Merge handling for the same approver in consecutive nodes	Merges handling when consecutive nodes have the same approver
Allow approver to Retrieve and re-review	Allows Retrieve before the next Approval Node approves
Allow Retrieve after automatically approved nodes and re-review	Allows Retrieve and re-review for automatically approved nodes
Post-node action exception reminder	Reminds specified handlers when the process has exceptions
Specify initiator for system-triggered processes	Specifies the initiator for APL function or API triggers
Process deadline	Sets the circulation duration of the entire Approval Process

The process deadline must be a positive integer. Supported units are minutes, hours, and days.

Step 8: Configure Full-Process Event Configuration

Whole-process event configuration can skip empty Approval Nodes.

After configuration, the system changes the assignee of an empty node to the system and skips the node automatically. It also marks the approval comment as automatically skipped.

WARNING

After a node is skipped automatically, the system ignores post-node actions and Completion Conditions on the current node. After you change the process definition, historical data does not run again.

Expected result and verification

1. Use a test record to trigger the Approval Process.
2. Check whether the filter conditions are matched.
3. Check whether the approval task is generated.
4. Check whether email approval is sent.
5. Check whether exception reminders are available.

Related topics

• Configure approval nodes
• Configure post-approval actions
• Manage Approval Processes