Who can perform these steps: Primary administrators or administrators with Approval management permissions. 

Feishu Approval is an official app offered by Feishu Technology. It helps organizations ditch cumbersome offline approval methods in favor of easy online processes.

Click here for some Feishu Approval highlights.

I. Product overview

1. Enter Approval Admin

1.1. Go to Approval Admin

Click Workplace in the Feishu desktop app, and locate the Approval app.

Click Admin Console in the upper-right corner (this link will only be shown to users with Approval Admin permissions).

1.2. Create approvals

Go to Approval Admin and click Create. You can select a template (there are over 100 templates covering scenarios including attendance, finance, and HR, as well as several specific industries), create a custom approval, or integrate third-party approvals. 

Learn more about creating approvals

2. Basic info

Set the approval's name, description, group, and other basic info.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Icon 
Can be used to indicate the approval's content
Required. You can also upload a custom icon, besides choosing from Feishu's collection of icons.
Name 
Enter the title of the approval 
Required. Supports multiple languages. Each approval must have a unique name.
Description 
We recommend writing a brief description of the approval, for instance describing to which scenarios it is applicable.
Maximum of 100 characters
Supports multiple languages
Group 
Select the approvals group to which the approval belongs
Required. Group info will be displayed in Approval Admin console and the Approval app.
If none of the currently existing groups meet your needs, you can return to Approval Admin to create a new group.
Who can submit this request 
Set which members are able to submit the approval
All 
Specific members
Unavailable to all 
Required.
Specific members can be added based on the member, department, role, or user group. You can search for the members that are not in the list.
Show this approval on Workplace? 
Allows members to quickly submit approvals directly from Workplace 
An approval can only be shown in Workplace if all members are able to submit it.
If you add the approval to multiple groups, it will be displayed in multiple groups on Workplace.
If you assign it to a custom Workplace group the approval will only be shown in the "All" column on Workplace.
Prohibit company administrators/Approval administrators/sub-administrators from managing processes and data
Restricts Approval admins' permissions
When this option is checked, only the approval's process administrator will be able to manage its process and data.
If left unchecked, all organization administrators/Approval app administrators/sub-administrators can manage the approval processes and data.
Process administrator
Add and/or delete process administrators for the current approval 
Set process administrator permissions
Required
The creator is the default process administrator, but can be deleted if necessary.

3. Form design

Design approval forms that fit your organization's specific needs to ensure members always submit the required information with their requests.

3.1 Intro to form design 

Add widgets

Text, values, options, dates, and many other types of widgets are available on Feishu Approval. Click or drag the widget that you need to add to the form, then right-click to modify the widget's settings.

Add a widget group

You can also use widget groups, which gather collections of widgets applicable to specific scenarios like overtime and leave requests. These widget groups are linked to Feishu Attendance, and any member leave or overtime data submitted through widget groups will be automatically synchronized to Feishu Attendance.

Click or drag the widget group you need, then right-click to modify its settings. Only 1 widget group can be added per form.

Basic settings

Basic settings generally include: title, tooltip, default value settings (for example, option settings for a single option widget, or type settings for a date widget), and whether or not the widget can be printed or if submitters will be required to fill it in.

Note: See sections 3.2  and 3.3 below for more detailed descriptions

Advanced settings

Advanced settings refer to setting conditions that govern whether or not a widget will be displayed.

Click Add condition group and then Add condition to set another widget as a condition. For example, you could decide that the Reason for Reimbursement widgets should only be displayed if the Expense type widget is set to Select travel or transport expenses.

Note:

The form must contain at least 1 single option, multiple choice, number, amount, calculation formula, or date interval widget or a leave, overtime, or business trip widget group before display conditions can be set.

You can add multiple conditions and condition groups. When multiple conditions are added to a single condition group, the relationship between each condition is an "and" relationship, meaning all conditions must be met for the widget to take effect.

When multiple condition groups are added to a single widget, the relationship between each condition group is an "or" relationship, therefore only the conditions of one group need to be met for the widget to take effect.

Smart forms

Display condition of control

The form will intelligently display relevant options based on the information already entered by the member completing the approval form, making the process more efficient.

For example: When completing an office admin procurement application, the Mailing address option will only be displayed when Mailing is the selected collection method. The option will not be displayed if Company picking is selected. 

Associate external options

Data from other synchronized company systems (such as data from the HR or Sales Management systems) can be included in forms as an option to eliminate the need for manual user intervention.

For example: You can configure the CRM client list to appear as the options offered when filling out a sales approval request for submission.

3.2 Form widgets in detail

Short answer

Allows users to enter a single line of text.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Title
The name of the short answer widget
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text 
The gray prompt that is displayed inside empty text boxes
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Default value setting
Default content for a text box
Can be edited by members when submitting forms
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval.
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing the widget.

Multi-line text

Allows users to enter paragraphs of text.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Title
Multi-line text title 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text 
The gray prompt that is displayed inside empty text boxes 
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Default value setting
Default content for a text box
Can be edited by members when submitting forms
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval.
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing the widget.

Description

Enter a descriptive explanation, remarks, or other text.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside empty text boxes
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval.
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.

