Every decision follows a path. A discount request, a vendor invoice, a contract clause, a brand visual—each one moves through a series of checks. That path is your approval workflow. When the path is clear, work moves quickly. When it’s messy, work slows down and risk sneaks in.
Organizations are eager to complete each task and achieve every goal in the least time possible with excellent outcomes. But what they often overlook is the root cause of delays—the traditional way of approvals. They spend multiple days, weeks, and even months just to approve documents, requests, and tasks. Employees wait for the red and green signals from authorized persons to get started. A significant amount of time is wasted even before something starts. And that's why an approval workflow app is needed.
It’s high time that organizations should shift from the traditional to a digital, streamlined, and organized way of approvals. It reduces delays, improves decision-making, and takes efficiency to new heights. There are several factors to consider when choosing an approval workflow app, and we’ve shared some important ones along with a list of hand-picked top 10 approval apps.
What is an approval workflow? A modern, practical definition
An approval workflow is a structured sequence that routes a request—invoice, contract, document, asset, or access change—to the right approvers for a decision. An approval workflow process consists of essential components and steps, including defining clear approval stages, assigning designated approvers, setting permission levels, and using software to automate and track the process.
The workflow type determines the specific steps and approvals required, as different workflow types are tailored to various approval needs. Each step follows rules, roles, and outcomes: approve, reject, or request changes, and involves the processing of requests as they move through the workflow. Key elements of an effective approval workflow include transparency, efficiency, compliance, standardization, a robust audit trail, and the ability to minimize errors. The full journey is tracked with an audit trail, ensuring a clear and organized workflow approval process.
Defining the approval process, stages, rules, and outcomes
Request intake: The workflow is created at the start, beginning with request intake, where a requester submits a form or document with all required fields. Triggers at this stage determine whether the request follows a basic or advanced route, ensuring it enters the appropriate workflow.
Stages and gates: Each request moves through stages and gates, with every stage serving a specific purpose such as budget verification, policy review, or legal compliance. Every stage must also have a clearly defined exit condition so that requests can progress smoothly without ambiguity.
Rules and thresholds: Routing is managed by predefined rules and approval rules that apply conditional logic. For instance, a request with a high discount may require finance approval, while one containing a sensitive clause could be routed to legal. These rules and approval conditions ensure that requests receive the appropriate level of scrutiny based on their content and risk.
Outcomes and rework: At each point, approvers may approve, reject, or request changes. Feedback is recorded, and versions are tracked to maintain clarity and accountability. This creates a transparent record of the decision-making process and ensures that revisions are carefully monitored.
Completion and handoff: The process concludes with completion and handoff. Once final approval is granted, it triggers downstream actions such as purchase order creation, e-signature collection, or access provisioning. The request record is then archived to provide a reliable audit trail for future reference and compliance purposes.
This structure applies whether you design a document approval workflow, a contract approval workflow, or an invoice approval workflow.
Factors to consider while choosing an approval workflow app
Ease of use: A good approval workflow should be simple and intuitive. Whether it is a content approval workflow, an invoice approval workflow, or a contract approval workflow, users need to set up and adjust processes without heavy IT support. Easy navigation and a clean interface make workflow approval smoother and help teams focus on the work that matters.
Customization: Every team has its own way of handling approvals. Strong approval workflow software should allow flexible setup—multiple reviewers, different approval stages, conditional branches, and clear routing rules. Permission levels help define user roles and responsibilities, ensuring clarity and preventing overlaps. Whether for document approval workflow or invoice approval workflow software, customization ensures the system adapts to unique business needs.
Notifications: Timely updates keep the approval process workflow moving forward. With instant email notification and email notifications, no task is left behind. Automated approval workflow features make sure everyone knows when their input is needed, reducing delays and keeping projects on schedule.
Effective communication: Clear communication tools within workflow approval software are key. Features like comments, annotations, and markers let team members discuss directly inside the workflow. This makes collaboration easier. Approval workflow software can also improve communication by providing a central platform for tracking approval statuses, reducing misunderstandings, and ensuring all parties are informed about the latest updates.
Tracking: Visibility matters in every approval workflow. A dashboard that tracks each request—pending, approved, or rejected—helps managers and employees stay aligned. Setting due dates for approval tasks helps monitor timeliness and ensures reviewers complete their approvals or provide feedback on schedule. Task lists also help define each step and responsibility, ensuring smooth progression through the content review stages.
