If you’ve ever chased down approvals over email or waited days for someone to review a submission, you already know why automated approvals matter and how a seemingly simple task can take up way too much of your time.
FormAssembly Workflows let you build approval processes easily, with clear routing and connected systems that update themselves. No more chasing down signatures or making copies of documents that just add clutter.
Below is a guided breakdown of how to build an approval workflow in FormAssembly, from scratch, based on a demo that was given in a recent webinar.
Are you more of a visual learner? You can watch the webinar with the full demo on-demand here!
A Step-by-Step Guide to Building an Approval Workflow
Here are eight simple steps to follow to build an approval workflow.
1. Start With the Form Your Team Already Uses
Every approval starts with a form. In the demo this example is based on, the form is a simple application form that requires a few basic details. Simply upload the existing form to begin.
2. Add Your First Workflow Step
After dropping your form onto the Workflow canvas, you can add a quick page redirect or confirmation page. This closes the loop for your respondent and sets up the handoff for your internal team.
This first step is fast, but it establishes the pattern you’ll use throughout the workflow:
Form → Action → Next Step
3. Add an Approval Step
Next, you’ll want to drag an Approval Step onto your canvas. As soon as you place it, the workflow will automatically create two branches:
- Approved
- Denied
Everything that follows – routing, connectors, and automations – starts here.
During this step, you’ll want to configure the essentials:
- Choose the form the approver will review
- Require comments so approvals and denials are always documented
- Assign the approver (individual, group, or role)
- Customize the email notification that prompts them to review
This is the moment your process stops being manual and your workflow starts showing its value.
4. Build the Approved Pathway
During the demo, a Salesforce connector is used in the “Approved” branch. Here’s how to follow that pattern:
- Add a Salesforce Workflow Connector
- Select the action (Create, Update, etc.)
- Map the fields you collected on the form
- Return record IDs or URLs into the workflow if you need them later
This is also where advanced teams start adding more layers, such as dependencies, preconditions, secure parameters, and other features that keep Salesforce clean and predictable.
Important to note: Only approved submissions enter Salesforce, which dramatically improves data quality.
5. Build the Denied Pathway
A denial shouldn’t mean losing the record or manual follow-up. The demo uses two simple pieces to illustrate this:
- A denial email back to the respondent
- A Google Sheets connector to capture denied submissions in one place
These actions ensure that your team maintains visibility, even when the request doesn’t move forward.
6. Expand Your Logic With Confidence
Once the core elements of your workflow are in place, approvals unlock a surprising amount of flexibility. The demo walks through common questions teams have as they scale:
- Can Workflows talk to Salesforce Flows? Yes, though indirectly. A Workflow updates Salesforce, and Salesforce Flows respond to that update. You don’t have to choose one system or the other.
- Can approvers log in to FormAssembly without a paid license? Approvers need paid licenses to access approval tasks. They need a Basic License to allow them to log into FormAssembly and an Approver License to approve responses.
- What if the downstream system doesn’t have a native connector? If this is the case, you can add a Webhook connector. Workflows can push data to any service with an API.
- Can I reuse responses later in the workflow? Yes. Workflow Prefill, calculated fields, and returned connector variables all support multi-step processes.
7. Test Before You Go Live
With Test Mode in FormAssembly Atlas, you can run the workflow end-to-end by taking the following actions:
- Use Magic Fill to populate fields
- Test both the Approved and Denied paths
- Confirm email notifications, connectors, and conditions
- Ensure record IDs return correctly
Testing your workflow gives you confidence that it will operate effectively before handing it over to your team to use.
8. Build With Best Practices in Mind
The demo ends with a set of recommendations that you can apply to any approval process:
- Keep step names clear and descriptive
- Start small and grow the workflow intentionally
- Use conditions to avoid branching overload
- Keep the respondent experience simple, even when the internal logic is complex
- Document your workflow choices so future admins can maintain them
Small Workflows, Big Impact
Automated approvals aren’t about complexity – they’re about clarity. Even a two-step workflow can eliminate hours of follow-up for your team and help you ensure data only enters key systems at the right times.
Curious about what else is possible with FormAssembly Workflows? Visit the FormAssembly Knowledge Base to explore more.
Want to learn more about FormAssembly Atlas? Book a personalized demo or start a free trial today.