Number

Enter numbers. Can be restricted to a certain range.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Title 
The name of the number widget
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside empty text boxes
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Unit 
The unit applicable to the numbers. Will be displayed in the widget as "(Unit)"
Supports multilingual configurations
Set number range
Define the range within which a member can enter numbers
Members will only be able to enter numbers within the set range when submitting forms
You can also set only a minimum or maximum value
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval.
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms. 
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing the widget

Note: Please use a text widget for ID card or bank card numbers longer than 15 characters.

Amount

Enter amounts in a designated currency. Can be restricted to a range.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Title
The name of the field widget 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside empty text boxes
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Currency 
The currency unit for the amount 
Chinese yuan (CNY) is the default option. More currencies are available in the drop-down menu.
Format
Amount display format
Supports the display of numbers in writing (recommended when the selected currency is CNY)
Supports the display of thousands separators
Supports the custom display of decimal places
Set amount range
Define the range within which a member can enter an amount
Members will only be able to enter amounts within the set range when submitting forms.
You can also set only a minimum or maximum amount.
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing the widget

Calculation formula

Performs calculations on the numbers and amounts entered in real-time.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Title
Calculation formula title, and the name of the calculation results
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Formulas 
Edit calculation formula 
Click widget, symbol, and number in the formula pop-up window to edit the formula.
Format
The format in which the calculation results will be displayed
Supports the display of numbers in writing (recommended when the selected currency is CNY)
Supports the display of thousands separators
Supports the custom display of decimal places
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.

Single option

Restricts selection to one of a group of options

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
The name of the single option widget
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside the option frame when no option is selected
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Options 
Add options manually 
Click Add option to add options one by one.
Click Batch add option to paste a batch of options (one row is one option).
A default option can be set. This can be edited by members when submitting forms.
Maximum of 200 options. Supports multiple languages
Use external options 
Data from other synchronized company systems (such as data from the HR or Sales Management systems) can be included as options in a form.
URL and Token are required items.
Complete the fields, then click to verify the connection and check that the synchronized items can be successfully included.
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval
Required is checked by default; when this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing the widget.

Multiple options

Allows the selection of multiple options in a group of options.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Title
Multi-select checkbox title 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside the option frame when no options are selected
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Options 
Add options manually 
Click Add option to add options one by one.
Click Batch add option to paste a batch of options (one row is one option).
Maximum of 200 options. Supports multiple languages
Use external options 
Data from other synchronized company systems (such as data from the HR or Sales Management systems) can be included as options in a form.
URL and Token are required items.
Complete the fields, then click to verify the connection and check that the synchronized items can be successfully included.
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Date

Select the date and time. Hours/minutes, AM/PM, and other detailed information can also be displayed.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Date field title 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside the selection frame when no options are selected
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Date type 
Set the date format
MM-DD-YYYY 
MM-DD-YYYY AM/PM 
MM-DD-YYYY HoursMinutes 
Required. You can only select one option. 
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Date interval

Select start and end times and automatically calculate duration.

Item
Description 
Notes
Widget name 1 
Start time frame title 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Widget name 2 
End time frame title 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Widget name 3 
Automatically calculated duration title
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside the selection frame when no options are selected
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Duration 
Set whether or not the automatically calculated duration can be modified.
Allow modification is checked by default, so members can edit the automatically calculated duration when submitting requests.
Date type 
Set the date format
MM-DD-YYYY 
MM-DD-YYYY AM/PM 
MM-DD-YYYY Hours:Minutes 
Required. You can only select one option. 
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Details

Combine multiple widgets within a details table.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Title of the widget 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.

Images

Take a photograph or upload an image saved locally.

Supports JPG, JPEG, BMP, PNG, SVG, and other formats. Upload a maximum of 20 images at one time.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Title of image widget 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Attachment

Upload documents, videos, and other files.

Supports PNG, JPG, JPEG, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, PDF, TXT, ZIP, RAR, MP4, and MOV file formats. No file can be larger than 500 MB.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Title of attachment widget 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Department

Search and select departments from within the organization.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Department frame title 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside the selection frame when no options are selected
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Selectable quantity
Set the number of departments a member can select when submitting a form:
Select one department 
Select multiple departments
A member can only select a single department.
A member can select multiple departments.
Display settings
Set the format in which department information will be displayed:
Only display the last department 
Display all department levels 
Displays only the information of the last department in the organizational structure
Displays information from all levels in the organizational structure
Default value setting
Set the department that is selected by default:
Submitter's department
Specified department
Set either the submitter's department or a specified department.
Can be edited by members when submitting forms
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval.
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Contact person

Search and select members from within the organization.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Title of contact person widget 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside the selection frame when no options are selected
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Selection range 
Set the selection range from which a member can choose when submitting a form
Can select oneself 
Can select more than one person 
Unchecked by default 
The member can select oneself when submitting a form. If not checked, they will be unable to select themself. 
The member can select more than one person when submitting a form. If not checked, they will only be able to select one person. 
Default value setting
Set default contact person
Requested by
Specific members
Set either the submitter or a specified member.
Can be edited by members when submitting forms
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approva
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Link approval

Link other approvals to the current approval form.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Title of link approval widget 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Submitter can only link approved ones
Restrict the range of approvals that can be linked by the submitter based on approval status
This is disabled by default, meaning that submitters can link approval forms of any status.
When enabled, submitters can only link approved approval forms.
Restrict link approval range 
Restrict the range of approvals that can be linked by the submitter by setting link approvals
This is disabled by default, meaning that submitters can link any approval form within the visible scope
When enabled, submitters can only link approval forms from the specified range using Add link approval.
Other optional settings 
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Learn more about the link approval widget

