Airtable

How to set up an approval workflow in Airtable?

Discover the step-by-step process to create an approval workflow in Airtable. Unleash your productivity, and make decision-making smoother with this straightforward guide.

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Overview

Configuring an approval workflow in Airtable makes task management and accountability a breeze. Set up automations to move tasks or documents through approval stages effortlessly, promoting well-organized teamwork. This involves creating a base to log approval statuses, crafting views for each stage of the workflow, and setting up notifications as well as status updates. Using Airtable's advanced features can streamline complicated approval processes, boosting team productivity.

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How to set up an approval workflow in Airtable?

Step 1: Create a New Base

  1. Head over to the Airtable homepage and hit the "Add a base" button.
  2. Pick "Start from scratch" to whip up a new base.
  3. Give your base a name and click "Create base."

Step 2: Design Your Table Structure

  1. Click on "Add a table" or just use the default one in your base.
  2. Rename the table to something fitting, like "Requests".
  3. Add fields that make sense, such as:
  • Request Name (Single line text)
  • Description (Long text)
  • Requester (Single select or linked to a Users table)
  • Approval Status (Single select with options: "Submitted", "Under Review", "Approved", "Rejected")
  • Approval Comments (Long text)

Step 3: Create a Form for Submissions

  1. Click on the "Views" sidebar and add a new form view.
  2. Customize the form to include fields necessary for the submission: Request Name, Description, and Requester.
  3. Use the form’s share link to distribute it to requesters for form submissions.

Step 4: Set Up an Automation for Approval Notifications

  1. Click on "Automations" in the top menu and create a new automation.
  2. Set a trigger: "When a record matches conditions". Configure it to trigger when Approval Status is "Submitted".
  3. Add an action like "Send an email" or "Send a Slack message" to notify approvers.

Step 5: Configure Approval Process

  1. Once notified, approvers can change the Approval Status field to "Under Review".
  2. After reviewing, they update the Approval Status to either "Approved" or "Rejected" and add feedback in Approval Comments.

Step 6: Add Views for Tracking

  1. Create grid views to easily manage and track requests:
  • Set a filter for "Under Review" requests.
  • Set different views for different statuses: "Approved Requests", "Rejected Requests", etc.
  1. Optionally, add a Kanban view for a visual representation of the request status.

Step 7: Provide Access and Collaboration

  1. Share the base with members of your team, giving them appropriate access permissions (edit, comment, view only).
  2. Collaborate and manage the request workflow efficiently within the team.

Step 8: Monitor and Refine

  1. Continuously monitor the workflow to ensure it meets the team's needs.
  2. Make necessary adjustments to fields, views, and automations based on feedback and changing requirements.

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