Salesforce Flow Approval Orchestration: A Winner for Approval Processes
Approval Processes have long been a key feature in Salesforce, enabling professionals to implement structured, multi-step approvals for records. With the shift towards Salesforce Flow as the primary declarative automation tool, it was only a matter of time before approval functionality became natively integrated. Enter Flow Approval Orchestration—a new way to build and manage approvals entirely within Flow Builder at no additional cost.
Introducing Flow Approval Orchestration
Spring ’25 introduces Approval Orchestration Flow Types, expanding Flow’s capabilities beyond merely invoking an existing Approval Process. These new flows offer a robust solution for both simple and complex approval workflows, accommodating both internal and external users and systems.
Approval Orchestration flows come in two types:
- Autolaunched Approval Orchestration (No Trigger): Initiated via other processes or custom buttons.
- Record-Triggered Approval Orchestration: Automatically triggered when a record is created or updated.
Stages and Steps: The Core of Approval Orchestration
Approval Orchestration relies on Stages and Steps to structure approvals. Stages contain multiple Steps that can execute sequentially or in parallel based on specified criteria.
Within each Stage, two types of Steps are available:
- Approval Step: Requires user interaction through a Screen Flow, where approvers are assigned, notifications are customized, and records can be locked or edited.
- Background Step: Runs an autolaunched Flow automatically, akin to workflow actions.
By default, a Stage is completed once all its Steps are finished, but this can be customized with additional conditions or an Evaluation Flow for more complex logic.
Building an Approval Process in Flow Builder
Approval Orchestration offers flexibility for various business scenarios. Let’s consider an example where an Opportunity requires approval upon creation, but only if the related Account is classified as a Customer Account.
Steps to Implement:
- Select Flow Type: Use a Record-Triggered Approval Orchestration Flow for automatic initiation.
- Determine Approval Logic: Assign the Opportunity Owner’s manager as the approver.
- Create Required Flows:
- A Screen Flow for the manager to approve or reject.
- An Autolaunched Flow to update the Opportunity’s approval status.
- Configure Approval Steps:
- Assign the approver (User, Queue, or Group).
- Customize notifications and record locking settings.
- Use output variables (e.g.,
approvalDecision) to update the record post-approval.
- Automate Notifications:
- Leverage built-in notifications or customize via Flow.
- Ensure all edge cases are covered when disabling standard notifications.
For opportunities over 500K, a secondary approver is required. The Decision Element in Flow allows navigation between different Stages, ensuring complex approval hierarchies are handled efficiently.
Enhancing User Experience & Management
To streamline approval management:
- Work Guide Component: Adds an interactive UI for approvals directly on record pages.
- Approval Trace Component: Displays approval-related information since standard Approval History doesn’t apply.
- Lightning Approvals App: Centralized hub for Approval Submissions, Work Items, and Submission Details.
- List View & Reports: Customize approval tracking via list views or create reports using new approval-related objects.
Key Considerations
Before transitioning to Flow Approval Orchestration, keep these in mind:
- A maximum of 50 versions per approval orchestration exists.
- Unlike general Flow Orchestration, Approval Orchestration does not consume automation credits.
- If a related Flow fails, you will receive separate failure notifications for both the Flow and the Orchestration.
- Manual approver selection is currently unsupported—approvers must be predefined in the Approval Step.
- Ensure correct user assignment when specifying approvers; User Resources must contain the username instead of the User ID.
Final Thoughts
Bringing all approval-related automation into Flow Builder is a significant leap forward for Salesforce admins. Flow Approval Orchestration not only simplifies complex approval logic but also enhances visibility and control over approvals.
Try it in a sandbox environment to explore its potential and tailor it to your specific business needs.
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