Address

Select and enter address information. Supports auto-positioning.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Title of address widget 
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside the selection frame when no options are selected
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Other optional settings 
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval.
Required is checked by default; when this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget.
Auto-positioning: Set whether or not to automatically access location information.
Auto-positioning is checked by default, allowing automatic access to country/province/city/region information.
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Address details required 
Set whether or not address details are required in addition to country/region information
Placeholder text: The gray prompt text that is displayed inside empty address details boxes
Other optional settings: Set required or not
Address details are enabled by default but are not required

Phone

Enter a mobile or fixed-line telephone number. Can automatically verify the format entered.

Item
Description 
Notes
Title
Title of phone widget
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Placeholder text
The gray prompt that is displayed inside empty text boxes
Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Type
Set supported number types
Only support mobile numbers
Support mobile and fixed-line numbers
Only support fixed-line numbers
Members must follow the specified format when submitting forms
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.
Required: Sets whether or not this widget will be required when submitting an approval
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will be able to submit the approval form without completing this widget

Serial No.

Customize unique approval form number information.

Item
Description
Notes
Title
"Serial No." by default. Can be modified
Required. Maximum of 256 characters. Supports multiple languages
Serial No. rules
Set serial number rules (when someone submits a request, the system will automatically generate a serial number for the form based on the rules that are set).
The rules field can be:
Fixed characters: Optional. Max of 36 characters. Supports Chinese, English, numbers, and symbols.
Submission date: Formatted as "YYYY-MM-DD" by default. Supports setting as "YYMM" and "YYYY." This will affect the reset rules for "incremental number."
Incremental number: 6 digits by default. Supports setting between 1 and 9 digits. Reset cycle can be different based on "submission date" and includes: Do not reset, Reset yearly, Reset monthly, and Reset daily. Incremental numbering is on by default and cannot be deleted or added.
Click Settings on the right to set custom editing rules.
Click Add Rule in the pop-up window to add rule. You can add "Fixed characters" and "Submission date" rules, but not "Incremental number" rules. A maximum of 9 rules can be added.
Click the delete icon to the right of the rule to delete a rule. You can delete "Fixed character" and "Submission date" rules, but not "Incremental number" rules.
Click and hold the symbol to the left of the rule field, then adjust the field order by dragging up or down.
Other optional settings   
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval.  
This is checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.

Learn more about using the Serial No. widget

3.3 Form widgets in detail

Leave requests

Automatically link leave requests to Feishu Attendance. Once approved, member leave data is automatically synced to the Leave Attendance system.

Item
Description 
Notes
Reason for leave 
Set as required or not
Required by default 
Leave type 
Automatically synchronize leave management leave type
Click Edit to go to the leave management page and add/edit leave type.
Manage leave or vacation

Overtime

Automatically link Feishu Attendance for overtime requests. Once approved, member overtime data is automatically synced to the overtime Attendance system.

Item
Description 
Notes
Link overtime rules
Once enabled, automatically link overtime management overtime rules
Overtime type will be automatically determined using overtime rules. 
Overtime type and smallest counting unit can be edited in overtime rules.
Overtime data will automatically sync to attendance reports. 
Achieve overtime management
When disabled, you can manually edit overtime type and link leave.
Enter the type name and link relevant leave (only leave using a compensatory leave template can be linked)
When leave is linked, overtime duration will automatically be counted toward the member's leave balance once the member's overtime request has been approved (at a ratio of 1 day = 8 hours).
Manage leave or vacation

Learn more about overtime widget groups

Business trip

Automatically link Feishu Attendance for business trip requests. Once approved, member business trip data is automatically synced to the Feishu Attendance system.

Item
Description 
Notes 
Business trip itinerary 
Submitters can click Add itinerary to fill in multiple itineraries.
Duration: Calculated by calendar day. Submitters can edit this. 
Means of transport: Select plane, train, car, or other 
One-way/round-trip: Select a one-way or round trip.
Business trip duration: The total duration of all itineraries. Automatically calculated but can be edited. Once approved, this data will automatically sync to Attendance and there will be no need to clock in/out.

Offsite

Automatically link to Feishu Attendance for offsite working requests. Once approved, member offsite data is automatically synced to the Feishu Attendance system. 

Item
Description 
Notes 
Offsite type 
Set whether or not the form displays offsite types. Supports custom offsite type options
Checked by default; when this checkbox is cleared, the form will not display the offsite type field
Check the offsite type box, then click Add option to add a new option and set the minimum unit for options
Reason for offsite working 
The reason for offsite working. Can set as required or not
Required is checked by default. When this checkbox is cleared, members will not be able to complete this field when submitting the form
Other optional settings 
Print: Sets whether this widget will be displayed when printing an approval
Checked by default. If you uncheck it, the widget will not be displayed when printing approval forms.

Clock in/out corrections

Automatically link to Feishu Attendance for clock in/out correction requests. Once approved, member correction data is automatically synced to the Feishu Attendance system.