Analytics: Data shows how well the approval process workflow performs. Workflow approval software with built-in analytics can reveal turnaround times, bottlenecks, and overall success rates. Having this overview helps teams improve and build a faster, more reliable automated approval workflow.
Integration: An approval tool should connect with the platforms teams already use. Good workflow approval software integrates with project management systems, cloud storage, or messaging apps, reducing manual data entry and improving efficiency. Online and offline access ensures seamless integration and uninterrupted workflow, whether team members are working remotely or in the office.
Top 10 approval workflow apps
Recommendations at a glance
Based on an analysis of key features, pricing, and user applicability, we recommend the following products:
Lark: Unified workspace with built-in approval workflow software
Monday.com: Project platform with approval workflows
Integrify: Enterprise-scale workflow approval software
Kissflow: No-code approval workflow software
frevvo: Flexible form-based document approval workflow
Filestage: Content approval workflow for creative teams
WebProof: Creative workflow approval software with proofing tools
Admation: Project and approval workflow software for marketing
Jotform: Form builder with approval workflow software
Planable: Social media content approval workflow tool
1. Lark: Unified workspace with built-in approval workflow software
Overview
Lark has outstanding approval workflow capabilities. At the core is Lark Approval, a built-in tool designed for fast, flexible, and automated approval workflows. From HR requests to finance approvals, from document approval workflow to contract approval workflow, Lark makes every step smooth and transparent by guiding requests through a structured approval flow.
Lark is more than just an approval workflow tool — it’s a complete productivity superapp. It combines messaging, video conferencing, email, cloud storage, and workflow approval software in one seamless platform.
Lark Approval to boost your workflow efficiency
All‑in‑one approval hub: Lark Approval consolidates every approval workflow—whether for invoice, contract, or HR requests—into one seamless workspace, eliminating app-swapping and reducing decision times significantly. The home page provides a central dashboard to view the audit trail, latest activity, and timeline for all approval actions.
Embedded within your workflow: Approvals happen directly in Lark Messenger. Marketing teams can request campaign budgets right within chat, then approve or comment without shifting to another tool—keeping the approval flow fast and context-rich. You can also request approvals from team members and share documents in real time, ensuring everyone stays in sync.
Full context, zero chaos: Each approval request presents all pertinent documents, notes, and chat comments in a single view. For example, legal teams reviewing contract approvals can instantly see drafts, inline notes, and past feedback, reducing errors and improving transparency.
Custom and flexible flows: You can set up multi-step approval workflows with conditional branches, reminders, deadlines, and auto-escalation. Lark also supports multiple approvers, allowing parallel approvals to reduce bottlenecks and speed up decision-making.
Approve on the go: Everyone can stay in control of approvals through your mobile with Lark Approval. Approve or reject requests instantly, get real-time alerts for urgent tasks, and keep projects moving—even when you’re away from your desk.
Powerful data sync and analytics: Lark syncs approval data to Lark Base for tracking, reminders, and analytics. For example, a legal team approving contracts can automatically sync contract metadata—such as approval dates or expiry terms—for easier management and reporting. You can monitor approval status in real time, ensuring transparency and up-to-date tracking of every request.
API and automation support: Developers can integrate Lark Approval with third-party systems using APIs, allowing approval workflows to trigger downstream tasks—like sending alerts or updating records in ERP systems.
Lark Base: Automate your approval workflow from within your workspace
Lark Base isn’t just for managing data—it empowers teams to build automated approval workflows that trigger actions based on defined conditions. With its intuitive, low-code workflow builder, you can visually set up "trigger → action → notification" logic—for example, approval of a purchase request can automatically update the project’s status, notify stakeholders in Lark chat, or create follow-up tasks in the system.
The integration with Lark Approval is seamless: once an approval is completed, its data syncs into Base, enabling further automation such as reminders, reporting, or analytics—all without manual steps. This smooth, automated approval workflow helps keep processes transparent and keeps work moving forward—whether you’re in HR, finance, operations, or marketing.
Best For
Lark is ideal for organizations that want a scalable, all-in-one approval workflow software. It works equally well for small teams seeking simplicity and for large enterprises handling complex invoice approval workflow or contract approval workflow. Its balance of automation, customization, and integration makes it the most versatile option on this list.
