Automated Workflow -Advanced Options not giving all dropdown choices

I am trying to do a series of automations for approvals, and I have the advanced options of 'submit', 'approved', and 'declined, but I also want to have 'more information required'. I do not have this choice, although it is a dropdown in my reviewer column. I watched this you-tube, https://youtu.be/b39T07grJlY and my smartsheet is not giving me the same options. I'm a licensed user. What is going on?

Also, is there a step by step tutorial a workflow, where the approver "requests more information', and a form goes back to the requester? When the requester fills out the form, does another row get added, or is this just an additional comment column? ,


Answers

  • Hi @KCam

    Approval Requests are configured to specifically only have two options: either Approved or Declined. You can change the button text for what those paths show (ex. it could say "Declined More Info Needed"), but you cannot add a third option or branch for users to select as part of this specific workflow. See: Approval requests: Automatically request sign-off on work items

    If you need 3+ options for users to select, I would recommend using an Update Request workflow instead, with a dropdown column that lists all of your options. The Workflow configuration won't have branches after the Update Request depending on the choices made the way an Approval Request does, but you could set up other, separate workflow configurations that are triggered by the selections made in that dropdown column. See: Automatically request updates on tasks

    Yes, you could have another Update Request send out to the Requester if the Approver selects "Request More Information" (a new workflow). This would send them the row to update/add to via email. This will update the same row, versus adding a new row. They can also add comments to the row through an Update Request. Here's a webinar that goes through both Approval Requests and Update Requests: SmartStart: Collaboration

    Cheers,

    Genevieve

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