A contract, press release or procedure has to be approved before it's official. In SharePoint and Teams you request an approval for a file. The approver gets a notification and approves or rejects, and you see the status next to the file. There are three ways to do this, each with its own purpose. This article helps you choose and explains the steps.
Which method should you choose?
- An approval for one file: you occasionally want a document signed off, without changing anything about the library.
- The Approvals app in Teams: you want to track requests for all kinds of things (files, leave, purchases) in one place.
- Content approval: every new or changed file in a library must be approved before others can see it.
Request approval for one file
- Open the document library in SharePoint, or a channel's files in Teams via Open in SharePoint.
- Select the file and choose Automate > Request sign-off (or your library's approvals option). Menu names can differ slightly, depending on the version and the settings of your library.
- Choose the approver, add a message and send.
- The approver gets a notification in Teams and Outlook. The status appears in a column next to the file.
The first time someone uses this in a library, SharePoint automatically adds a status column. Behind the scenes a simple flow runs in Power Automate, but you don't need to set anything up yourself. Curious how that works? Read what is Power Automate?
With the Approvals app in Teams
In the Approvals app in Teams you create a request, attach a file and pick one or more approvers. You can decide whether everyone must approve or whether one response is enough. All requests, the ones you sent and the ones you need to review, are in one place. Read the Approvals app in Teams.
Approve everything first
Must every new or changed file be approved before others see it? Turn on content approval: Library settings > Versioning settings > Require content approval for submitted items. Only approvers and the author see files until they're approved.
A file then gets a status such as Pending, Approved or Rejected. An approver selects the file, chooses Approve/Reject via the menu with the three dots and can add a comment. In the same versioning settings you also decide who may see draft versions. Combine content approval with version history, so the last approved version stays visible while someone prepares a new one.
Tips
- Only use content approval in libraries where it's really needed, such as a library with official procedures. In an ordinary team library it slows down collaboration.
- Only share a file with external people once it's approved. Read all the ways to share files for the options.
- If you mainly work from File Explorer with a synced library, follow up approvals in the browser or in Teams: you don't see the status in File Explorer. To stay informed about changes, set up a notification on the library.
Common problems
- Colleagues don't see my file. With content approval a file only becomes visible after approval. Check the status in the library.
- I don't see the Approve option. You don't have the right permission. Site owners can approve; ask them to give you the rights.
- A rejected file is gone. The file still exists with the status Rejected. If it really was deleted, check the site's recycle bin.
For site owners and admins
Agree in advance who approves and how quickly. Without a stand-in during absences, requests get stuck. Also check whether your organization allows Power Automate, because both sign-off and the Approvals app rely on it.
Nederlandstalige versie: Een goedkeuring vragen voor bestanden in SharePoint of Teams