SharePoint Document Approval Workflow: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

SharePoint is a powerful collaboration platform that allows organizations to store, organize, and share documents and information. With its built-in workflow capabilities, SharePoint can automate various business processes, including document approval workflows. In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of creating a document approval workflow in SharePoint.

Step 1: Configuring Document Library

The first step in setting up a document approval workflow is to configure the document library where the documents will be stored. Follow these steps:

• 1. Create a new document library or choose an existing one where you want to enable the approval workflow.
• 2. Go to the library settings.
• 3. Click on "Versioning settings" and enable the option for "Require content approval for submitted items."
• 4. Save the settings.

Step 2: Creating Approval Workflow

Once the document library is configured, you can create the approval workflow. Follow these steps:

• 1. Go to the document library where you want to enable the approval workflow.
• 2. Click on the "Library" tab in the ribbon and then click on "Workflow Settings."
• 3. Click on "Add a workflow" and choose "Approval - SharePoint 2010" from the list of available workflows.
• 4. Give the workflow a name and description.
• 5. Configure the workflow settings, such as who should be responsible for approving the documents, whether to use a serial or parallel approval process, and any additional notification settings.
• 6. Save the workflow settings.

Step 3: Customizing Approval Workflow

After creating the approval workflow, you may want to customize its behavior based on your specific requirements. SharePoint provides several options for customizing workflows. Follow these steps:

• 1. Go to the document library where the approval workflow is enabled.
• 2. Click on the "Library" tab in the ribbon and then click on "Workflow Settings."
• 3. Click on the name of the approval workflow to open its settings.
• 4. Click on "Customize Workflow" to open the workflow in SharePoint Designer.
• 5. In SharePoint Designer, you can modify the workflow steps, add conditions, and perform other customization tasks based on your requirements.
• 6. Save and publish the customized workflow.

Step 4: Testing the Approval Workflow

After configuring and customizing the approval workflow, it's important to test it to ensure it is working as expected. Follow these steps:

• 1. Upload a document to the document library where the approval workflow is enabled.
• 2. Wait for the workflow to start automatically or manually start it if necessary.
• 3. Monitor the workflow progress and check if the document gets approved or rejected based on the configured settings.
• 4. Make any necessary adjustments to the workflow settings or customization if the test results are not as expected.

Conclusion

Creating a document approval workflow in SharePoint can help streamline and automate the document review and approval process. By following the step-by-step tutorial outlined in this article, you can configure, customize, and test an approval workflow to meet your organization's specific needs. SharePoint's powerful workflow capabilities make it an ideal choice for implementing efficient document management processes.