A Salesforce approval process sends a record, such as a discount, expense or contract, to the right people for sign-off, locks it while they decide, and then runs actions when it is approved, rejected or recalled. In 2026 you can build approvals two ways: a classic approval process, set up with a wizard, or a Flow Approval Process, built in Flow Builder. This guide explains both and when to use each.
This post was first published in 2020 as "What is Approval Process in Salesforce?". It has been rewritten for 2026 to cover Flow Approval Processes, a side-by-side comparison and a migration checklist.
How does an approval process work in Salesforce?
An approval process checks entry criteria, routes the record through one or more approval steps, locks it, and runs actions on submission, approval, rejection and recall. Trailhead's approvals unit breaks every approval process into the same parts:
- Entry criteria: which records can enter, for example opportunities with a discount above 20 percent.
- Approval steps: who approves at each step and in what order, for example the submitter's manager and then a finance director.
- Initial submission actions: what happens on submit. The default action locks the record so that only approvers and admins can edit it; you can add an email alert, field update, task, outbound message or flow.
- Final approval actions: run only when the record is approved and no steps remain, such as setting Status to Approved and unlocking the record.
- Final rejection actions: run when any approver rejects, such as setting Status to Rejected.
- Recall actions: run when a pending request is withdrawn; by default the record is unlocked.
Classic approval process vs Flow Approval Process
Classic approval processes are built with a wizard and run in both interfaces; Flow Approval Processes are built in Flow Builder, run only in Lightning Experience and support stages, parallel work and automatic starts. Flow approvals arrived with the Spring '25 release, built on Salesforce's orchestration engine at no additional cost, and Summer '25 added a recall path, delegated approvers and submission from a flow, according to the Salesforce Admins blog.
| Classic approval process | Flow Approval Process | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you build it | Setup, Approval Processes, with the Jump Start or Standard wizard | Flow Builder or the Approvals app |
| User interface | Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience | Lightning Experience only |
| Editions | Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, Developer | Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, Einstein 1 editions, Developer; Government Cloud and Government Cloud Plus |
| Structure | Ordered approval steps | Stages that hold approval steps and background steps |
| How it starts | User clicks Submit for Approval, or Apex or a flow submits it | Manual submission (autolaunched) or automatically when a record changes (record-triggered) |
| Where approvers act | Approval request on the record, Items to Approve, email reply | Approval work items in the Orchestration Work Guide on the record page, a list view, or email reply if enabled |
| Group approvals | First response or unanimous | First response or unanimous (child work items for each member) |
| Changing an active process | You can't add, delete or reorder steps once activated | Edit and activate a new flow version |
Sources: Salesforce Help on classic approval processes, Flow Approval Processes and their supported editions. Salesforce describes Flow Approval Processes as a modern alternative to classic approval processes; as of November 2026, classic processes remain available, and we found no announced end date for them. That is different from Workflow Rules and Process Builder, which reached end of support on 31 December 2025 (see our Workflow Rules guide).
Which one should you use?
Use a Flow Approval Process for new, multi-stage or automatic approvals, and keep a working classic process until you have a reason to move.
- Use a Flow Approval Process for new approvals with several stages, parallel reviewers, background work between approvals (updating records, calling another flow), or approvals that should start automatically when a field changes.
- Keep a classic approval process when one already works, when users still rely on Salesforce Classic, or when you need a feature the migration page lists as different, such as letting the submitter choose the approver manually.
- Don't build an approval at all when nobody actually decides anything. A validation rule or a Flow that blocks or routes the record is simpler; our overview of Salesforce automation compares the tools.
How to set up a classic approval process, step by step
You set up a classic approval process in Setup, under Approval Processes, with the Jump Start or Standard wizard. The steps:
- Plan first: write down the entry criteria, each approver, what happens on approval and rejection, and who may edit the record while it waits. Trailhead's advice is to plan the business process before you automate it.
- Add a Status picklist (Draft, Pending, Approved, Rejected) to the object if it doesn't have one.
- In Setup, open Approval Processes, pick the object, and choose Create New Approval Process.
- Choose the Jump Start Wizard for a simple one-step approval with defaults, or the Standard Setup Wizard to set every option: entry criteria, approver field, email template, record editability and who can submit.
- Add approval steps. Each step has its own criteria and approver: a user, a queue, a related user field, or the submitter's manager.
