This article explains how to edit approval processes and what happens to any open or confirmed approval requests when you do.
Before you start
The table below explains what happens when you update an approval workflow, or edit open or confirmed approval requests.
| Scenario | Behavior |
| A request is changed before the first approver actions it | The request automatically updates, and appears as a task for the first approver. |
| A request is deleted before the first approver actions it | The request automatically disappears from the designated approver's inbox. |
| A request involved in a multistep approval process is changed after some designated approvers have already actioned it | The previous task disappears automatically and a new request is triggered. All designated approvers must action the request again. |
| A fully approved request is changed | The original request is no longer valid. Any changes previously applied to the requester's data are reverted, and a new task appears for all approvers. |
| An approval process is edited |
Open requests automatically redirect to the new approvers. If the changes adds different approvers, new approval tasks are created for them. If there is no approver set for an employee, or the assigned approver's status is On leave or Inactive, the approval task is redirected to the last person who edited the approval process. |
| An approval process is deleted | Before deleting an approval process, make sure that any employees whose requests still need approval are covered by another approval process. If no other process matches, they will be able update data without approval. |
Edit an approval process
Before editing an approval process, see the implications of changing an approval process above. If you want to edit an existing process, for example to add or remove approvers or steps, or to enable delegation, follow the steps below:
- Go to Automations > Workflows > Approvals.
- Select the approval type and the workflow you want to edit.
- If you're editing an employee data or attendance approval workflow, click Edit.
- Adjust the approval process as needed.
- Save your changes.
Change the prioritization of an approval process
If the wrong approval process is being applied to a request, the priority order may be incorrect. This can cause approval tasks to go to the wrong person. If more than one approval process matches an employee, the one with highest-priority applies. For this reason, we recommend setting the most specific process to the highest priority and the most general process to the lowest priority.
Follow these steps to change the prioritization:
- Go to Automations > Workflows > Approvals.
- Select the approval type you want to adjust.
- In the list, drag and drop an approval to the correct spot.
Delete an approval process
Before deleting an approval process, see the implications of changing an approval process above. To delete an approval process, follow these steps:
- Go to Automations > Workflows > Approvals.
- Select the approval type and find the workflow you want to delete.
- To the right of an employee data or attendance workflow, click the three dots icon > Delete workflow.
- To the right of a group-specific approval rule for time off, click the three dots icon > Delete rule.
Activate or deactivate an approval process
To activate or deactivate an employee data or attendance approval workflow, follow these steps:
- Go to Automations > Workflows > Approvals.
- Select the approval type.
- Hover over the workflow you want to activate or deactivate.
- Click the three dots icon > Activate workflow or Deactivate workflow.
- Optionally, drag and drop the approval workflow to change its prioritization.