Configure an approver stage
  • 05 Jul 2023
  • 5 minutes to read

Configure an approver stage


Article Summary

In approval workflows, an approver stage is used to approve, reject, or comment on a submitted application. 

You can configure one or more levels of approval:

  • Who the approvers are at each level 
  • Which fields are available and/or required on the form if it is editable (depending on user capabilities) 
  • What happens when the application is approved, rejected, or withdrawn
  • Which notifications should be sent
On a published or archived workflow, only the assigned approvers and notifications can be changed.

Configure approval levels and approvers

To configure approval at this stage of the workflow, click into the Approvals pane.

Here you can complete the following actions:

  • Add new approval levels by clicking Add approval level
  • Rename or delete an existing approval level by clicking the icon of three dots (three_dots(1))
  • Reorder approval levels using the drag-and-drop handle in the upper-left corner of each level
  • Change the approver type between Relationship (manager) and Individual (one or more specific users) for each level
  • For Individual levels, you can add or remove approvers
  • Configure approval overrides

All changes are automatically saved as they are made.

Approval level naming

The approval level name is used in the workflow and application interfaces as ‘Pending [level-name] approval’ or ‘Show [level-name] approvers’. Keep it short and descriptive, and do not use the words ‘approver’ or ‘approval’ in the name.

Renaming an approval level.

Adding approvers

After creating an approver stage you will need to add approvers. These are individuals or relationships who will be able to approve (or reject) an application. You can have multiple approvers and they can sit at different levels. 

An applicant will need to receive approval from each level sequentially (e.g. level one approved, then level two approved and so on) before they can proceed to the next stage. For each level of approval the applicant only needs one person to approve their application, even if multiple approvers have been set.

To add approver(s) follow these steps:

  1. In the level where you want to add approver(s), select the approver type from the dropdown:
    • Relationship: A position that has a relationship to the applicant (this will vary between applicants) – currently only the Manager relationship is available
    • Individual: A named individual or individuals (this will be the same for all applicants)
  2. You can then add the position or individual(s) you need.
  3. Repeat for as many levels as you need.
Note that changing an individual from one approval level to another on a published workflow may require a cache purge to update the underlying visibility maps.

Configuring the approvers in stage 2 of an approval workflow.

Adding approval overrides

In some cases you may have a need to have a different approval structure for the same application workflow. For example, if you have multiple suborganisations or departments within your organisation, you might need different approvers for each of these. Rather than having to recreate the entire workflow for each suborganisation when only the approvers are changing, you can simply create approval overrides.

You can add approval overrides manually or upload a CSV file. 

Manually adding approver overrides

The primary way to add approver overrides is to manually add them. To manually add approver overrides, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the workflow dashboard.
  2. Select the workflow for which you wish to add approver overrides.
  3. In the left-hand panel, select Approvals.
  4. Click the Configure approval overrides button (above the table of approvers).
  5. On the Approval overrides page, click the Add override button.
  6. Starting from level 1, tick the Override box to set an override for that approval level.
  7. Select the relationship type from the dropdown:
    • Relationship: A position that has a relationship to the applicant (which will vary between applicants).
    • Individual: A named individual or individuals (which will be the same for all applicants).
  8. You can then add the position or individual(s) you require.
  9. Repeat for as many levels as you need.

You can choose to have levels inherited from the default approval structure by ensuring the Override box is left unticked. 

Uploading a CSV file

If you have a large number of approver overrides you wish to add at once then you can import and add these in bulk using a CSV file. The instructions on the import form provide details on the format and structure of the file.

To upload your CSV file, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the workflow dashboard.
  2. Select the workflow for which you wish to add approver overrides. 
  3. In the top-right corner, click the icon of three dots (three_dots(1)).
  4. Select Upload approver overrides
  5. Browse for the CSV file and select it. 
  6. Click Upload

Once you have uploaded the approver overrides, you can then manage and edit them from within the system. 

Managing approval overrides

After setting up approval overrides, either manually or by uploading a CSV file, you can make changes to them. Follow these steps to manage approval overrides:

  1. Navigate to the workflow dashboard.
  2. Select the workflow for which you wish to manage the approver overrides.
  3. Select Approvals in the left-hand panel.
  4. Click the Configure approval overrides button (above the table of approvers).

From the Approval overrides page you can see the approval overrides you have set up, including which levels are inherited and which individual(s) or relationship(s) have been added as overrides. You can also click the pencil icon (edit) to the right of any override to make changes.

Configure approver stage interactions

To configure what happens when application events occur at this stage, click into the Interactions pane.

All changes are automatically saved as they are made.

Approver stage events are:

  • On approved: Event is triggered when an application has been approved at all approval levels in the stage.
  • On rejected: Event is triggered when an application is rejected at any approval level in this stage.
  • On withdrawn: Event is triggered when an application is withdrawn by the applicant, or by someone else with the capability to withdraw the application.
  • On reset: Event is triggered when approvals need to be reset, as when the application is edited after it has already been approved at at least one level.

For each event at this stage, you can configure which stage the application should move to by clicking the pencil icon (edit) on the Default transition box.

Developer note
An approvalform plugin can implement event watchers to perform custom actions (i.e. make something happen in Totara) or transitions (i.e. move the application to a different stage or state). These will not be shown in the interactions pane.

Configuring interactions for an approver stage.

Configure approver stage notifications

To configure custom notifications for this stage of the workflow, click into the Notifications pane.

All available notification triggers are configurable, but one (Application submitted) does not apply to an approver stage. The notifications which can be triggered on an approver stage are:

  • Level approved: Triggered when an application is approved at a specific level. The level is selected as part of setting up the notification.
  • Level denied: Triggered when an application is rejected at a specific level. The level is selected as part of setting up the notification.
  • At start of level: Triggered when an application enters a specific level. The level is selected as part of setting up the notification.
  • Stage fully approved: Triggered when the application has been approved at all levels on this stage.
  • Comment added: Triggered when a new comment is added to the application at this stage.
  • Comment updated: Triggered when a comment is updated at this stage (the comment may have been added in any stage).
  • At start of stage: Triggered when an application moves into this stage (or for the first stage, when an application is created).
  • At end of stage: Triggered when an application leaves this stage for any reason.
  • Application withdrawn: Triggered when an application is withdrawn at this stage.

See Approval workflow notifications for detailed instructions.

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