Most approval workflows don't fail because they are too simple. They fail because someone tried to cover every exception on day one: four approvers, eleven fields, a branch for each department, and a rule nobody remembers. People route around it, approve in chat, and the "process" becomes a document nobody opens.
A simple approval workflow does the opposite. It asks for the few facts a decision needs, sends the request to one person, handles the one exception that really matters, and keeps a record. That is enough for most requests in a small or mid-sized team, and it is easy to grow later.
This guide gives you the three-part design, six examples you can copy, and the rules that keep it simple as the company grows.
Key takeaways
- A simple approval workflow has three parts: a short request form, one default approver, and one rule for the exception that matters.
- Start with the decision, not the form: ask only what the approver needs to say yes or no in under a minute.
- One approver is the default. Add a second only when that person checks something different, usually above an amount.
- A record of who approved what, and when, matters more than any other feature.
What is a simple approval workflow?
A simple approval workflow is the shortest path that gets a request from the person who needs something to a recorded yes or no from the person allowed to decide, before the thing happens.
It has three parts:
- A request form. The same questions every time, so nobody has to ask "how much?" or "for which client?" in a reply.
- One default approver. Usually the requester's manager, or the owner of the budget, system or calendar involved.
- One rule for the exception. The single case where the default approver is not enough, such as a purchase above a set amount.
Everything else (notifications, reminders, the record) should come for free from the tool you use, not from extra steps.
The three parts, in detail
1. A short request form
Write the form by asking what the approver would otherwise reply with. For a purchase that is usually what, how much, from whom, why, and by when. Five to seven fields cover most requests.
A few habits keep the form short:
- Make most fields required, and keep few of them. A required field that is always filled beats three optional ones that are always empty.
- Prefer choices over free text. A list of cost centers or request types is faster to fill in and easier to report on.
- Ask for the attachment, not a description of it. A quote, a receipt or a screenshot answers more than a paragraph.
2. One default approver
Pick the approver by role, not by name: "the requester's manager", "the finance lead", "the owner of the system". When the person changes, the workflow keeps working.
One approver is enough when that person can judge the request. A second approver only helps when they check something the first can't, such as a finance lead confirming there is budget after a manager confirms the need. If a second approver never rejects anything, they are a delay, not a control.
3. One rule for the exception
Most teams need exactly one exception. Common ones:
- Amount: requests above a set amount also go to finance or the owner.
- Type: software purchases also go to whoever manages IT.
- Who asks: requests from a department head go to the owner instead of the department head's manager.
Write the rule as a sentence first ("purchases above $2,500 also need the owner") and only then build it. If you can't write it in one sentence, it is two rules, and you probably need only one of them now. For amount-based rules with several levels, see the approval matrix guide.
Six simple approval workflows you can copy
| Request | Form fields | Default approver | One rule for the exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase request | Item, supplier, amount, cost center, reason, quote | Requester's manager | Above a set amount, finance or the owner also approves |
| Expense reimbursement | Date, category, amount, purpose, receipt | Requester's manager | Missing receipt goes back to the requester instead of being approved |
| Time off | Dates, type of leave, who covers | Requester's manager | Requests that overlap a busy period also go to the team lead |
| System access | System, access level, reason, end date if temporary | Owner of the system | Admin access also goes to whoever manages IT |
| Customer discount | Customer, deal size, discount percentage, reason | Sales lead | Above a set percentage, the owner also approves |
| Content or document | Draft, audience, publish date | Owner of the topic | Anything with legal or pricing claims also goes to the person responsible for them |
Each of these fits on one screen. If yours does not, look for the field the approver never reads and remove it.
Rules that keep it simple as you grow
Workflows rarely get complicated in one go. They get there one reasonable exception at a time. These rules slow that down:
- Every new step needs an owner who would miss it. If nobody can say what goes wrong without the step, leave it out.
- Change the threshold, not the people. When the owner is drowning in small approvals, raise the amount that needs them instead of adding someone to share the load.
- Name a delegate. Approvals stop when one person travels. A delegate, set once, keeps requests moving.
- Set a deadline. A request that waits more than a working day or two starts getting done without approval. A deadline with a reminder keeps the approval ahead of the action.
- Ask for a reason on every rejection. It teaches requesters what a good request looks like, and fewer requests come back.
- Review it after a month. Look at the requests that were sent back or took longest. That is where the form or the rule needs a fix.
Three ways to run it
You don't need special software to start. What matters is that the three parts and the record exist.
Email with a template
Write the form as an email template and agree on one subject format, such as "Purchase request: supplier, amount". It costs nothing and works for a handful of people. The weak points are the record (it lives in inboxes) and the exceptions (people have to remember them). Our article on the signs you've outgrown email approvals describes when it stops working.
A form and a spreadsheet
A form tool collects the request in a fixed shape and a spreadsheet keeps the list. This fixes the form and the record, but routing, reminders and the exception rule usually need manual work or scripts. Our guide to building approvals with Google Forms and Sheets shows how far that goes.
A workflow tool
A dedicated tool sends each request to the right approver, applies the exception rule on its own, reminds people, and keeps the record without anyone filing anything. It is worth it once requests arrive every week or approvals get lost. Keep the same three-part design: the tool should make the simple workflow easier to run, not tempt you into a complicated one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the simplest approval workflow?
A single-step workflow: the requester fills in a short form, one approver approves or rejects it, and the decision is recorded. It suits most low-risk, frequent requests such as time off, small purchases and access to everyday tools.
How many approvers should a simple approval workflow have?
One by default. Add a second approver only for the exception that needs a different check, such as an amount above a threshold. Each extra approver adds waiting time, so they should be the exception, not the rule.
Can I create an approval workflow in Excel or Google Sheets?
You can keep the list of requests and decisions in a spreadsheet, and pair it with a form to collect requests in the same format. Routing, reminders and rules usually need manual follow-up or scripts, which is where a spreadsheet-based workflow starts to cost time.
What is the difference between a simple and a multi-level approval workflow?
A simple workflow has one approval step for most requests. A multi-level workflow sends a request through several approvers in sequence, such as manager, then finance, then the owner. Many teams use a simple workflow with one amount rule, so only large requests become multi-level.
How do I get people to use the approval workflow?
Make it faster than the workaround. A short form, approvals that can be given from a phone or an email, and quick decisions do more than a policy. And when someone asks in chat, reply with the link to the form instead of approving there.
Setting it up in Easyflow
Easyflow is built around this kind of workflow: a process is a straight list of steps, the first step is the request form, and each step after it goes to a role such as the requester's manager or the owner of a budget. The one rule for the exception is a condition that skips a step or an approval limit by amount, and approvers can decide from the email (a confirmation page opens first) or from their phone. Deadlines, reminders, delegates and the record of every decision come with every process. The gallery has ready-made Purchase request, Expense reimbursement, Vacation request, Access request, Discount approval and Content approval processes you can adapt in a few minutes, and a 14-day free trial that doesn't ask for a card.
For the bigger picture, read the full guide to approval workflows, their types and examples.