Approval Flowchart Template
Map request intake, manager review, rejection loops, and final approval in one clear approval flow. Great for purchase requests, content approval, and internal sign-off workflows.
Use this templateWhat you get
- Ready-made request, review, and approval decision steps
- Rejection and resubmission loop already laid out
- Works for finance, operations, and internal review processes
Edit this approval flowchart live
Click into the approval steps, change the reviewer names, and adjust the rejection path to match your internal process.
What this template is for
An approval flowchart template helps teams document exactly how a request moves from submission to review, revision, and final sign-off. Instead of explaining approval rules in paragraphs, you can show who reviews the request, what happens when information is missing, and where rejected requests go back for edits. This template is useful for finance approvals, purchase requests, content approval, legal review, and internal sign-off workflows.
When to use this template
- Map a purchase or budget request process so employees know which requests need revision before a manager reviews them.
- Standardize marketing or legal approval for content, ads, or campaign assets.
- Document internal sign-off flows for policy updates, vendor onboarding, or access requests.
- Reduce approval delays by making rejection and resubmission paths explicit.
- Use one diagram as a shared reference for requesters, approvers, and operators.
How to use it
- 1Start with the request entry point: what triggers the approval flow and what information should already be attached?
- 2Add the first quality gate to check whether the request is complete enough to review.
- 3Place the actual approval step after the request is valid, not before.
- 4Show what happens when a request is rejected or incomplete — revision loops are part of the process, not edge cases.
- 5End with the operational step that happens after approval, such as payment, publishing, fulfillment, or provisioning.
Quick example
Purchase request approval
Related resources
Common mistakes to avoid
Putting approval before validation
If reviewers spend time checking missing details, your approval step is doing two jobs. Add a completeness check before the reviewer.
Hiding rejection paths in notes
Rejected or incomplete requests should be visible as real branches. Otherwise the diagram only shows the happy path.
Ending at approval instead of action
Approval is usually not the real end. Show what operational step happens after approval so the workflow feels complete.
Frequently asked questions
What is an approval flowchart used for?+
An approval flowchart shows how a request moves through review, rejection, revision, and final sign-off. Teams use it for purchase approval, content approval, access requests, and other internal workflows.
What should be included in an approval flow?+
Include the request entry point, a completeness or eligibility check, the approval decision, any rejection or revision branch, and the final action after approval.
How do I show rejected requests in a flowchart?+
Use a decision diamond for the approval outcome, then branch rejected requests to either a rejection end state or a revision step that loops back to the request stage.
Start editing online
Open this approval flowchart in CodePic, replace the sample request and review steps, and adapt the rejection loop to match your real approval policy.
See examples: /templates/approval-flowchart/examples
