Use approval flows to add internal review steps to a request before it is concluded.
Approval flows are useful when more than one team or reviewer needs to sign off on a request. They are optional and can be applied only when needed.
What are approval flows?
An approval flow is a reusable workflow that defines who must review and approve a request.
Each flow can include:
- one or more approval steps
- different approval groups in each step
- sequential approval, where Step 2 begins only after Step 1 is completed
- multiple groups within the same step, when several approvals should happen in parallel
Approval flows are created by an admin and then selected when a request is created.
Before you start
Before you can use approval flows, make sure:
- the relevant users have been invited to the platform
- your approval groups have been created
- an admin has permission to manage approval settings
Step 1: Create approval groups
Approval groups define which users are allowed to approve.
To create an approval group:
- Go to Settings → Approval Groups.
- Create a group for each team or review function you need, for example:
- Legal
- Compliance
- Treasury
- Management
- Add the relevant platform users to each group.
Save the group.
Use clear group names so it is easy to understand who should review each step.
Step 2: Create an approval flow
Once your approval groups are ready, you can build a flow for requests.
- Go to Settings → Approval Flows.
- Create a new flow.
- Choose Requests as the flow type.
- Add the approval step or steps you need.
- Assign one or more approval groups to each step.
Publish the flow.
Only published approval flows can be used on requests.
Step 3: Apply an approval flow to a request
When creating a request, you can decide whether the request should use an approval flow.
- Create a new request.
- Turn on the approval flow option.
- Select the relevant approval flow.
- Continue preparing the request as usual.
When the request is ready for internal review, request approval.
Approval flows are optional, so you can decide request by request whether they should be used.
What happens when approval is requested?
When approval is requested:
- the selected approvers receive an email notification
- approvers review the request and respond on behalf of their approval group
- if the current step contains multiple groups, all required groups in that step must complete their review before the next step begins
- once one step is completed, the next step starts automatically
if a group rejects, the flow stops and the request owner can review the feedback and decide on next steps
This helps keep internal review structured and visible before the request is completed.
Using approval flows in templates
If your team often uses the same approval logic, you can save approval flows as part of your request templates.
This helps standardize your process and reduces manual setup for recurring request types.
Best practices
To get the most value from approval flows, we recommend:
- creating separate flows for different use cases, such as standard and high-risk requests
- keeping flows simple and easy to understand
- using consistent approval group names across teams
- testing a flow internally before rolling it out widely
FAQs
Can I create multiple approval flows?
Yes. You can create multiple flows for different request types or internal processes.
Can I edit an approval flow?
Yes, as long as the flow is not already in use. If a flow has already been used, create a new version for future requests.
Can I delete an approval flow?
Yes. If a flow has already been used, existing requests are not affected, but the flow will no longer be available for future requests.
Can approval flows be added to templates?
Yes. Approval flows can be saved as part of request templates.
Are approval flows mandatory?
No. They are optional and are selected per request.
Need help?
If you would like help designing approval groups or setting up approval flows for your team, contact your Avallone contact person or reach out to support.