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

Illustration: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic

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

In Docs, Sheets and Slides, entree Approvals from the File paper connected the web (left). This opens the Approvals broadside sheet (right) to commencement the process.

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

Add the Google accounts of the radical you privation to o.k. your file, on with a little message. You whitethorn optionally specify a owed date, let approvers to edit the record oregon fastener the file.

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

Adjust record entree levels, arsenic prompted.

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

Each approver volition beryllium notified of your request. For example, radical who take to person Drive notifications via email volition beryllium sent a New support request, arsenic shown.

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

On the web, erstwhile an approver chooses to unfastened a record from an support request, it volition show with a Pending support barroom that offers 3 options: Approve, Reject oregon View Details. 

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

When an approver selects the Approve button, a punctual appears that lets them optionally adhd substance and past confirm.

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

The Approvals broadside sheet indicates who has approved the file. In this case, each requested approvers person approved, truthful the header displays Approval Complete.

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

A Google Workspace head whitethorn negociate support petition settings for your organization.

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).

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