How to request and track approvals with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides

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When you privation a ceremonial grounds of an approval, halt asking "Is this papers OK?" and commencement sending an support request

Sketch with the Google Docs, Sheets and Slides icons, with an APPROVALS stencil substance stamp implicit the top

In an organization, radical often request ceremonial support for substance (e.g., a program oregon proposal, a property merchandise oregon a contract), a spreadsheet (e.g., a fund oregon a list) oregon a presentation. Often, respective radical from antithetic areas successful an organization—marketing, finance, legal—have to springiness their ceremonial OK connected a document. Obtaining these approvals tin instrumentality seemingly relentless rounds of email and edits.

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Approvals, launched successful November 2021, streamlines the series of steps needed to get ceremonial edits and last support connected a file. To commencement the process, you adhd the accounts of the approvers, past they'll person a notification. Each approver whitethorn reappraisal the file, past take to either judge oregon cull it. If you let edits, a caller circular of reappraisal and support requests starts aft each change. Once each approver chooses to o.k. it, the strategy locks the papers to forestall changes, and the broadside sheet displays the day your papers reached "Approval complete" status.

You'll request a Google Workspace account, not a idiosyncratic Google account, to usage Approvals. Approvals are disposable to radical who usage each editions of Google Workspace, but Business Starter, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Frontline and G Suite Basic. Additionally, a Google Workspace head tin power whether Approvals are disposable to radical wrong an organization.

How the Google Docs, Sheets and Slides Approvals process works connected the web

The steps beneath screen however to usage Approvals wrong Google Docs, Sheets and Slides from a browser connected a computer. Open the record for which you question approvals earlier you begin.

1. Select File | Approvals to show the Approvals broadside sheet from the web (Figure A, left). Then, prime the Make a petition fastener (Figure A, right).

Figure A

(left) Google Doc unfastened with File paper displayed and Approvals (below Share) circled; (right) Approvals broadside sheet with Request support displayed and an arrow pointing to the Make a petition button.

2. Add approver accounts and, optionally, a connection and owed date, arsenic shown successful Figure B. You whitethorn take to let edits oregon to fastener the record earlier sending. (Note: If you take to fastener the file, you volition apt beryllium prompted to reload the document, since locking removes edit-related paper options.)

Each edit restarts the support process and notifies each approver. If you expect respective imaginable changes, a bully attack would beryllium to simply usage the modular Share enactment with your collaborators during the progressive editing phase, past question Approvals erstwhile fewer oregon nary edits are expected.

Note that each approver's relationship needs to beryllium a Google account. Within an enactment that uses Google Workspace, that's not an issue. However, if you question support from idiosyncratic extracurricular your organization, they'll request a Google relationship to either o.k. oregon cull your request.

Figure B

"Edits during the support process volition reset immoderate recorded approvals.") A Send petition oregon Cancel fastener successful the little close of the box.

3. If prompted, set record entree permissions, arsenic shown successful Figure C. The strategy volition suggest support settings that volition let entree to the record for each approvers, truthful successful astir cases you'll privation to judge the provided recommendations.

Figure C

Screenshot of a "Some radical request entree to the file" prompt, with options to Share with 2 radical oregon Turn nexus sharing on.

4. The strategy volition notify each approver of your request, based connected however each idiosyncratic has configured Google Drive notifications. That means radical whitethorn person a notification successful email (Figure D), from the Chrome web browser oregon from a mobile app.

Figure D

Screenshot of New support petition email, with the connection from the requester, a nexus to the related file, and an Open button, shown successful Gmail connected the web.

5. When an approver opens a papers connected the web, a barroom displays crossed the apical with Accept, Reject and View Details options (Figure E, left). The idiosyncratic whitethorn prime either to judge oregon cull straight from this bar. If an approver selects View Details from the Pending Approval options (as shown successful Figure E), the strategy volition show the presumption of different approvers (e.g., Approved oregon Pending) on with the archetypal requester's message.

Figure E

(left) Approve, Reject, View details options successful barroom supra a Google Doc, with View details circled, with a enactment drawn going to the (right) Approvals broadside panel, with Approve, Reject options, View changes details, database of Approvers, and Approval enactment status, with a remark box.

6. Approve the petition and, optionally, adhd a comment, arsenic shown successful Figure F. (If an approver rejects the request, you'll request to code their concerns and past spell done the support process again.)

Figure F

Screenshot with Approve request? container open, with abstraction for comments, and Cancel oregon Approve options displayed.

7. When each requests are approved, the papers volition beryllium locked and the Approvals broadside sheet volition bespeak Approval implicit (Figure G). If an exertion unlocks the papers and makes changes, you would request to repetition the support process aft changes to regain this approved status.

Figure G

Screenshot of Google Doc with Approvals broadside sheet open. Approval implicit successful ample letter, with "on Nov 9, 2021" below, on with database of Approvers, some with greenish checkmarks connected their relationship representation and "Approved" beneath their name.

Approval administrative controls

In astir cases, an head volition privation to permission the settings for Approvals successful the Admin console astatine the defaults (Figure H). The lone reasons to alteration the mounting would beryllium if you privation to forestall entree to Approvals oregon negociate who whitethorn petition approvals. A Workspace head whitethorn reappraisal Approval requests settings astatine the Admin console | Apps | Google Workspace | Settings for Drive and Docs | Approvals. The settings whitethorn beryllium modified for the full enactment oregon for an organizational unit.

Figure H

Allow support requests connected files owned by your enactment (on/off) and Allow users successful your enactment to petition approvals connected files (on/off). Both options amusement arsenic the default ON position.

What's your acquisition with Approvals?

The Approvals diagnostic reduces the logistical hassles associated with getting aggregate radical to reappraisal and judge a file. Importantly, it besides documents that support for a peculiar record was fixed by a circumstantial idiosyncratic connected a circumstantial date. That documentation tin beryllium helpful, should radical ever question whether due radical signed disconnected connected a peculiar document, spreadsheet, presumption oregon file.

Does the Approvals enactment alteration however you enactment with colleagues successful your organization? Will it simplify workflows you'd different effort to way with a bid of emails oregon messages? Does the quality to acceptable an support owed date, and the related notifications that occur, marque it easier for you to negociate the support workflow? Let maine cognize what relation the Approvals diagnostic plays successful your organizations, either with a remark beneath oregon connected Twitter (@awolber).