How to Use SharePoint Approval Workflows with Power Automate

Applies to: SharePoint Online, Power Automate, Microsoft 365
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-05-19

Summary

This article shows you how to set up a basic document approval workflow in SharePoint using Power Automate. Approval workflows automate the process of requesting, tracking, and recording sign-off on documents — eliminating email chains and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Prerequisites

• A Microsoft 365 account with access to SharePoint Online and Power Automate.
• A SharePoint document library where you want to request approvals.
• Permission to create flows in Power Automate (most M365 users have this by default).

Instructions

1. Understand How Approval Workflows Work

An approval workflow follows this pattern:

1. A user uploads or modifies a document in a SharePoint library.
2. Power Automate detects the change and automatically sends an approval request to the designated approver(s).
3. The approver receives the request in email, Teams, or the Approvals app in Teams and can approve or reject with comments.
4. The workflow records the decision and optionally updates the document's status in SharePoint.

2. Create a Basic Approval Flow from a Template

The fastest way to get started is using a built-in template.

1. Go to https://make.powerautomate.com and sign in with your work account.
2. Click Templates in the left sidebar.
3. Search for "SharePoint approval".
4. Select the template: "Start an approval when a new file is added to SharePoint" (or a similar template).
5. Power Automate shows the connections required (SharePoint, Approvals, Outlook). Click Continue.
6. Configure the trigger:
   • Site Address — Select your SharePoint site from the dropdown.
   • Library Name — Select the document library to monitor.
7. Configure the approval action:
   • Approval type — Choose Approve/Reject – First to respond (any one approver can decide) or Approve/Reject – Everyone must approve (all must agree).
   • Title — Enter a descriptive title (e.g., "Please review: [Document Name]"). Use dynamic content to include the file name.
   • Assigned to — Enter the email address(es) of the approver(s).
   • Details — Add context for the approver (e.g., "A new document has been uploaded to [Library Name] and requires your approval."). Include a link to the file using dynamic content.
8. Configure the follow-up actions (what happens after the decision):
   • Add a Condition to check the approval outcome:
     • If approved → Send a confirmation email to the uploader, update a SharePoint column to "Approved."
     • If rejected → Send a rejection email with the approver's comments.
9. Click Save. The flow is now active.

3. Add an Approval Status Column to Your Library

Adding a status column lets you see the approval state of every document at a glance.

1. Go to your SharePoint document library.
2. Click + Add column > Choice.
3. Name the column Approval Status.
4. Add the following choices:
   • Pending
   • Approved
   • Rejected
5. Set the default value to Pending.
6. Click Save.
7. In your Power Automate flow, add an Update item (or Update file properties) action after the approval decision to set this column to "Approved" or "Rejected" based on the outcome.

4. Respond to an Approval Request

When an approval request is sent, the approver can respond from multiple locations:

From Email

1. Open the approval email in Outlook.
2. Click Approve or Reject directly in the email (actionable message).
3. Optionally, add comments explaining your decision.
4. Click Submit.

From Teams (Approvals App)

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click Approvals in the left sidebar (or search for it in the Apps bar).
3. You will see pending approval requests listed.
4. Click the request, review the details, and click Approve or Reject.
5. Add comments and click Confirm.

From Power Automate

1. Go to https://make.powerautomate.com.
2. Click Approvals in the left sidebar.
3. Find the pending request and respond.

5. Monitor and Manage Your Flows

Once your approval flow is running, you can monitor it and troubleshoot issues.

1. Go to https://make.powerautomate.com.
2. Click My flows in the left sidebar.
3. Click the flow name to see its details.
4. Click Run history to see every time the flow ran, whether it succeeded or failed, and the inputs/outputs of each step.
5. If a run failed, click on it to see which step failed and the error message — this helps you debug the flow.

6. Common Approval Flow Patterns

Scenario	Flow Design
Single approver for all documents	Trigger on new file → Start approval (one person) → Update status column
Manager approval based on uploader	Trigger on new file → Get user profile (uploader) → Start approval (uploader's manager) → Update status
Sequential approval (two stages)	Trigger → First approval (department head) → If approved → Second approval (director) → Update status
Approval with deadline	Trigger → Start approval with a due date → If no response within 3 days → Send reminder → Escalate
Content approval for SharePoint pages	Trigger on page modification → Start approval (site owner) → If approved → Publish page

7. Best Practices

• Keep flows simple — Start with a basic approve/reject flow. Add complexity (parallel approvals, conditions, escalations) only when needed.
• Use meaningful titles — Include the document name and library in the approval request title so approvers know what they are reviewing without opening the email.
• Include a link to the document — Always add a direct link to the file in the approval details so the approver can review it with one click.
• Set up notifications for failures — In Power Automate, configure the flow to send you an email if a run fails, so you can fix issues promptly.
• Test before going live — Upload a test document to verify the flow works end-to-end before announcing it to your team.

Troubleshooting

TIP

If your approval flow is not triggering, the most common cause is that the SharePoint trigger is checking for changes every few minutes (not instantly). Wait 5–15 minutes after uploading a document before assuming the flow is broken.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
Flow does not trigger when a file is uploaded	Trigger delay or wrong library selected	Wait 5–15 minutes. Verify the correct SharePoint site and library are selected in the trigger.
Approver does not receive the request	Wrong email address or email went to junk	Verify the approver's email in the flow. Check their Junk/Spam folder. They can also check the Approvals app in Teams.
"Approve" button in email does not work	Actionable messages blocked by email client	Use the Approvals app in Teams or respond via Power Automate instead.
Flow fails with "Access Denied"	Flow creator does not have permissions to the library	Ensure the flow creator has at least Edit permissions on the SharePoint library.
Approval status column does not update	"Update item" action is missing or misconfigured	Edit the flow and verify the Update item action is correctly mapping the approval outcome to the Approval Status column.
Too many approval emails	Flow triggers on every file edit, not only new files	Change the trigger from "When a file is modified" to "When a file is created" to avoid duplicate approvals.

Related Articles

• How to Manage Files in SharePoint Document Libraries
• How to Use Power Automate Basics in Microsoft 365
• How to Use SharePoint Sites and Pages for Team Collaboration
• Understanding File Sharing and Permissions in Microsoft 365
• How to Create and Use a List in Microsoft Lists

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