Item
Description 
Notes
System settings
Automatically link correction rules from the Attendance Admin
Correction rules: Automatically determined from Attendance rules
Restrict number of corrections and time: Edit this in Attendance group > Clock in/out rules
Clock in/out corrections data will automatically sync to attendance reports
Learn more about clock in/out correction rules

4. Process Design 

Set up the flow of steps between when a request is submitted through to its approval and closure.

4.1 Intro to process design framework

The process design area intuitively displays process steps. Click + to add approvers, CC recipients, handlers, and conditional branches. When you click a step, its settings open on the right.

4.2 Submit

Click the submit step to set the CC recipients and enable automatic CC notifications when a request is submitted.

Set CC recipients

Click Add CC recipient to choose how many recipients you want. You can set a maximum of 100 CC recipients.

See 4.4 CC recipient step - Set CC recipients below for CC recipient types

Form permissions

Set whether or not CC recipients have read or edit permissions for each field in the form in this step. These settings are mostly used in scenarios where there is a need to protect private information or where users can supplement information.

Item
Description 
Notes
Read
Set whether or not CC recipients can read the corresponding form fields in this step
Read is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, CC recipients will be unable to see the corresponding form fields in this step.
Edit
Set whether or not CC recipients can edit corresponding form fields in this step
Edit is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, CC recipients will be unable to edit the corresponding form fields in this step.

4.3 Approval

When you click the approval step, the settings open on the right. You can also click the + icon between the steps to add more approver steps to the process. 

Approval type

Set whether this step is a manual approval or automatically handled by the system.

Item
Description 
Notes
Manual approval
A person must approve this step. You can set the approver.
Default
Auto-approve
No manual approval needed, the system auto-approves this step
/
Auto-reject
No manual rejection needed, the system auto-rejects this step
/

Set approver

Set the person who will approve the step, and the rules for when there are multiple approvers or when the approver is empty.

Approver type

Approver
Description 
Notes
Manager 
A manager of the submitter must approve. By default this is the direct manager, but you can specify another level
"Manager" means someone in the organization with a vertical relationship to the submitter. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Member and Department
When specifying a level, you can add a number of levels above the direct manager's level or switch to a certain number of levels below the highest manager level.
Department supervisor 
The submitter's department supervisor must approve. By default this is the direct department supervisor, but you can specify another level
"Department supervisor" means the single supervisor in a specified department of the organization. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Member and Department To learn more, visit Specify a department supervisor
While a single department can contain many manager/member relationships, there is generally only a single specific department supervisor. 
When specifying a level, you can add a number of levels above the department supervisor's level or switch to a certain number of levels below the highest department supervisor level.
Role 
A specified role must approve, such as HR, office admin, or finance.
Learn more
"Role" means a person allocated a particular role in an organization. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Role Management To learn more, visit Admin | Configure process approvers
Any member with the chosen role can complete the approval process, preventing approval process errors if somebody resigns or is moved from a role.
If the selected role includes multiple members, the settings selected under "If there are multiple approvers, use the method" will be used.
User group
A specified user group will approve.
"User group" means a particular group of users. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > User Group. To learn more, visit Manage user groups
Approvers are mainly user groups in permission control scenarios where only a member belonging to the specific user group can approve.
If the selected user group includes multiple members, the settings selected under "If there are multiple approvers, use the method" will be used.
Specify approver 
The process designer specifies a member to approve the request.
Click Add member. You cannot add more than 25 people
Submitter self-selection 
The submitter selects who will approve the request
Selection method: Single option/multiple choice - the submitter can select either a single approver or multiple approvers
Selection range: Whole company/specified members/roles - the submitter can only select from within this range
Submitter 
The submitter approvers their own request
This is useful in scenarios such as when the submitter needs to review their information.
Step approver
Links to the previous step so that this step is approved by the same approver
Use this in two-step approval scenarios
Automatic deduplication does not apply and the approver will still need to approve twice.
Continuous multi-level manager
The direct manager of the submitter is the first approver, and then the approval goes up level by level until the set approval end point.
"Manager" means someone in the organization with a vertical relationship to the submitter. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Member and Department
The approval end point can be a manager at a set level, or it can be a manager in a specific user group.
If the approval end point level is lower than the level of the submitter's direct manager, only the direct manager will need to approve the request.
Continuous multi-level department supervisor
The direct department supervisor of the submitter is the first approver, and then the approval goes up level by level until the set approval end point.
You can check and edit the department supervisor settings in Feishu Admin > Member and Department. If there are multiple department supervisors in a department, the most senior department supervisor will be selected.
The approval end point can be a department supervisor at a set level, or it can be a department supervisor in a specific user group.
If the approval end point level is lower than the level of the submitter's direct department supervisor, only the direct department supervisor will need to approve the request.
Contacts in the form
The request will be transferred to the corresponding approver based on the contact information provided by the member completing the form. This could be:
The contact themself
The contact's manager
The contact's department supervisor
This setting can only be used if the form contains a contact person widget.
If you select the contact person's manager/contact person's department supervisor you will be able to specify the manager/department supervisor level
To learn more, visit Using contacts in the form as approvers
Departments in the form
The request will be transferred to the approver in the corresponding department based on the information provided in the form.
This setting can only be used if the form contains a department widget.
You can specify the department supervisor level.
To learn more, visit Using departments in the form as approvers

"When there multiple approvers, use the method"

Set rules for when there are multiple approvers because the approver is a role, user group, specified members, or similar.

