Form Approvals | Overview - Zoho Forms

Overview

Having an approval process within your organization becomes essential to approve certain documents, applications, invoices, budgets, purchase orders, discounts, vacation time, etc. To streamline the manual approval processes that you already have and make them more efficient, and easier to manage, you can automate the repetitive approval processes by building appropriate forms and setting up an approval process. You can configure multiple levels of approval and add designated approvers from your organization, who will get notified when new form entries are received for review and approval. You can trigger email notifications for each stage of the approval process, and choose to process integrations set up for your form only on the approval of the form entries. This automation can ensure a systematic approach that will prevent delays and establish uniformity across team members.

How do Form Approvals work?




For example, consider a job application form for candidates that requires multi-level approval:

1. Candidate submits a job application form.    

  Job application form
                          
2. Team Lead gets notified for candidate screening.
3. Team Lead approves the candidate.              
4. Technical Lead gets notified to review the candidate for Round 2.
5. Technical Lead approves the candidate.
6. HR get notified to review the candidate.
7. HR approves the candidate.


8.  Final Approval status - Approved
9. Employee gets notified on final decision.

Final Approval Email

Once the approval process is configured in Web application, you can also use our mobile app to approve or deny the entries.

Mobile app



Form Approval Workflow Use-cases

Form approval workflows are a common in businesses and organizations that need to collect data and then review and approve them before further processing. Here are some examples of how form approval workflows can be used:

Employee Onboarding
HR departments can use form approval workflows to collect new employee information such as personal details, job role, and department, and then send the form for approval to the relevant managers or team leaders before the employee can be officially onboarded.

Purchase Requests
Businesses can use form approval workflows to collect purchase requests from employees, including items, quantities, and budgets. The form can then be sent for approval to the relevant managers or department heads before the purchase can be authorized.

Leave Requests
Organizations can use form approval workflows to collect leave requests from employees, including the type of leave, dates, and reasons. The form can then be sent for approval to the relevant managers or HR personnel before the leave can be authorized.

Expense Reports
Companies can use form approval workflows to collect expense reports from employees, including expenses such as travel, accommodation, and meals. The form can then be sent for approval to the relevant managers or accounting personnel before the expenses can be reimbursed.

Service Requests
Service providers can use form approval workflows to collect service requests from clients, including the type of service, scope, and budget. The form can then be sent for approval to the relevant project managers or service delivery personnel before the service can be initiated.

Types of Approval Processes

Depending on your workflow complexity, Zoho Forms offers two types of approval workflows:
  1. Basic 
  2. Advanced

Basic Approvals

The Basic approval process is designed for straightforward, sequential approvals with multiple levels. If you need a linear approval flow without complex conditions, this option is ideal. Form entries are processed step-by-step through a chain of approvers. If the first approver accepts the submission, it moves on to the next approver. You can define several stages of approvals. For example, a leave request might go through the employee's manager first, then HR, and finally the department head. This type of workflow doesn’t include conditions. Every submission follows the same path through all the approval stages.

Advanced Approvals

The Advanced approval process introduces more flexibility with the ability to configure conditional logic at multiple levels. This option is suitable for complex approval workflows that require different actions based on the form responses. You can configure conditional rules to decide which approver the submission goes to next based on the data submitted. For example, if the total expense is above a certain amount, it may require higher-level approval. Each level in the workflow can have unique conditions, and different branches can be triggered based on the data submitted.

Steps to setup Form approvals

Approval Workflow
  1. Set up levels of approval
  2. Configure Approval Settings
  3. Send email notifications in approval process
  4. Review of form entry by approvers

      Create. Review. Publish.

      Write, edit, collaborate on, and publish documents to different content management platforms.

      Get Started Now


        Access your files securely from anywhere

          Zoho CRM Training Programs

          Learn how to use the best tools for sales force automation and better customer engagement from Zoho's implementation specialists.

          Zoho CRM Training
            Redefine the way you work
            with Zoho Workplace

              Zoho DataPrep Personalized Demo

              If you'd like a personalized walk-through of our data preparation tool, please request a demo and we'll be happy to show you how to get the best out of Zoho DataPrep.

              Zoho CRM Training

                Create, share, and deliver

                beautiful slides from anywhere.

                Get Started Now


                  Zoho Sign now offers specialized one-on-one training for both administrators and developers.

