SharePoint Content Approval: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

SharePoint is a powerful platform that allows organizations to manage and collaborate on their content effectively. One important feature of SharePoint is content approval, which ensures that documents and other content go through a review process before being published or shared with others. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of setting up and using content approval in SharePoint.

What is Content Approval

Content approval is a feature in SharePoint that allows you to control the publication and distribution of content within your organization. When content approval is enabled, any new or modified item in a SharePoint library or list must go through an approval process before it can be published or shared with others. This ensures that only authorized content is made available to users.

Enabling Content Approval

To enable content approval for a SharePoint library or list, follow these steps:

1. Open the SharePoint library or list where you want to enable content approval.
2. Click on the "Library" or "List" tab in the ribbon at the top of the page.
3. Click on the "Library Settings" or "List Settings" button in the ribbon.
4. Under the "Permissions and Management" section, click on the "Versioning settings" link.
5. Scroll down to the "Content Approval" section and select the "Yes" option for "Require content approval for submitted items?".
6. Click on the "OK" button to save your changes.

Configuring Content Approval Settings

Once content approval is enabled, you can further configure the approval settings for your SharePoint library or list. Here are some of the options you can customize:

Approver Permissions

You can specify which users or groups have the permission to approve or reject content. By default, only users with Full Control or Design permission level can approve content. However, you can add additional users or groups to the approver list.

Approval Workflow

You can define a custom approval workflow for your content approval process. SharePoint provides several out-of-the-box approval workflows that you can use, or you can create your own custom workflow using SharePoint Designer. The approval workflow determines the steps, actions, and notifications involved in the approval process.

Notification Settings

You can configure the notification settings for content approval. This includes specifying who receives email notifications when a content item is submitted for approval, approved, or rejected. You can also customize the email templates used for these notifications.

Using Content Approval

Once content approval is enabled and configured, you can start using it to manage your content. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use content approval in SharePoint:

Submitting Content for Approval

To submit a content item for approval, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the SharePoint library or list where you want to submit the content item.
2. Click on the "New" button to create a new item or select an existing item that you want to modify.
3. Fill in the necessary details and make any required changes to the content item.
4. Click on the "Save" or "Submit" button to save the changes and submit the item for approval.
5. The item will now be in the "Pending" state and will not be visible to other users until it is approved.

Approving or Rejecting Content

To approve or reject a content item, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the SharePoint library or list where the content item is pending approval.
2. Click on the item to open it.
3. Review the content and make a decision to approve or reject it.
4. If you approve the item, click on the "Approve" button.
5. If you reject the item, click on the "Reject" button and provide a reason for rejection.
6. The item will now be in the approved or rejected state, and the appropriate notifications will be sent.

Viewing Approved or Rejected Content

To view approved or rejected content, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the SharePoint library or list where the approved or rejected content is stored.
2. Use the filter or search options to find the specific content item.
3. Click on the item to open it and view its details.

Managing Content Approval Settings

To manage content approval settings, follow these steps:

1. Open the SharePoint library or list where you want to manage content approval settings.
2. Click on the "Library" or "List" tab in the ribbon at the top of the page.
3. Click on the "Library Settings" or "List Settings" button in the ribbon.
4. Under the "Permissions and Management" section, click on the "Versioning settings" link.
5. Scroll down to the "Content Approval" section and make the necessary changes to the settings.
6. Click on the "OK" button to save your changes.

Conclusion

Content approval is an important feature in SharePoint that allows organizations to control the publication and distribution of their content. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily enable, configure, and use content approval in your SharePoint environment. This ensures that only authorized and reviewed content is made available to users, improving content quality and compliance.