Pricing
Lark combines chat, docs, drive, calendar, forms, and approvals in a single platform, so you don’t have to stitch together multiple tools to run an approval workflow end to end. That consolidation matters for cost. Instead of paying separate licenses for workflow approval software, document approval workflow add‑ons, and e‑signature integrations, you can standardize on one stack and cut overlap. Lark delivers more capability at a lower overall price while keeping the experience simple for requesters and approvers.
You can learn more about Lark pricing here 👇
👉 You can also try Lark’s Savings Calculator: Switching to Lark’s Pro plan can lead to significant cost savings— for example, a 100-employee company using Slack, Google Workspace, and Airtable could save approximately $25,200 annually by consolidating their tools with Lark.
2. Monday.com — Project platform with approval workflows
Image source: monday.com
Overview:
Monday.com is a work OS that supports approval workflows through boards, automations, and status columns. Teams can route items for sign‑off, use forms for intake, and trigger notifications or SLAs with no‑code recipes. It’s strong for cross‑team visibility and task‑to‑approval alignment.
Key features:
No‑code automations for routing and reminders
Forms-to-board intake for clean approval requests
Custom statuses for approve/reject/changes
Task lists structure the approval process and clearly define each team member's responsibilities
Dashboards and workload views for tracking
Integrations with Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and more
Best for:
Teams managing projects who need embedded approval process workflows.
Pricing:
Provides a free entry-level plan, a mid-tier option for small to medium teams, and a higher tier for businesses with advanced needs.
3. Integrify: Enterprise-scale workflow approval software
Image source: integrify.com
Overview:
Integrify is a workflow automation and approval workflow software designed for enterprises. Its drag-and-drop process builder lets teams design everything from straightforward document approval workflows to complex, multi-level corporate approvals. It supports routing across departments and automatically ensures requests reach the right person. Integrify enables teams to manage approvals in a structured way, ensuring accuracy and accountability.
Key features:
Drag-and-drop builder to create workflows quickly
Approval Matrix for structured routing rules
Predefined rules govern routing and decision-making in approval workflows, ensuring requests follow the correct path and meet compliance requirements
Supports advanced automated approval workflow logic
Best for:
Large organizations that require robust, enterprise-grade approval process workflow tools.
Pricing:
Offers tailored pricing based on business size and requirements.
4. Kissflow: No-code approval workflow software
Image source: kissflow.com
Kissflow is a no-code workflow approval software that focuses on simplicity and automation. Its visual designer allows users to create approval workflows without IT involvement, reducing delays and errors. Kissflow streamlines the processing of approval requests by automating each step, ensuring that information is efficiently investigated and reviewed. While it shines at easy-to-use automation, its customization and integration options are limited for complex workflows.
Key features:
Drag-and-drop workflow builder for no-code setup
Dashboards to monitor and analyze approval performance
Automated routing for common approval process workflow needs
Approval rules to automate and manage the approval process, streamlining decision-making and ensuring compliance
Best for:
SMBs and mid-sized companies looking for quick, no-code automated approval workflows.
Pricing:
Available in tiered packages for growing teams and enterprises.
5. frevvo: Flexible form-based document approval workflow
Image source: frevvo.com
Overview:
frevvo focuses on form-based automated approval workflows with strong customization features. Its drag-and-drop designer and Visual Rule Builder allow users to create dynamic workflows with conditional routing, making it well-suited for invoice approval workflow software and other document-heavy processes. frevvo ensures all requested information is captured accurately in the approval workflow, helping organizations meet specific requirements. While powerful, implementing advanced features requires some practice.
Key features:
Drag-and-drop form and workflow builder
Visual Rule Builder for conditional routing without coding
Automatic form validation and calculations
Digital signature support for compliance and security
Reporting tools for workflow analysis
Templates for faster setup of approval workflows
Best for:
Organizations handling structured form-based document approval workflows.
Pricing:
Provides customized pricing plans tailored to specific organizational needs.
6. Filestage: Content approval workflow for creative teams
Image source: g2.com
Overview:
Filestage is built for creative teams, focusing on content review and approval workflows. It enables smooth collaboration with visual feedback tools, allowing reviewers to leave annotations and comments directly on files. Version history helps teams track changes and finalize content faster. Filestage also tracks which documents have been reviewed, creating an audit trail that ensures accountability and organizational clarity. Its scope is narrower than general workflow approval software, but for marketing assets, it excels.
Key features:
Centralized review hub for all content
Secure approval process workflow with AES 256 encryption
Streamlines the process of approving documents, reducing errors and ensuring consistency for creative teams
Works well for digital content like images, videos, and designs
Best for:
Creative and marketing teams working on content-heavy projects.