Approval method
Description 
Notes
Everyone assigned
All approvers need to agree for the request to pass this step.
Approvers do not need to review the request in sequential order.
Anyone assigned
Any one approver needs to agree for the request to pass this step.
Approvers do not need to review the request in sequential order.
Approvers review in sequential order
Multiple approvers review the request in sequential order.
All approvers need to agree for the request to pass this step.

"When approver is empty"

Sometimes there will not be a member mapped to the appropriate manager, department supervisor, role, or other type of specified approver category in Feishu Admin. If this happens, the "when approver is empty" process will run.

Approval method
Description 
Notes
Auto-approve
No approval needed, the system auto-approves this step
/
Specify approver
The process designer specifies a member to approve the request.
Click the  此处是{{icon_add_outlined}}icon icon to specify members.
Transfer to approval administrator
The approval administrator for the request approves
You can review and edit the approval administrator in Basic info - Who can manage this request
You will need to specify an administrator to approve the request if there are multiple administrators.

Note: If the approver resigns, the request will automatically transfer to the approver's manager.

When the approver and applicant are the same person

Set transfer rules for when the approver and applicant happen to be the same person.

Approval method
Description 
Notes
The applicant approves their own requests
Submitter reviews the request
If approver deduplication is enabled the submitter will not be able to perform approval actions and will be auto-skipped.
If deduplication is disabled the submitter will be able to manually approve the request.
Auto-skip
The submitter does not need to perform any approval actions and will be auto-skipped.
If there are other approvers in this step, the other approvers will approve the request.
If there are no other approvers in this step, the step will be auto-approved.
Forward to direct manager for approval
Transfers the request to the submitter’s direct manager for approval
If the direct manager is empty, the step will be auto-approved.
Forward to department supervisor for approval
Transfers the request to the submitter’s department supervisor for approval
If the department supervisor is empty, the step will be auto-approved.

Note: If the same approver is duplicated in the flow, they will only be able to approve once by default. This can be edited in More settings (to learn more, see 5.2 Approver deduplication).

CC settings

Set CC recipients for the approval step. CC recipients will receive a notification once the step is completed.

Item
Description 
Notes
CC recipient types
See 4.4 CC recipient step - Set CC recipients
/
CC approved requests only
Set whether or not this step can be forwarded via CC once approved.
CC approved requests are checked by default; if you clear this checkbox, CC recipients will receive a notification even when this step is rejected.

Form permissions

Set whether or not approvers have read or edit permissions for each field in the form in this step. This setting is mostly used in scenarios where there is a need to protect private information or where users can supplement information.

Item
Description 
Notes
Read
Set whether or not approvers can read the corresponding form fields in this step.
Read is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, approvers will be unable to see the corresponding form fields in this step.
Edit
Set whether or not approvers can edit corresponding form fields in this step.
Edit is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, approvers will be unable to edit the corresponding form fields in this step.

Operation permissions

Set which actions an approver is able to take.

Item
Description 
Notes
Allow transfer
Whether or not approvers are able to transfer this step to other approvers
Allow transfer is checked by default; if you clear this checkbox, approvers will be unable to transfer the request and will be required to approve it themselves
Learn more about transfers
Allow adding/removing approvers
Whether or not approvers are able to add or remove approvers to or from this step 
Add approver means to add another member as an approver; you can set pre-approvers, co-approvers and post-approvers
Remove approver means to delete a member who has been added as an approver
Allow adding/removing approvers is checked by default
Learn more about adding/removing approvers
Allow return
Whether or not approvers are able to return the flow to the previous step
Allow return is checked by default. If you clear this checkbox, approvers will not be able to return to the previous step
There are two methods of proceeding after returning to a step: (1) All approvers after this step will need to re-approve; (2) Only approvers for this step will need to re-approve and the request will then be redirected to the current step.
Learn more about returns
Handwritten signatures
Set whether or not the approver’s handwritten signature is required when reviewing the request.
This is unchecked by default. If you check this box, the approver will need to click approve and then sign manually.
Learn more about handwritten signatures

4.4 CC step

Click the + icon between the steps to add a CC recipient step to the flow. After adding the step, click the step to set the CC rules on the right.

Set CC recipients

Set the CC recipients for this step by clicking Add CC recipients. You can set a maximum of 100 CC recipients.

CC recipients
Description 
Notes
Manager 
CCs the submitter’s manager. By default this is the direct manager, but you can specify another level
"Manager" means someone in the organization with a vertical relationship to the submitter. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Member and Department
When specifying a level, you can add a specified number of levels to the direct manager's level or switch to a number of levels below the highest manager level
Department supervisor 
CCs the submitter’s department supervisor. By default this is the direct department supervisor, but you can specify another level.
"Department supervisor" means the single supervisor in a specified department of the organization. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Member and Department To learn more, visit Specify a department supervisor
While a single department can contain many manager/member relationships, there is generally only a single specific department supervisor. 
When specifying a level, you can add a specified number of levels to the department supervisor's level or switch to a certain number of levels below the highest department supervisor level
Role 
CCs a specified role, such as HR, office admin, or finance.
"Role" means a person allocated a particular role in an organization. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Role Management To learn more, visit Admin | Configure process approvers
User group
CCs a specified user group
"User group" means a particular group of users. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > User Group To learn more, visit Manage user groups
Specify approver 
CCs all members specified by the process designer
Click Add member. You cannot add more than 25 people.
Submitter self-selection 
The submitter selects the CC recipients
/
Submitter 
CCs the submitter themself
Sets the submitter as a CC recipient, so that the submitter receives a copy for back-up or review purposes.
Contacts in the form
The request will be sent via CC based on the contact information provided by the form. This could be to:
The contact themself
The contact's manager
The contact's department supervisor
This setting can only be used if the form contains a contact person widget.
If you select the contact person's manager/contact person's department supervisor you will be able to specify the manager/department supervisor level
To learn more, visit Using contacts in the form as CC recipients
Departments in the form
The request will be sent via CC based on the department information provided by the form. This could be to:
Department supervisor
Direct department members
This setting can only be used if the form contains a department widget.
If you set department supervisor you will be able to specify the department supervisor level.
To learn more, visit Using departments in the form as CC recipients

