Blogs

A SuiteCRM approval workflow is a configured path for records that need a decision before work continues: criteria select the records, approvers act, the record state is controlled during review, then actions and notifications complete approval or rejection.

This article explains how that lifecycle works with the Approval Process for SuiteCRM add-on. It is conceptual, not a screen-by-screen setup copy. For detailed configuration steps, see the SuiteCRM Approval Process User Guide.

What Is an Approval Workflow in SuiteCRM?

Organizations use approval processes so submitted work is approved or rejected in a consistent way. Without automation, people filter records, chase decision-makers, and update outcomes by hand. That is slow and easy to miss.

The add-on automates SuiteCRM record approval: you specify criteria for which records are submitted, set multiple levels of approval, assign an approver for each level, and define actions on approval and rejection. The process can be set up for any module.

This article does not claim that SuiteCRM core includes all of that automation on its own. Where behavior is described below, it is the documented Approval Process add-on.

How a SuiteCRM Approval Workflow Works

The documented lifecycle is:

1. A record is created or updated.
2. Configured rule criteria are evaluated.
3. If the criteria match, the approval process starts.
4. Approval requests are assigned to configured approvers.
5. The record can be locked during the approval process.
6. Approvers approve, reject, or delegate.
7. Configured actions and notifications run.
8. The workflow continues to the next approval level when that is how the rule is set.
9. Final approval or rejection completes the relevant process.

Think of it as: Criteria → Approvers → Approval behavior → Record state → Actions → Notifications → Completion or rejection.

When Should an Approval Workflow Be Triggered?

Approval Execute At has two documented options.

Record Creation

The approval process is triggered when a record is created.

Record Edit

The approval process is triggered when a record is edited.

The product page describes the same idea as triggering on record creation as well as record update when rule criteria are satisfied. No other trigger types are documented.

Define Rule Criteria for the Approval

Rule criteria identify which records enter the process. You select fields, operators, and values. Criteria are required.

The User Guide example is an Opportunity where:

• Type = New Business
• Discount > 30%

Only records that match those conditions are submitted. Other Opportunities stay outside this approval process.

Choose Who Should Approve

Approvers can be assigned in three documented ways:

Reports To User

The request is assigned based on the organization’s Reports To relationship—the person the user reports to.

Specific User

A system user is selected as the approver.

Round Robin

Assignment can use all users in a role, or all users in a security group. The user from that role or group becomes the approver.

You can add more than one approver. If a system user is inactive or deleted, the User Guide states the request is automatically assigned to the admin user.

Anyone vs Everyone Approvers

When more than one approver is listed, the rule must say whether one person is enough or whether every listed person must act.

Anyone

Only one of the selected approvers needs to take the action. When one approver approves or rejects, the other approval requests become void. Remaining users do not need to act.

Everyone

Each selected approver must participate. Everyone has two modes.

Everyone — Sequential

Approvers act in sequence. The next approver receives the request only after the previous approver approves.

Everyone — Parallel

All selected approvers must approve, but they can act in any order. There is no required sequence. The User Guide shows an approver listed last completing their request first.

Anyone is not the same as Everyone Parallel. Anyone stops after one action. Everyone Parallel still needs every approver, just not in a fixed order.

Sequential vs Parallel Approval

What Happens to the Record During Approval?

When approval criteria match, the record is locked. Regular users cannot edit it while the process is running. Administrators can still edit it. Configuration can also allow the currently assigned approver to edit the record.

The product page states that further updates from the SuiteCRM interface, scripts, or API are ignored while the record is locked. That is documented product behavior for this add-on, not a claim about database-level locking of the whole system.

After the last required approval, the lock is released and the record is available for editing again.

Approval Actions

Two documented groups of actions run on the approval path.

Actions After Each Approval

The system can update module fields after each approval. You can set field values for each approver, and more than one field per approval.

Actions After Final Approval

After all required approvers approve, the process can:

• Update module fields
• Send email alerts to CRM users
• Send notifications to the primary module record
• Send notifications to related module records
• Send email alerts to additional recipients (the User Guide documents a maximum of 3 additional recipients)

In the Opportunity example, related Account can be selected as an email recipient because it is related to the Opportunity.

Rejection Actions

If any approver rejects the request, remaining approval requests are void. Configured rejection actions can:

• Update module fields
• Send email alerts to CRM users
• Send rejection notifications to configured recipients

The User Guide shows the record can then be resubmitted for approval from the record itself. Rejection is not documented as deleting the record, rolling it back, or restoring an earlier copy.