                  BOOK A SESSION







                              Quick LinksWorkflow AutomationData Collection
                              Web FormsEnterpriseOnline Data Collection Tool
                              Embeddable FormsBankingBegin Data Collection
                              Interactive FormsWorkplaceData Collection App
                              CRM FormsCustomer ServiceAccessible Forms
                              Digital FormsMarketingForms for Small Business
                              HTML FormsEducationForms for Enterprise
                              Contact FormsE-commerceForms for any business
                              Lead Generation FormsHealthcareForms for Startups
                              Wordpress FormsCustomer onboardingForms for Small Business
                              No Code FormsConstructionRSVP tool for holidays
                              Free FormsTravelFeatures for Order Forms
                              Prefill FormsNon-Profit

                              Intake FormsLegal
                              Mobile App
                              Form DesignerHR
                              Mobile Forms
                              Card FormsFoodOffline Forms
                              Assign FormsPhotographyMobile Forms Features
                              Translate FormsReal EstateKiosk in Mobile Forms
                              Electronic Forms
                              Drag & drop form builder

                              Notification Emails for FormsAlternativesSecurity & Compliance
                              Holiday FormsGoogle Forms alternative GDPR
                              Form to PDFJotform alternativeHIPAA Forms
                              Email FormsFormstack alternativeEncrypted Forms

                              Wufoo alternativeSecure Forms

                              WCAG



                                        Create. Review. Publish.

                                        Write, edit, collaborate on, and publish documents to different content management platforms.

                                        Get Started Now







                                                          You are currently viewing the help pages of Qntrl’s earlier version. Click here to view our latest version—Qntrl 3.0's help articles.




                                                              Manage your brands on social media


                                                                • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                                • Digest


                                                                • Functions


                                                                • Meetups


                                                                • Kbase


                                                                • Resources


                                                                • Glossary


                                                                • Desk Marketplace


                                                                • MVP Corner


                                                                • Word of the Day


                                                                • Ask the Experts


                                                                  Zoho Sheet Resources

                                                                   

                                                                      Zoho Forms Resources


                                                                        Secure your business
                                                                        communication with Zoho Mail


                                                                        Mail on the move with
                                                                        Zoho Mail mobile application

                                                                          Stay on top of your schedule
                                                                          at all times


                                                                          Carry your calendar with you
                                                                          Anytime, anywhere




                                                                                Zoho Sign Resources

                                                                                  Sign, Paperless!

                                                                                  Sign and send business documents on the go!

                                                                                  Get Started Now




                                                                                          Zoho TeamInbox Resources





                                                                                                    Zoho DataPrep Demo

                                                                                                    Get a personalized demo or POC

                                                                                                    REGISTER NOW


                                                                                                      Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                                      Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                                      Get Started Now









                                                                                                                          • Related Articles

                                                                                                                          • Reviewing Form Entries

                                                                                                                            When you are designated as an approver for form entries, Zoho Forms offers 3 ways to review and take action on submissions: Approvals list view In-app notifications Email notifications The Approvals List View The Approvals list provides a ...
                                                                                                                          • Double Opt-In

                                                                                                                            Table of contents Overview How Double Opt-In works Configuring Double Opt-In Overview When you share a form publicly, there is a possibility that you will receive malicious or unsolicited form entries in bulk from spammers or spam bots. To control ...
                                                                                                                          • Overview

                                                                                                                            Under Manage Form Attachments in Zoho Forms offers a seamless way to store and organize your form attachments by integrating with popular third-party cloud storage services. This is particularly useful when you receive multiple attachments from form ...
                                                                                                                          • Form Availability

                                                                                                                            Table of Contents Overview Always Between Dates Between Dates & Time Set Additional Restrictions Daily Submission Limit Date Range (recurs every month) Specific Days Specific Time Restrict By Submission Overview Setting up form availability allows ...
                                                                                                                          • Overview

                                                                                                                            Beautiful forms can make a great difference in the number of entries you receive. The Theme Editor in Zoho Forms allows you to polish your forms with minimal effort. You can customize your form and play around with custom backgrounds, fonts, effects, ...
                                                                                                                            Wherever you are is as good as
                                                                                                                            your workplace

                                                                                                                              Resources

                                                                                                                              Videos

                                                                                                                              Watch comprehensive videos on features and other important topics that will help you master Zoho CRM.



                                                                                                                              eBooks

                                                                                                                              Download free eBooks and access a range of topics to get deeper insight on successfully using Zoho CRM.



                                                                                                                              Webinars

                                                                                                                              Sign up for our webinars and learn the Zoho CRM basics, from customization to sales force automation and more.



                                                                                                                              CRM Tips

                                                                                                                              Make the most of Zoho CRM with these useful tips.



                                                                                                                                Zoho Show Resources