Form permissions

Set whether or not CC recipients have read permissions for each field in the form in this step. This setting is mostly used in scenarios where there is a need to protect private information.

Item
Description 
Notes
Read
Set whether or not CC recipients can read the corresponding form fields in this step.
Read is checked for all by default; if you clear this checkbox, CC recipients will be unable to see the corresponding form fields in this step.

4.5 Handler step

When a step in the flow does not require approval, but instead requires an administrative action, you can set up a handler step. Handler steps are suitable for scenarios such as transferring payments or processing seals. 

Click the  此处是{{icon_add_outlined}}icon icon between the steps to add a Handler step to the flow. After adding the step, click the step to set the handler rules on the right.

Handler settings

Set the person who will handle the step, and the process rules for when there are multiple handlers or when the handler is empty.

Handler type

Handler
Description 
Notes
Manager 
A manager of the submitter must handle the request. This is the direct manager by default, but you can specify another level
"Manager" means someone in the organization with a vertical relationship to the submitter. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Member and Department
When specifying a level, you can add a certain number of levels to the direct manager's level or switch to a specified number of levels below the highest manager's level
Department supervisor 
The submitter’s department supervisor must handle the request. By default this is the direct department supervisor, but you can specify another level
"Department supervisor" means the single supervisor in a specified department of the organization. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Member and Department To learn more, visit Specify a department supervisor
While a single department can contain many manager/member relationships, there is generally only a single specific department supervisor. 
When specifying a level, you can choose a certain number of levels over the department supervisor's level or switch to a specified number of levels below the highest department supervisor level
Role 
A specified role must handle the request, such as HR, office admin, or finance.
"Role" means a person allocated a particular role in an organization. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > Role Management 
  To learn more, visit Admin | Configure process approvers
When the handler is a role, another member with the same role can handle the request if somebody resigns or is moved from a role, preventing process errors
If the selected role includes multiple members, the settings selected under If there are multiple handlers, use the method" will be used
User group
A specified user group will handle the request
"User group" means a particular group of users. You can check and edit the settings used in Feishu Admin > User Group 
  To learn more, visit Manage user groups
Handlers are mainly user groups in permission control scenarios where only a member belonging to the specific user group can handle the request.
If the selected user group includes multiple members, the settings selected under "If there are multiple handlers, use the method" will be used
Specify approver 
The process designer specifies a member to handle the request.
Click Add member. You cannot add more than 25 people
Submitter self-selection 
The submitter selects who will handle the request
Selection method: Single option/multiple choice - the submitter can select either a single handler or multiple handlers
Selection range: Whole company/specified members/roles - the submitter can only select from within this range
Submitter 
The submitter handles their own request
This is useful in scenarios such as where the submitter needs to review their information.
Contacts in the form
The request will be transferred to the corresponding handler based on the contact person information provided by the member completing the form. This could be:
The contact themself
The contact's manager
The contact's department supervisor
This setting can only be used if the form contains a contact widget.
If you select the contact's manager/contact's department supervisor, you will be able to specify the manager/department supervisor level.
Departments in the form
The request will be transferred to the handler in the department named in the completed form.
This setting can only be used if the form contains a department widget.
You can specify the department supervisor level.

"When there are multiple handlers, use the method"

Set the handling rules for when there are multiple handlers because the handler is a role, user group, specified member, or similar.

Processing method
Description 
Notes
Everyone assigned
All handlers must complete their tasks and submit the request for the step to be approved.
Handlers do not need to handle the request in sequential order.
Anyone assigned
Any one handler needs to submit their task for the request to pass this step.
Handlers do not need to handle the request in sequential order.
Handle in sequential order
Multiple handlers must handle the request in sequential order
All handlers need to agree for the request to pass this step.

When handler is empty

Sometimes there will not be a member mapped to the appropriate manager, department supervisor, role, or other type of specified handler category in the Feishu Admin Console. If this happens, the "when handler is empty" process will run.

Transfer method
Description 
Notes
Specify the member to handle the request
The process designer specifies a member to handle the request
Click the  此处是{{icon_add_outlined}}icon icon to specify members
Transfer to approval administrator
The approval administrator for the request handles the request
You can review and edit the approval administrator in Basic info - Who can manage this request
You will need to specify an administrator to handle the request if there are multiple administrators.

Note:

If the handler resigns, the request will automatically transfer to the handler's manager.

