An approval workflow turns “I think everyone agreed” into a record of who approved what and when. It is worth using for anything that would be awkward to explain later.
Start a workflow
- Open the document, select Collaborate → Approval, then Request Approval.
- Choose your approvers from Internal Users and, if you have added any, External Users.
- Choose the Approval Type — Sequential or Parallel. For a sequential workflow, drag the approvers into the order you want.
- Optionally add a message (up to 1,000 characters) pointing approvers at the sections that matter, and a due date in the future.
- Select Send for Approval. Every approver is notified.
Sequential or parallel
- Sequential
- Approvers review one at a time in order — each must complete before the next can review. Use it when a later decision depends on an earlier one, such as legal before finance. Only sequential workflows let you drag approvers into order.
- Parallel
- All approvers review simultaneously, and approval completes when everyone has approved. Use it when the decisions are independent and you want speed.
Approving and rejecting
An approver opens the document and decides from the same Approval tab:
- Approve Document — a comment is optional, but a sentence on what you checked is worth writing.
- Reject Document — a reason is required. The workflow will not accept a rejection without one, which is what makes the record useful later.
Following a workflow
The Approval tab shows who requested it, when, who has responded and what is outstanding. A workflow is in one of five states:
- In Review
- Decisions are still outstanding.
- Pending
- This particular approver has not responded yet.
- Approved
- Everyone required has approved.
- Rejected
- Someone declined, with their stated reason attached.
- Cancelled
- The requester stopped the workflow before it finished.
Cancelling and restarting
Cancel Workflow stops a workflow that is no longer right — a superseded draft, or the wrong approvers. After you have made changes, Restart Approval Process sends it round again. The timeline keeps the full history either way, so a restarted workflow does not erase what happened the first time.
Common questions
Can I edit the document while it is in approval?
The document is protected while a workflow is running, and the header shows that it is in approval mode. Cancel the workflow if you need to make changes, then restart it.
Who can start an approval workflow?
Document owners. If the option is unavailable, you are not the owner of that document — ask whoever created it.
An external contact is not in my approver list.
External users have to be added to the document under Participants before they can be selected as approvers.
What happens when a due date passes?
The workflow is marked Overdue and stays open — nothing is cancelled automatically. Chase the outstanding approver, or cancel and restart with a realistic date.
About this guide
Imported from the application Help Center on 23 September 2026. The original content date is preserved. Product workflows and screenshots have not been revalidated against current account permissions and availability.