Skip to main content
Approvals are a key feature in Elementum that enable structured review and sign-off workflows. Users can request approvals manually, or automations can start approval processes automatically based on specific triggers and conditions.

​
Overview

The approval system provides flexible workflow management where:
  • Users can initiate approval requests for critical decisions
  • Automations can automatically trigger approval processes based on data changes or business rules
  • App Admins can configure automations to listen for approval events and move processes forward
  • Multiple approval types support different business scenarios

​
How Approvals Work

Users can request approvals directly through the application interface when they need sign-off on:
  • Financial transactions above threshold amounts
  • Document submissions requiring legal review
  • Status changes that affect project timelines
  • Resource allocations for team assignments
App Admins can write automations that listen for approval events and automatically move processes forward when the right people have recorded approvals or denials.

​
Common Approval Scenarios

Scenario: Purchase orders over $1,000 require manager approvalConfiguration:
  • Trigger: Amount field > $1,000
  • Approver: Direct manager
  • Locked fields: Amount, vendor, description
Scenario: Legal documents need review before executionConfiguration:
  • Trigger: Document type = “Contract”
  • Approver: Legal team group
  • Required approvals: 2 of 5 legal team members
Scenario: Employee vacation requests require supervisor approvalConfiguration:
  • Trigger: Manual request submission
  • Approver: Employee’s supervisor
  • Delegate: Department head (when supervisor unavailable)
Scenario: Budget modifications need finance and department head approvalConfiguration:
  • Trigger: Budget variance > 10%
  • Approvers: Finance Manager → Department Head
  • Sequential approval required

​
Approval Configuration

​
Set Up Approval Processes

  1. Click Approval Processes under Workflows and Processes in your app.
  2. Click Create New.
  3. Enter a name and assign it to a stage in your workflow.
  4. Click Save.

​
Basic Settings

Purpose: Unique identifier for the approval processBest Practice: Use descriptive names that clearly indicate the purposeExamples:
  • “Purchase Order Approval - Over $1K”
  • “Legal Document Review”
  • “Employee Onboarding Sign-off”

​
Approval Types

Sequential approver workflow where each approver must act before the next can proceed.Each step in the chain can be assigned to a user, a group, or a dynamic manager. The dynamic manager option automatically sets the approver to a custom number of manager levels above the requester.Best for:
  • Budget approvals requiring multiple levels
  • Document reviews with hierarchical sign-off
  • Project milestone approvals
Example Configuration:
  1. Direct Manager
  2. Department Head
  3. Finance Director
  4. CFO (for amounts > $10,000)

​
Button Customization

Customize the approval interface to match your business terminology. Here are some examples:
Approve Option: “Authorize” (9/20 characters)Deny Option: “Reject” (6/20 characters)
Approve Option: “Sign Off” (8/20 characters)Deny Option: “Send Back” (9/20 characters)
Approve Option: “Grant” (5/20 characters)Deny Option: “Decline” (7/20 characters)

​
Add Approvals to Your Layout

To display approvals in your workflow, add the Approvals component to your record layout:
  1. Open your object and click Record Details Layout under User Interface in the object’s menu.
  2. In the layout builder, go to the Components tab.
  3. Find and drag the Approvals component to your desired section.
  4. The page automatically saves your layout changes.
To trigger approvals automatically based on business rules, use the Start Approval Process automation action. See the Actions Reference for configuration details.

​
Advanced Features

​
Approval Delegates

Approval delegates act on your behalf when you are unavailable. You can enable or disable delegation from your user settings.
  1. Click your profile icon in the bottom left corner.
  2. Click Approvals.
  3. Use the dropdown to search for the user who will take action on your behalf.
  4. Click Save in the popup.
Set approval delegates before planned absences to ensure business continuity and prevent approval bottlenecks.

​
Group Approvals

When you select a group as a step in an approval chain, you can configure how many members need to act before the step is resolved:
  • Approvals required — The number of group members who must approve for the step to pass.
  • Denials required — The number of group members who must deny for the step to be rejected.

​
Automation Integration

Automations can automatically manage approval processes based on business rules and conditions. See the Actions Reference for full details on the Start Approval Process action.
Automation Actions:
Trigger Examples:
  • Purchase order amount exceeds $1,000
  • New employee record created
  • Contract upload detected
  • Budget variance threshold reached
Configuration Example:IF Amount > $1,000 THEN Start “Purchase Order Approval”
Trigger Examples:
  • Small amounts within delegation authority
  • Pre-approved vendor purchases
  • Routine maintenance requests
  • Employee data updates
Configuration Example:IF Amount < $100 AND Vendor = “Approved Vendor” THEN Auto-approve “Purchase Order Approval”
Trigger Examples:
  • Requests exceeding budget limits
  • Invalid or incomplete data
  • Policy violations detected
  • Duplicate submissions
Configuration Example:IF Amount > Budget_Remaining THEN Auto-deny “Purchase Order Approval” WITH Reason “Exceeds available budget”
Trigger Examples:
  • Underlying data changes significantly
  • Requestor cancels original request
  • Deadline passes without action
  • Higher priority conflicts arise
Configuration Example:IF Original_Amount != Current_Amount THEN Cancel “Purchase Order Approval” WITH Reason “Purchase order amount changed”

​
Approval Workflow States

Active approval requests requiring action from assigned approvers.Information Displayed:
  • Approval summary and context
  • Current position in approval chain
  • Deadline information (if configured)
  • Attached documents and relevant data
  • Previous approver comments
When an approval request is created, approvers receive email notifications containing Approve and Deny buttons for quick action directly from their inbox.
Approval links in email notifications expire after 5 days. After expiration, the links will no longer be valid.
If an approval email link has expired, approvers can still complete the approval through the platform:
  1. Log into Elementum
  2. Navigate to Home > My Approvals
  3. Locate the pending approval request
  4. Complete the approval or denial from the list
Approval requests remain active in the platform regardless of email link expiration. The 5-day expiration only affects the convenience links in email notifications.

​
Best Practices

  • Clear Approval Names: Use descriptive names that indicate purpose and scope
  • Logical Stage Assignment: Link approvals to appropriate workflow stages
  • Realistic Timelines: Set achievable approval deadlines with buffer time
  • Lock Critical Fields: Prevent data changes during approval processes
  • Appropriate Permissions: Ensure only authorized users can modify approval settings
  • Audit Trails: Maintain complete records of all approval actions
  • Configure Delegates: Ensure business continuity with proper delegation
  • Clear Instructions: Provide context and guidance for approvers
  • Timely Notifications: Keep stakeholders informed of approval status
  • Monitor Performance: Regularly review automated approval triggers and outcomes
  • Test Thoroughly: Validate automation logic before production deployment
  • Document Rules: Maintain clear documentation of approval automation rules

​
Troubleshooting Common Issues

Possible Causes:
  • Automation trigger conditions not met
  • Insufficient user permissions
  • Incorrect stage assignment
Solutions:
  • Verify trigger conditions and data values
  • Check user roles and permissions
  • Confirm approval is assigned to correct workflow stage
Possible Causes:
  • Email notification settings disabled
  • Approver not active in system
  • Delegate settings interfering
Solutions:
  • Enable email notifications in user settings
  • Verify approver account status
  • Review delegate configuration
Possible Causes:
  • Incorrect group membership
  • Conflicting approval/denial thresholds
  • Group members lacking permissions
Solutions:
  • Verify group membership and roles
  • Review threshold settings for logical consistency
  • Confirm group member permissions