An organized document approval workflow can make the difference between projects that move forward quickly and those that stall for weeks. Whether you’re dealing with contracts, HR policies, or purchase requests, having a clear path from submission to sign-off ensures deadlines are met and compliance requirements are handled properly. Unfortunately, relying on scattered emails or manual tracking often leads to missed steps and confusion.
Today’s teams work best with a unified system that combines communication, documentation, and approvals in one place. Lark delivers exactly that—offering real-time collaboration, automated routing, and full visibility into every stage of the process. With Lark, approvals become faster, more transparent, and easier to manage from anywhere.
What is a document approval workflow?
A document approval workflow is a structured process that moves a file through a series of reviews, edits, and sign-offs before it becomes final. It ensures that every relevant stakeholder has the chance to check, approve, or request changes, creating a clear and traceable path from draft to completion. This process often includes defined document routing and approval rules, version control, and automated notifications to keep things moving.
These workflows are used across industries for tasks like approving HR policies, processing purchase requests, signing off on client contracts, or reviewing creative design files. By having a clear document review and approval process, organizations can avoid confusion, prevent duplicate efforts, and ensure that the right people see the right documents at the right time.
When done well, a document approval workflow system improves compliance by enforcing company policies, boosts transparency with real-time status tracking, and enhances efficiency by removing unnecessary delays. Whether your business needs a document review workflow for legal documents or an automated approval workflow for everyday operations, having the right system in place keeps decision-making fast, accurate, and accountable.
Key components of an effective approval workflow
A strong document approval workflow is more than just sending files for review—it’s about having a clear, consistent process that ensures every step is completed efficiently and accurately. Below are the essential building blocks of a workflow that keeps your approvals on track.
Initiation: The process begins when a requester submits a document for review. In a document review and approval process, this could be anything from a purchase request form to a finalized policy draft. The system should capture all relevant details at this stage to avoid missing information later.
Routing logic: Clear rules define who needs to approve the document and in what order. In advanced document workflow automation, routing can be based on roles, departments, or conditional logic, ensuring the right person sees the right file at the right time.
Notifications: Automated alerts and reminders are critical in an approval workflow. These ensure that no request gets stuck in someone’s inbox and that deadlines are met. Escalation rules can forward stalled approvals to alternate reviewers if needed.
Audit trail: An effective document approval system keeps a full history of changes, comments, and decisions. This document control workflow not only supports compliance but also provides transparency in case of disputes or audits.
Finalization: Once approved, the document is either archived or acted upon—such as sending a signed contract to a client or initiating a purchase order. At this stage, a document management workflow ensures the final version is stored securely and easily accessible.
Meet Lark: An all-rounder for document approval workflows
In document-heavy environments, approvals can easily stall when teams juggle multiple tools for drafting, reviewing, and sign-off. Lark eliminates these silos by combining document creation, collaboration, and approval in one workspace. With features like Lark Approval for structured sign-offs, Lark Base for automated workflow routing, and built-in communication through Messenger and Calendar, decision-making stays centralized and transparent. Every step — from submitting a request to final approval — is visible in real time, with context always at hand. This means fewer delays, faster turnarounds, and a streamlined document approval workflow that works.
Approve directly inside Lark Approval
Instead of routing files through disconnected systems, Lark allows you to open a request, view supporting documents, and sign off instantly inside Lark Approval. You can approve, reject, or send back with comments, all while keeping the context intact — a huge time-saver compared to traditional document routing and approval methods.
Smart automation
Through Lark Base, you can design multi-step approval flows with conditional routing. For example, purchase requests over a certain value can automatically be sent to senior management, while smaller requests route to department heads. Auto-escalations and deadline reminders help ensure approvals never get stuck with one person, improving compliance with the document approval process.
Unified collaboration
With Lark, approvals happen where your conversations and documents already live. In Lark, you can review and approve files without switching between email, chat, and separate document tools. This keeps the document review and approval process in a single view, ensuring that all comments, attachments, and decision history are accessible right where the request is made.
Real-time updates, comments, and status tracking
No more wondering if a file is "still with finance" or "pending legal review." Lark sends instant status updates via Messenger and push notifications, ensuring every stakeholder sees progress in real time. Built-in comments allow reviewers to clarify points immediately, removing delays common in slower document review workflow processes.
For example, using Lark Docs, you can track who has viewed or approved a document and what actions need to be taken next. This visibility ensures that all team members are on the same page and can act quickly without the back-and-forth of email or phone calls.
Approvals on the go
With Lark's mobile app, you can review, approve, or reject documents from anywhere. Real-time push alerts ensure urgent requests are handled promptly — ideal for leaders and remote staff who can’t be tied to a desktop system for every approval workflow.
Full visibility & audit trail
Every document routed through Lark Approval comes with a complete record of actions taken — who reviewed it, when it was approved, and any comments made. This audit trail is invaluable for document control workflow compliance, especially in regulated industries where proof of review and sign-off is essential.