- Add actions: field updates and email alerts for initial submission, final approval, final rejection and recall.
- Add the Approval History related list and make sure users can see the Submit for Approval button on the page layout.
- Activate the process and test it in a sandbox with real approver users before production.
The Jump Start defaults are restrictive: only admins can recall a submitted record and delegation is off. Change them on the process detail page if your users need either.
How to build a Flow Approval Process
You build a Flow Approval Process in Flow Builder or from the Approvals app, as stages that contain approval and background steps.
- In Setup, open Flows and choose New Flow, or start from the Approvals app.
- Pick the type. For manual submission choose Autolaunched Flow Approval Process (No Trigger); for approvals that start when a record changes choose the record-triggered type.
- Add a stage, then add an approval step to it and assign it to a user, group or queue. Add background steps for automated work between approvals.
- Decide group behaviour: by default the first group member to respond completes the work item; unanimous approval creates a child work item for each member.
- Add the Orchestration Work Guide component to the record page so approvers can act where the record is.
- Remember the running context: by default the process runs as the Automated Process User in system context, so check what it can update.
- Activate and test.
Each submission creates an orchestration run, and each approval step creates an approval work item linked to an orchestration work item, as Salesforce Help's work items page explains.
Delegated approvers and recall
Both approval types support delegated approvers and recall, with different rules. An approver can name a delegate in the Delegated Approver field on their user record. If the process allows delegation, the delegate can approve or reject on their behalf but cannot reassign the request. In classic processes, submitters can recall only if Allow submitters to recall approval requests is selected. In Flow Approval Processes, submitters can recall their own requests and users with the Approval Admin permission can recall any in-progress approval.
Moving a classic approval to Flow: what changes
Migration is a rebuild, not a conversion, and a few classic features behave differently. Salesforce publishes a migration considerations page. Points to check before you switch:
- Record-triggered flow approvals don't need a Submit for Approval button; remove it so users aren't confused.
- Manual approver selection by the submitter isn't supported.
- Recall rules differ (see above).
- The Request an Approval flow action doesn't submit records into classic approval processes, so don't mix the two on one object without a plan.
- Requests already pending in the classic process belong to it; let them finish before you deactivate it.
Common approval process mistakes
Most approval problems come from locked records, departed approvers and entry criteria that don't match.
- No unlock on rejection. The record stays locked and the submitter can't fix it. Add an unlock action to rejection and recall.
- Approvers who leave. A hard-coded user as approver breaks when they leave. Use a queue, a role-based user field or the manager field.
- Entry criteria that miss records. If a record matches no process, users see an error. Test edge cases, including blank fields.
- Too many steps. Each step adds delay. Approve in parallel where order doesn't matter.
- Automation that fights the lock. Flows and triggers that update a locked record can fail; know the order of execution and test automation alongside approvals.
- Testing in production. Build and test approvals with real approver users in a sandbox first.
Getting help
Techila is a Salesforce Summit Partner. Our Salesforce consulting services team designs approvals and the Flow automation around them; our Salesforce Flow guide covers the other flow types. Talk to us about moving your approvals to Flow.
Frequently asked questions
What is an approval process in Salesforce?
An approval process automates how a record is approved: who approves it, in what order, and what happens on submission, approval, rejection and recall. By default the record is locked while it waits, so only approvers and admins can edit it.
What is the difference between a classic approval process and a Flow Approval Process?
Classic approval processes are built with a setup wizard and work in Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience. Flow Approval Processes are built in Flow Builder or the Approvals app, run only in Lightning Experience, are organised into stages and steps, and can be record-triggered, so they don't need a Submit for Approval button.
Should I build new approvals as classic or Flow Approval Processes?
Salesforce calls Flow Approval Processes the modern alternative, so start new, complex or multi-team approvals there if your edition supports them. Keep a working classic process if it does what you need, and check the migration considerations before moving it, since some features behave differently.
What is a delegated approver in Salesforce?
A user named in the Delegated Approver field on another user's record. When delegation is allowed in the approval process, the delegate can approve or reject requests on that user's behalf, but cannot reassign them.
Can a submitter recall an approval request?
In a classic process only if Allow submitters to recall approval requests is selected; the Jump Start Wizard leaves it off, so only admins can recall. In Flow Approval Processes submitters can recall their own requests, and users with the Approval Admin permission can recall any in-progress approval.