Adding comments to approval process

Dear smartsheet-community,

I am using the approval process for new incoming projects. Basically if a new project/line is added, an approval request is sent to 15 team leads and their choice (confirmed, declined, pending) is stored in 15 columns representing the 15 teams.

Question: Is there any way to include a comment-section to the approval request form? I want that people can confirm or decline a new project (done with the approval form) and also add a comment/note directly in the form (like further information etc.) which is displayed then in smartsheet.

Thanks and best regards

Max

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Accepted answers

Andrée Starå

@Max_D.

Happy to help!

You'll need to make sure that you've included it in the Advanced options .

More info:

When working with Update and Approval Requests, you’ll instead want to select Menu (upper-right corner of the action block) > Advanced options to control the Field visibility.

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2479256-customize-the-content-of-your-alerts-and-requests

All comments

Andrée Starå

Hi @Max_D.

Yes, at the bottom of the Approval, there is a Comment Section.

Would that work?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

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Max_D.

Hi @Andrée Starå ,

thanks for your answer. Somehow I cannot see this comment-section. I have attached you our approval form (with withened inputs fields) how the team leads will see them.

You can see some data which come from directly from smartsheet and below there are the buttons "decline" ("Ablehnen" in german - left side) and "approve" ("Genehmigen" in german - right side).

Or have I missed something?

Best regards

Max

Andrée Starå

@Max_D.

Happy to help!

You'll need to make sure that you've included it in the Advanced options .

More info:

When working with Update and Approval Requests, you’ll instead want to select Menu (upper-right corner of the action block) > Advanced options to control the Field visibility.

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/2479256-customize-the-content-of-your-alerts-and-requests

Max_D.

Hey @Andrée Starå ,

sorry for my late response. This was the perfect hint so find the solution => "When working with Update and Approval Requests, you’ll instead want to select Menu (upper-right corner of the action block) > Advanced options to control the Field visibility."

Thanks for your help! :)

Best regards

Max

Andrée Starå

@Max_D.

No worries!

You're more than welcome!

Amber Miller

@Max_D.

I am trying to do the same thing and i cannot get it to work. I have set up a Approval Workflow. This is what my advanced options show. Am I missing something?

Andrée Starå

@Amber Miller

I hope you're well and safe!

Make sure that you include the A Comment field in the message.

Did that work?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

Amber Miller

@Andrée Starå

Not sure i understand what you mean????

UrbanNomad

@Amber Miller

In your workflow:

Request for approval, in customizing message, select specific fields and include A comment field, save it, test the workflow, approvers will receive an email and they can see comment box for adding any comment for approving or declining. hope this helps

Emilie Nichols

This article was very helpful. Once the comment field is entered on the approval, is there a way to include that comment in any subsequent alerts?

Andrée Starå

Hi @Emilie Nichols

I hope you're well and safe!

What are the Alerts more specifically?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

Russell Banks

Is there a way for the Approver to make comments when he goes to approve or declines the request?

Max_D.

Hey @Russell Banks,

yes this is possible. You can integrate a comments section in the approval-form. This is also quite nice because other comments written before are added automatically. So e.g. if you're number 5 in the approval process, you will see comments of all 4 people who had add a comment before you. You can see an instruction how to add comments above as @UrbanNomad has described it in a comment.

Best

Max

Mark Giblin

@Russell Banks and @UrbanNomad - you are both correct! Thank you!

Mark Agee

Greetings All,

I'm a relatively new user (but am already a big fan!), but have been unable to accomplish this either.

I need my approval workflow to allow the approver to enter a comment, particularly if they're declining. I've created a new comment field just for this purpose, and have added it to the list of fields presented to the approver, but it's like all the other fields -- they can see it, but can't actually enter anything.

The Advanced Options link on the workflow simply allows me to relabel my approval/decline buttons, it seems. What am I missing?

Thanks in advance for the guidance, and making me look good in the eye of my peers!

Mark

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