Step-by-step: How to build a document approval process with Lark
Designing a document approval workflow that is both efficient and error-free requires a structured approach. Below is a clear breakdown of each stage, ensuring your team can route, review, and approve documents without delays or confusion.
1. Access the Lark Approval app
Open the Lark app and navigate to the Approval app from the left sidebar.
If you're an administrator, click on the Admin Console in the top-right corner to manage approval workflows.
2. Create a new Approval Workflow
In the Admin Console, click on Create to start a new approval process.
You can choose to create a custom approval or use one of the over 100 available templates covering scenarios like attendance, finance, and HR.
3. Define basic information
Enter the approval name, description, and assign it to an approval group (e.g., HR, Finance).
Set the visibility to determine who can view and access this approval process.
4. Design the Approval form
Use the drag-and-drop interface to add form controls such as text fields, dropdowns, and date pickers.
Customize the form to collect the necessary information for the document approval.
5. Configure the Approval process
Set up each approval step by defining:
Approvers: Specify who needs to approve the document at each stage.
Approval methods: Choose whether approvals are required to be sequential or parallel.
Editable fields: Determine which fields can be edited by approvers.
Transfer rules: Decide if approvals can be transferred to other users.
Additional approvers: Allow for adding more approvers if necessary.
6. Implement Additional Settings
Configure settings such as:
Revoke Settings: Allow employees to revoke approval requests within a specified time frame.
Forward Settings: Restrict approval transfers to only relevant employees.
For more information, see the Admin | Set up an approver step article.
7. Preview and Publish the Workflow
Click on Preview to review the entire approval process.
If everything looks good, click Publish to make the approval workflow active.
8. Initiate the Approval process
Employees can now open the Approval app, select the appropriate approval type, fill in the required information, and submit their request.
Approvers will receive notifications in Lark Messenger to review and act upon the requests.
Common troubles in approval workflows (complete with solutions)
Even well-planned approval workflows can break down when processes rely on outdated tools or manual steps. Common issues include slow routing, missing information, and unclear responsibilities — all of which cause delays. By identifying these challenges and applying the right solutions, businesses can speed up decision-making and improve compliance.
Manual routing via email
Email-based approvals often lead to long waits, lost attachments, and difficulty tracking who has acted on a request. Lark eliminates this issue with Lark Approval, where every request follows a defined route automatically. Approvers get instant notifications, can review the document in-app, and send their decisions without digging through inboxes.
Missing context when making decisions
In traditional document approval workflows, reviewers often receive files without background details, forcing them to search for supporting information. With Lark, all context — including related chats, comments, and linked documents — is visible in Lark. This ensures decisions are made quickly and based on complete, accurate information.
Lack of version control
When multiple versions of a document circulate via email, it’s easy to lose track of which is the latest. Lark solves this through Lark Docs, which offers real-time co-editing and complete version history. Approvers always see the most current file, reducing the risk of signing off on outdated content.
Bottlenecks due to single-point reviewers
If one person holds all approval authority, the process stalls when they’re unavailable. Lark enables role-based or department-based assignments, so alternate reviewers can step in without breaking the chain of accountability. This keeps the document review and approval process moving, even during absences or peak workloads.
No escalation paths or deadline tracking
Without automated reminders or escalation rules, urgent approvals can linger unnoticed. Lark’s workflow automation allows you to set deadlines, send reminders, and auto-escalate stalled requests to a higher authority. This feature ensures critical approval workflows stay on track and are resolved within required timelines.
Conclusion
A well-structured document approval workflow is more than just a process — it’s a competitive edge. When approvals are fast, well-documented, and transparent, organizations save time, reduce errors, and maintain compliance with ease. Lark brings all of this into one unified platform, combining real-time collaboration, automated routing, and mobile-ready approvals to keep work moving forward without losing context. If you’re ready to replace slow, manual processes with a system that works as fast as your business needs, Lark makes it possible from day one.
FAQs
What is the difference between document review and approval process?
The document review process focuses on checking a file for accuracy, compliance, or quality before any final decision is made. The approval process is the step where an authorized person or group formally signs off on that document. With Lark, review and approval happen in the same workspace, ensuring no version confusion and faster decision-making.
Can I automate approval workflows in Lark without code?
Yes. Lark offers no-code workflow automation through tools like Lark Approval and Lark Base. You can set up routing rules, deadlines, and escalation paths without writing a single line of code, making it simple to scale your approval workflows across teams.
How secure are cloud-based document approval systems?
Security is a major priority for document approval workflow platforms. Lark uses enterprise-grade encryption, permission controls, and secure sharing links to protect sensitive files. Every approval action is logged in a full audit trail, which is ideal for compliance and recordkeeping.
Can I approve documents from mobile using Lark?
Absolutely. Lark’s mobile app lets you review, approve, or reject requests from anywhere, with instant notifications for urgent approvals. This makes your document review and approval process flexible and keeps decisions moving even when you’re away from your desk.
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