Handlers are not included in the deduplication process. Regardless of whether or not you have set up approver deduplication rules, if there is the same handler for multiple steps, they will need to process each step.

Form permissions

Set whether or not handlers have read or edit permissions for each field in the form in this step. This setting is mostly used in scenarios where there is a need to protect private information or where users can supplement information.

Item
Description 
Notes
Read
Set whether or not handlers can read the corresponding form fields in this step.
Read is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, handlers will be unable to see the corresponding form fields in this step.
Edit
Set whether or not handlers can edit corresponding form fields in this step.
Edit is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, handlers will be unable to edit the corresponding form fields in this step.

Operation permissions

Set which actions a handler is able to take in the flow for this step.

Item
Description 
Notes
Allow transfer
Whether or not handlers are able to transfer this step to other handlers 
Allow transfer is checked by default. If you clear this checkbox, handlers will be unable to transfer the request and will be required to handle it themselves.

Learn more about the handler step

4.6. Conditional branches

Conditional branches allow the flow to proceed in different manners when various conditions are met. For example, if a requested period of leave's duration is shorter than 2 days, the flow will proceed along Branch A and the request only needs to be approved by the team manager; however, if the duration is longer than 2 days, the flow will proceed along Branch B and the request needs to be approved by the team manager and department HR.

Click the + symbol between steps to add a conditional branch, then click the conditional branch step to set rules for the condition. You can click Add condition in the flow to add further branches.

Condition settings

Set the condition rules in the condition settings frame on the right. Click Add Condition to add multiple conditions to the same condition group with an "and" relationship. This means that all conditions must be satisfied simultaneously in order for that condition group to take effect.

Condition group settings

Click Add condition group to add another condition group The relationship between different condition groups is "or." This means that only one of the condition groups needs to be satisfied.

To learn more about conditional branches, visit

4.7 End step

Click the end step to set the end step's CC recipients and enable automatic CC notifications when a request is closed.

Set CC recipients

Click Add CC recipient. You can set a maximum of 100 CC recipients.

See 4.4 CC recipient step - Set CC recipients above for CC recipient types

Form permissions

Set whether or not CC recipients have read or edit permissions for each field in the form in this step. This setting is mostly used in scenarios where there is a need to protect private information or where users can supplement information.

Item
Description 
Notes
Read
Set whether or not CC recipients can read the corresponding form fields in this step.
Read is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, CC recipients will be unable to see the corresponding form fields in this step.
Edit
Set whether or not CC recipients can edit corresponding form fields in this step.
Edit is checked for all by default. If you clear this checkbox, CC recipients will be unable to edit the corresponding form fields in this step.

5. More 

Set submitter permissions, approver deduplication, transfer settings, and more.

5.1 Submitter permissions

Set whether or not submitters are allowed to withdraw or edit their requests, and more.

Item
Description 
Notes
Allow the withdrawal of requests under review
Set whether or not the submitter can withdraw requests that are under review
Allow is checked by default, meaning that the submitter can cancel their requests that are under review (including requests which have passed one or more steps but have not yet completed the entire flow. This setting does not apply retroactively.)
If this checkbox is cleared, submitters will not be able to withdraw requests that are under review.
Allow the withdrawal of requests within x days of approval
Set whether or not the submitter can withdraw an approved request and, if yes, the deadline for such withdrawals.
Allow is checked by default, meaning that the submitter can withdraw requests that have already been approved. This setting does not apply retroactively.
If this checkbox is cleared, submitters will not be able to withdraw requests that have been approved.
Allow the modification of requests within x days of approval
Set whether or not the submitter can modify an approved request and the deadline for any changes.
Allow is checked by default, meaning that the submitter can modify requests that have already been approved. Approved requests can only be modified once. This setting does not apply retroactively.
If this checkbox is cleared, submitters will not be able to modify requests that have already been approved.
Allow delegate submissions
Set whether or not to allow requests to be submitted by delegates.
This is disabled by default. If you check this box, other people will be able to submit requests as a delegate.
Delegates must belong to the same approval submission group as the actual submitter, and must share the progress of the approval form after submission.

Learn more about withdrawing approval requests

Learn more about modifying requests

Learn more about requests by proxy

5.2. Approver deduplication

Set whether or not an approver that appears repeatedly in the same process needs to manually approve the request more than once.

Item
Description
Notes
Each approver only needs to approve the first stage for which they are responsible. Subsequent stages requiring their approval are automatically approved.
Example: After Kevin approves the first stage, subsequent stages requiring his approval are automatically approved.
Default
Only consecutive stages requiring approval from the same approver are automatically approved.
Example: After Kevin approves the first stage, subsequent stages requiring his approval are only automatically skipped if they appear consecutively. Otherwise, these stages will require manual approval.
/
No automatic approval. Each stage requires manual approval.
The approver must manually approve all stages requiring their approval.
/

Note:

Deduplication rules will not apply if there are changes in the approval form's content or review scope or if the approval flow is sent back mid-flow. Learn more about approver deduplication

Handlers are not involved in the deduplication process. Regardless of whether or not you have set up approver deduplication rules, if there is the same handler for multiple steps, then they will need to process each step.

5.3. Approver settings

Set up the rules that are relevant to approvers, such as batch approvals, instant approvals, and speedy approvals.

