Understanding Approval Workflows in ServiceNow: A Practical Guide for Administrators and Developers

[BillMartin]

Approval workflows are a cornerstone of ServiceNow's capabilities, empowering organizations to automate and streamline their processes. Whether you are working on incident management, change management, or custom applications, having a well-defined approval process ensures tasks are executed smoothly, minimizing bottlenecks and enhancing efficiency.

In this article, we will explore the concept of approval workflows in ServiceNow, how they can be configured, and key best practices to maximize their effectiveness.

What Are ServiceNow Approval Workflows?

Approval workflows in ServiceNow define the sequence of steps required for getting an item or request approved. Approvals are part of business logic where a task or process transitions between states based on decisions from authorized individuals or groups.

For example:

• Incident Management: Approving escalated priority incidents.

• Change Management: Ensuring change requests get approval before deployment.

• Catalog Requests: Approving service catalog items like hardware or software.

 

Types of Approval Workflows in ServiceNow

ServiceNow provides flexibility in implementing approval workflows through the following mechanisms:

1. Manual Approvals

   • Simple and direct approvals that can be assigned to individual users or groups.

2. Approval Rules

   • Configured through tables like sysapproval_approver, allowing approvals to follow predefined conditions.

3. Approval Actions in Workflows

   • Using ServiceNow Workflow Editor, you can visually design complex workflows incorporating approval actions, including parallel or serial approvals.

4. Flow Designer Approvals

   • ServiceNow’s Flow Designer (available in the latest releases) provides a low-code/no-code way to create approval flows, making it easy to automate complex approval scenarios.

 

Key Components of an Approval Workflow in ServiceNow

To build an approval workflow in ServiceNow, you need to understand the following components:

1. Approver

   • A user or group who has the authority to approve or reject a task.

2. Approval States

   • States like ‘Requested’, ‘Approved’, ‘Rejected’, and ‘Cancelled’.

3. Approval Activities

   • Activities such as Approval - User, Approval - Group, or Approval - Action can be dragged into workflows.

4. Notifications

   • Approval workflows often integrate email or mobile notifications to alert approvers when their input is required.

5. Approval Conditions

   • Logic determining when an approval is required, often configured through conditions or scripts.

 

Configuring ServiceNow Approval Workflows: Step-by-Step

Let’s take an example of building an approval workflow for a Service Catalog Item:

1. Create a Workflow:

   • Navigate to Workflow Editor.

   • Create a new workflow and associate it with a catalog item.

2. Add Approval Actions:

   • Drag and drop Approval - User or Approval - Group into the workflow canvas.

   • Specify approvers, such as managers or specific user groups.

3. Define Conditions:

   • Use Conditions to determine when approvals should trigger (e.g., item cost > $1000).

4. Set Notifications:

   • Add notifications for approval requests, reminders, and decisions (approved/rejected).

5. Test the Workflow:

   • Use Workflow Context to test your approval flow and ensure all activities execute as expected.

6. Publish and Monitor:

   • Publish the workflow and monitor approvals through the workflow activity logs.

 

Using ServiceNow Flow Designer for Approval Workflows

For users who prefer Flow Designer over the classic Workflow Editor, here’s how you can set up an approval flow:

1. Navigate to Flow Designer > Flows.

2. Create a new flow and choose a trigger (e.g., record creation).

3. Add an Approval Action:

   • Define the approvers (individual, manager, or group).

   • Specify approval conditions.

4. Add Notifications:

   • Send emails or mobile push notifications for approvals.

5. Use If/Else branches to manage the flow of the process based on approval outcomes.

 

Best Practices for Approval Workflows

To make your approval workflows efficient and maintainable, consider the following best practices:

1. Simplify Approvals: Avoid creating overly complex approval chains that may delay tasks.

2. Leverage Automation: Use conditions and automated reminders to minimize manual intervention.

3. Fallback Approvals: Configure fallback approvers to avoid bottlenecks when primary approvers are unavailable.

4. Track Approvals: Enable reporting and dashboards to monitor approval workflows in real time.

5. Audit and Logs: Maintain audit trails for compliance and visibility.

 

Conclusion

Approval workflows in ServiceNow are powerful tools that help organizations streamline decision-making processes, reduce manual effort, and enhance compliance. Whether you use Workflow Editor or Flow Designer, understanding the core components and best practices ensures you build robust and efficient workflows.

By implementing effective approval workflows, you can transform the way your organization operates, leading to improved productivity and greater satisfaction for end-users.

Have questions or tips about approval workflows? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Want to see it in action? Watch a live demo of the Workflow Engine to learn how to create and optimize approval workflows step-by-step!

[zynsn]

Hi @BillMartin ,

Thanks for the informative article! Could you share any recommended best practices for handling approvals at the REQ or RITM level?

[BillMartin · Accepted solution]

Hi @zynsn ,

Thank you for your compliments and I am glad that I am able to help!

I created this seperate article talking about Eleven Best Practices for ServiceNow Request Management

This article provides a comprehensive guide to best practices for optimizing ServiceNow Request Management. It covers essential strategies such as defining a clear service catalog, simplifying forms, automating approvals, and leveraging knowledge management to empower users. With a focus on workflow efficiency, mobile accessibility, and continuous improvement, it outlines actionable steps to enhance user satisfaction, reduce delays, and create a seamless service request process.

[BillMartin]

Master ServiceNow Flow Designer Approval Workflows – Full Guide + Video

If you’ve ever built an approval workflow in ServiceNow, you know how tricky it can be to keep it clean, maintainable, and easy to update. That’s where Flow Designer really shines — it lets you build and manage approvals without getting lost in complex scripts.

In my full Flow Designer course, I show you step-by-step how to:

• Set up approvals using “Ask for Approval”

• Create reusable subflows for consistent logic

• Pass information between steps with triggers, conditions, and data pills

• Cut down on scripting while making your flows easier to maintain

It’s the same approach I use when designing enterprise-grade workflows, but explained in a way that’s easy to follow whether you’re just starting or already deep in ServiceNow development.

Watch the full Flow Designer course here

it’s a complete series that takes you from basics to advanced approvals with plenty of real-world examples.