Delegating an Approval Request

An approver can Delegate the request to another user and add information in the description field that appears with Approve, Reject, or Delegate.

The delegated user receives an email about the assigned request. The User Guide shows the delegated work as an Approval Job. Extra delegation limits or extra hierarchy rules are not documented beyond that.

Email Notifications in an Approval Workflow

When a request is assigned, an email can be sent with necessary information and a link to the CRM record. A notification template on the rule is used for all approvers on that rule.

During the lifecycle, documented options include:

• Email to the requester
• Email to additional recipients
• Rejection email to the requester
• Rejection email to the requester’s manager (Reports To)
• Rejection email to everyone who already approved
• Approval email, including CRM users, the primary record, and related records

Only email is documented. SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, and push notifications are not described.

What Are Approval Jobs in SuiteCRM?

When a record enters approval, an Approval Job is created. Users see and respond to requests from Approval Jobs and from the record Detail View. The product page also mentions the Approval Jobs list view and the dashboard.

Documented statuses include Pending, Submitted, Approved, and Rejected. Users can filter the list to pending jobs that need their attention.

In Everyone Sequential, the User Guide shows a Submitted job for the first approver first; the next job is created after that person approves.

How Approvers Respond to an Approval Request

An approver can respond from the record Detail View (Respond) or from the Approval Job. Documented actions:

• Approve
• Reject
• Delegate

A description field is available when those actions are used. Detail View also lists other approvers on the same record. After an action is taken, that particular request is completed and those buttons are no longer available for it.

What Happens After Final Approval?

After the last required approver approves:

• The approval process completes
• The record lock is released
• The record is available for editing
• Configured final-approval field updates run
• Configured final-approval emails are sent

The User Guide example updates Sales Stage, Probability, and Next Step after each approver, then Expected Close Date and Description after final approval. Automatic publishing, conversion, or other undocumented outcomes are not claimed.

What Happens After Rejection?

Using the same Opportunity rule in the User Guide: after a later approver rejects (following a delegation in that example), remaining requests are void, configured rejection field updates run (Sales Stage and Probability in the guide), rejection emails go to the requester, the requester’s manager, and users who already approved, and the record can be resubmitted from the record.

Example: Approval Workflow for Discounted Opportunities

Documented scenario: an Opportunity with Type = New Business and Discount > 30%.

1. The Opportunity matches the approval criteria.
2. The record enters approval and is locked.
3. A regular user who created it cannot change it while it is locked.
4. Approvers receive notifications.
5. They process the request from Detail View or Approval Jobs.
6. With Everyone Sequential, the next approver is assigned only after the previous approval.
7. Configured fields update after each approval.
8. Final approval releases the lock and runs final field and email actions.
9. Rejection runs rejection actions and allows resubmit as documented.

Multi-Level Approval in SuiteCRM

Multiple levels are configured through the approval process and the list of approvers: order, Anyone vs Everyone, and sequential vs parallel. The sources describe multiple levels and adding more users. They do not state a maximum number of levels, so none is claimed here.

Designing an Approval Workflow for SuiteCRM

Administrator questions that match the documented configuration:

1. Which module needs approval?
2. Should it run on Record Creation or Record Edit?
3. Which field criteria should match?
4. Who should approve (Reports To, User, Round Robin)?
5. Anyone or Everyone?
6. If Everyone, sequential or parallel?
7. May the assigned approver edit the locked record?
8. What field updates run after each approval and after final approval?
9. What happens on rejection, including resubmit?
10. Which email recipients and templates apply?
11. Can users find work in Approval Jobs (including pending filters)?
12. Has the full path been tested: match → lock → approve/reject/delegate → actions → unlock or resubmit?

Approval Workflow vs Manual Approval

Manual process

Users identify records, contact approvers, track responses, and update records themselves.

Configured approval workflow

The documented Approval Process can identify records with criteria, assign approvers, notify them, lock records, track Approval Jobs, and run configured approval or rejection actions. This article does not claim a measured productivity percentage.

Approval Process User Guide

This article explains concepts and behavior. For administrator screens—setup, rule entries, criteria, approvers, record editability, and actions—use the SuiteCRM Approval Process User Guide.

Approval Process for SuiteCRM

The add-on is the documented way to run this SuiteCRM approval automation: criteria, multiple approvers, Anyone or Everyone, sequential or parallel approval, locking, Approve/Reject/Delegate, Approval Jobs, and approval or rejection actions including email.

Learn more about Approval Process for SuiteCRM. The current product page states support for SuiteCRM 8.8 or greater.

Frequently Asked Questions