Item
Description 
Notes
Allow approvers to batch process
Set whether or not approvers can batch process this type of request.
This is unchecked by default, meaning that approvers need to separately process each review task.
If you check this checkbox, approvers will be able to process multiple review tasks at once.
Enable instant approval tips
Set whether or not the approval history flags when an approver has looked at a form for less than 3 seconds or is using speedy approval to process requests.
This is disabled by default. If you enable this, the system will flag in the approval history when an approver has looked at a form for less than 3 seconds or is using speedy approval to process requests.
Allow speedy approval on approval cards
Set whether or not approvers can use speedy approval on Bot message cards and mobile cards without the need to check the request details.
Speedy approval is checked by default. If you clear this checkbox, approvers will need to click in to the request details page to process the request.

Note: Handler steps do not support batch operations, instant tips, or speedy approval.

5.4 Transfer settings

Set whether or not to restrict the transfer scope of the request. This is used in scenarios involving confidential information.

Item
Description 
Notes
Only transfer to members related to the request
Restrict the transfer scope of the request
This is unchecked by default, meaning that the request form can be forwarded to any member in the organization.
If you check this box, the request form will only be able to be forwarded to members related to the request such as the submitter, approvers, and CC recipients.

Learn more about setting request transfer scopes

II. More management actions

1. Data management

You can query, export, and forward approval history on the Approval Admin > Data Management page.

1.1 Data management

Enter filter conditions and click Search to query approval history. You can review record details and forward, delete, and export data.

Note:

Currently only forms created in Feishu Approval can be queried and there is no support for third-party forms.

Submit time is a required filter condition and the current month is pre-selected by default but can be edited as needed; the maximum period of time which can be queried in the submit time or complete time fields is one year, so you will need to run multiple queries if you need to find information that covers a longer period.

Keyword and approver queries cannot run at the same time.

1.2 Approval handover

Enter filter conditions and click Search to query approval history for handovers. Approval tasks and approval roles can be handed over separately.

Approval task: Hand over approval tasks to another person. Click Select a new owner and enter the name of the new owner of the task and the reason for the handover.

Approval Roles: Hand over roles such as administrator, approver, or CC recipient roles to another person. Click Go to go to the corresponding edit page.

Note:

Currently only forms created in Feishu Approval can be handed over and there is no support for third-party forms.

The new owner is a required filter condition.

1.3 Export records

All export operations performed through the Data Management page will be recorded under Export Records. You can also download the data.

1.4 Actions history

Enter filter conditions and click Search to query the activity log for data management and approval handovers.

Process Intervention History: The activity log of all handovers, deletions, and other actions taken on the Data Management page.

Approval Handover History: The history of all task and role handovers performed on the Approval Handover page.

2. Recommended configuration

On the Approval Admin > Recommended Configuration page, click the  此处是{{icon_add_outlined}}icon icon to configure multiple approvals in the same group based on scenarios (for example: business trip scenario, new hire scenario). Submitters will then be able to quickly find the request portal at the top of the Submit page in the Approval app.

Item
Description 
Notes
Group name
The scenario title for the group
Required. Maximum of 50 characters. Supports multiple languages
Icon
Indicates the scenario content
Required
Select request
Select requests to add to the group.
You must select a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5.

3. Permission settings

There are three admin roles in the Approval app: organization administrator, Approval app administrator, and Approval sub-administrator.

Organization Administrator/Approval App Administrator

You can set the primary administrator and administrator with Approval app administrator permissions in Feishu Admin Console > Administrator Permissions. The approval permission scope is the same for these two kinds of administrators, and both have full administrator permissions for Approval.

To add, edit, or delete either of these two administrators, you will need to go to Feishu Admin Console > Administrator Permissions.

Approval Sub-administrator

Add sub-administrators in Approval Admin > Permission settings. These administrators will only be able to take action onn approvals within their permission scopes.

Organization administrators and Approval app administrators can add, edit, and delete sub-administrators in Approval Admin > Permission settings.

Learn more about approval administrator roles

III. Open capability

You can push the approval tasks of external systems (organizations' self-developed systems or systems procured from third parties) to the Feishu Approval app.

Approval tasks can reach users in real time cross-platform (PCs, mobile phones, tablets), and can be opened using Feishu Approval's embedded forms. Feishu Approval is an all-in-one approval experience that allows users to uniformly view and process all approvals, while also integrating features such as dialog box message pushes, one-click chat forwarding, daily to-do notifications, and efficient Kanban dashboards.

1. API self-service access

Organization development teams and third-party technology partners can use the open capability of Feishu Approval to link the Approval center to a third-party OA system and enable Feishu's one-stop Approval functionality.

Learn more about the developer's guide

2. In-app approval workflow integration

There's no need to build a stand-alone in-app approval workflow for third-party apps provided by Feishu app ISPs which have approval workflows (for example: the in-app approval workflows for leave or corrections in the Attendance app). In these cases, you can simply call the Approval API, reducing development costs and improving the user experience.

Learn more about the developer's guide

IV. FAQs

How can I access Approval Admin or Attendance Admin?

How can I add administrators in Feishu Approval?

What's the difference between administrators and approval owners?

How can an administrator intervene in an approval flow?

How should I process incomplete approvals for employees who have resigned?

What are the document size and character limits in Approval?

What should I do if the leave duration is wrong?

How do I use @mentions in comments and delete comments?

V. Version updates

Feishu Approval updat