Approval Processes: Chronicle of a Death Foretold?
Overview
If you got your hands on a Summer ‘25 org, you might have noticed that the Approval Processes invite you to try Flow Approval Processes:
Are you having a deja vu moment? We saw this before with Process Builder and Workflow Rules, where Salesforce suggested users to try Flow for some time, until finally announcing the end of support for workflow rules. Although there has been no official announcement, it is smart to design any new Approval Process as a Flow Approval Process instead. It is clear that Salesforce is investing more heavily in Flow as its primary automation tool, so certainly, Flow-based approvals align with the strategic direction.
For Salesforce admins and developers, this pattern signals it’s time to start planning for the transition. Getting ahead of the curve means less rushed migration work later and immediate access to more powerful approval capabilities.
Flow Approval Processes were introduced in the Spring ‘25 release and ever since, quickly gained momentum. Depending on your Org configuration, you might need to turn them on in Setup, along with their notification if desired.
What are Flow Approval Processes?
Flow Approval Processes let you build complex, conditional approval logic without code, streamlining the process with Approval Orchestrations: multi-step processes that interact with multiple users and systems.
An Approval Orchestration is a sequence of stages, each composed of one or more steps, that enables you to review a specified record. Think of a stage as a container of approval steps or background steps: Approval steps assign an approval work item to a user, group, or queue, while background steps run a Flow related to the approval but require no user interaction. Only one stage in an Approval Orchestration can be in progress at a time, with the ability to configure the conditions that must be met for the stage to be completed from the following options:
- When all steps have been marked Complete, the stage is marked Complete.
- When the specified requirements are met, the stage is marked Completed (up to 10 requirements).
- When the specified evaluation flow returns True, the stage is marked Complete.
Steps instead are grouped in stages, and can be run sequentially, concurrently, or when specified requirements are met.
If you worked with the Advanced Approvals managed package, Flow Process Approvals aims to cover similar functionality, but with much more flexibility and all of that out of the box! This means multi-level, multi-step, multi-system approvals, parallel or sequential, with the ability to build complex paths to address possible approval scenarios.
In the Orchestration, you can use decision elements to determine the path to run based on conditions. You can incorporate multiple objects and relationships in a single process, which on its own is a major advantage over traditional Approval Processes.
Core Flow Approval Orchestration Structure
Standard Approvals vs Flow Approval Processes
Although not an exclusive list, the comparison below might help you understand the main differences between Standard Approvals and Flow Approval Processes, the good, the bad and the ugly.
| Feature | Standard Approval Process | Flow Approval Processes |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Point-and-click wizard | Flow builder |
| Ease of use | Simpler for linear, basic processes | Requires understanding of Flow |
| Custom UI or Logic | Custom logic requires code | Fully customizable with Flow, Apex, Decision elements, and Screen Flows |
| Dynamic Approval Logic | Only via entry criteria and formula fields | Designed to support complex conditional paths and dynamic routing |
| Parallel Approvals | Not doable without code | Naturally supported with Flow logic |
| Reusability | Specific to an object | Flow can be modular and reused in other automations |
| Error Handling | Limited to standard static messages | Flow fault paths and custom error messages |
| Notifications | Email only, with templates | Use the default, or configure in Flow (see Flow Approval Processes Notifications section) |
| User Training | Easier to understand for admins | Requires Flow knowledge and training |
| Bulkification | Native support | Needs careful design to be bulk-safe |
| Submission for Approval | OOTB Submit for Approval Button | No button needed when using a record-triggered approval orchestration. Custom button for auto-launched approval orchestration. |
| Manual Approver Selection | Allowed if enabled | Not supported (yet), requires workarounds |
| Recall an Approval | Natively supported | Requires customization until Summer ‘25 (based on the release notes) |
Flow Approval Processes Notifications
One of the most significant advantages of Flow Approval Processes is the dramatically improved notification system. Traditional Approval Processes limit you to basic email notifications, but Flow Approval Processes open up a world of possibilities.
- Multi-channel notifications
- Emails, with the option to reply for direct action (Org-wide setting)
- Slack messages to channels or direct messages with contextual information
- In-app notifications that appear in Salesforce
- Dynamic content generation, using Flow’s text template capabilities
- Include information from the approved record or any related record
- Example: A Quote sent for finance approval includes the discount %, but also shows the customer’s current assets.
- Scheduled notifications, giving you control over when and how notifications are delivered, leveraging Scheduled Flows
- Schedule reminders for pending approvals at strategic intervals
- Adjust notification timing based on approver time zones
- Implement escalation notifications after specified timeframes
- Batch notifications for approvers with high approval volumes
- Send follow-up notifications with additional context if approval is delayed
- Track notifications history
- Track which notifications have been sent
- Create dashboards showing notification effectiveness by channel
- Analyze notification response times to optimize your approach
- Maintain an audit trail of all communications for compliance
- Report on which notification strategies drive faster approval times
- Interactive Notification Components
- Add comment fields for capturing feedback within the notification
- Provide links to relevant documentation or policies
- Include conditional guidance based on approval criteria
The overall result is a more efficient process, reduced approval bottlenecks, and a much better experience for approvers while maintaining proper controls.
Conclusion
The writing is on the wall for traditional Approval Processes. While Salesforce hasn’t announced an official retirement date, the pattern is clear: Flow is the future of automation on the platform. Next steps:
- Audit your existing Approval Processes – Identify which processes are business-critical and prioritize them for migration planning.
- Start small – Choose one simple approval process to rebuild using Flow Approval Processes. This gives your team a low-risk opportunity to build competency with the new tools.
- Document the benefits – As you implement your first Flow Approval Process, track the improvements in flexibility, user experience, and maintenance overhead to build momentum for wider adoption.
- Update governance policies – Make Flow Approval Processes the standard for all new approval requirements in your org.
- Train the team – Ensure your admins and developers are comfortable with Flow Orchestrator concepts through Trailhead modules and practice.
It is clear that the transition to Flow Approval Processes isn’t just about staying current with Salesforce’s roadmap, but about unlocking more powerful approval capabilities that can transform how your business handles approvals. Organizations that embrace this change early will benefit from reduced technical debt and more adaptable approval workflows.
Don’t wait for the retirement announcement to begin your journey. The time to start planning your transition is now.
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