Built-In Approvals in SharePoint Lists — Just a Few Clicks Away

Hey there!

Welcome back to another edition of the 🧭Microsoft 365 Compass Newsletter🧭 — your guide to getting more done with Microsoft 365, one tip at a time.

This time, we’re spotlighting a built-in SharePoint feature that often flies under the radar: the ability to create approval workflows right from a list — no need to open Power Automate.

It’s a simple way to streamline requests and track approvals directly within SharePoint. With just a few clicks, you can set up approvals, view status updates, and send approval requests via the Microsoft Teams Approvals app — all without leaving the list view.

Let’s take a closer look at how it works and how you can start using it today.

How to Set Up Approvals in a SharePoint List

To enable approvals in your SharePoint list, follow these simple steps:

1. Open your SharePoint list and click the Automate button in the toolbar.

2. Select Configure Approvals from the dropdown menu.

3. In the prompt, toggle Enable Approvals to On and click Apply.

4. An Approval Status column will be added to your list to show the status of each item.

How to Send a SharePoint List Item for Approval

Once the Approval Status column has been added to your list, follow these steps to send an item for approval:

1. Click on the Approval Status value (e.g., Not Submitted) for the item you want to send.

2. A Request Approval card will appear, using the value from the first text column in your list as the approval name.

3. Select the people you'd like to send the approval request to — you can add multiple approvers.

4. Choose whether all approvers must respond by toggling Require a response from all approvers — note that sequential approvals are not supported with this feature at this time.

5. Optionally, enter a description to include with the approval request.

6. Click Submit to send the approval request.

7. A progress bar will appear at the bottom, and once the request is sent, the Approval Status column will update to Requested.

Note: The first time you initiate an approval on a site, a flyout panel will appear to set up the necessary connections to SharePoint, Teams, and the Approvals app.

Actioning SharePoint List Approval Requests

Approval requests sent using this method are delivered through the Microsoft Approvals app in Teams.

Approvers will receive a notification in their Teams activity feed, which they can click to open the request. Each approval request includes key details, a direct link to the SharePoint list item, and options to:

• Approve or Reject the request

• Add comments to provide context or feedback

• Cancel, follow up, or reassign the request to another user if needed

This makes it easy for approvers to take action without needing to navigate away from Microsoft Teams. Once the approval has been submitted, the Approval Status column on the SharePoint list will update to reflect the outcome — and you can click on it at any time to view the approval card again.

Final Thoughts

And that’s how you can easily add approval workflows to any SharePoint List — all without opening Power Automate!

In my experience, people often look for more robust workflows, especially sequential approval routes, which would be a game-changer if added here. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft brings this in soon, especially since it’s already possible using the Microsoft Approvals app in Teams.

Curious about how that works? Hit reply and let me know — if there’s enough interest, I might cover it in the next edition!

I’d also love to hear from you:
👉 Will this feature be useful in your day-to-day work?
👉 What improvements or features would you like to see added?
👉 Should I create a full video tutorial on this topic?

Hit reply and let me know!

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