Pricing:
Offers a free basic plan, a standard plan for small teams, and a professional package for larger creative departments.
7. WebProof: Creative workflow approval software with proofing tools
Image source: celum.com
Overview:
WebProof is designed for design and creative teams, combining proofing and workflow approval software. It offers strong communication tools, supports over 60 languages, and integrates with Adobe design apps. Teams can share documents in real time, with permissions management and version history maintained for audit purposes. While powerful for content workflows, it is less suitable for standard invoice approval workflow or business processes.
Key features:
InDesign and Illustrator plugins for direct file uploads
Real-time commenting, drawing, and highlighting tools
Multi-language support (60+) for global teams
Version tracking for design approvals
Project dashboards for clear overviews
Notification alerts to keep reviews on schedule
Best for:
Design and creative agencies working with global clients.
Pricing:
Provides custom pricing options based on team size and feature requirements.
8. Admation: Project and approval workflow software for marketing
Image source: simple.io
Overview:
Admation combines project management with approval process workflow capabilities, tailored for creative and marketing teams. It offers approval path templates, inbound/outbound checklists, and comprehensive audit trails, ensuring compliance and smooth project flow. Users can easily add or remove an entire group of approvers to streamline the approval process.
Key features:
Approval path templates for faster setup
Inbound/outbound checklists to guide submissions and reviews
Audit trails for compliance and transparency
Centralized dashboards for real-time tracking
Inline comments and annotations to collect clear feedback
Multi-level approval workflows for complex projects
Best for:
Creative teams seeking project management plus workflow approval software.
Pricing:
Custom packages available for agencies and enterprises.
9. Jotform: Form builder with approval workflow software
Image source: jotform.com
Overview:
Jotform is best known for form creation but also includes an intuitive approval workflow builder. It supports drag-and-drop creation of approval workflows with conditional logic, making it useful for HR, finance, and basic document approval workflows. When configuring approval workflows, users can select save to finalize updates, similar to saving changes in a SharePoint list during flow setup. However, costs increase quickly with advanced needs.
Key features:
Drag-and-drop approval builder with templates
If/else logic for dynamic workflows
Automated notifications for approvers and requesters
Multi-step and parallel approvals supported
Jotform Tables to track workflow progress
Works with payment gateways for invoice approvals
Best for:
Teams that already rely on Jotform for forms and need integrated approval workflows.
Pricing:
Offers a free starter plan, mid-level options for SMBs, and premium tiers for larger organizations.
10. Planable: Social media content approval workflow
Image source: planable.com
Overview:
Planable is a collaboration tool for social media teams with built-in approval workflow software. It provides four types of approval workflows (none, optional, required, multi-level) to handle different content needs. While limited in annotation tools, its intuitive design makes collaboration seamless.
Key features:
Four approval workflow modes for different scenarios
Simple interface for easy adoption by teams
Real-time collaboration on posts and campaigns
Locking content after approval to ensure finalization
Support for parallel and multi-level workflows
Centralized feedback collection
Best for:
Social media teams seeking simple and structured content approval workflows.
Pricing:
Provides a free entry option, standard plans for small teams, and advanced packages for agencies.
Common approval workflow use cases across teams
Finance: Invoice approval, expense approval, purchase orders
An invoice approval workflow validates vendors, matches to purchase orders (POs) or contracts, checks budgets, and routes exceptions with a clear audit trail. Monitoring the approval status of each invoice or expense request provides real-time visibility and transparency throughout the process.
Automation streamlines the processing of invoice and expense requests, ensuring each step is handled efficiently and consistently. Expense approvals balance policy and speed with mobile intake, receipt capture, and one‑click manager actions. Purchase orders add pre‑spend control with thresholds by category or risk. Integrations with ERP/AP and SLA‑based reminders reduce delays. Lark Approval streamlines finance operations with invoice approval software that automates expense tracking and reimbursement requests in one centralized workflow.
👍 Read more about top features of invoice approval software.
Sales and procurement: Discounts, quotes/CPQ, contract sign‑off
Sales and procurement teams rely on workflow approval to keep margins healthy and deals moving. Discount requests follow rules tied to thresholds and regions, while CPQ routes configurations that break pricing policies. A contract approval workflow runs phased reviews—commercial, legal, and executive—then hands off to e‑signature.
As part of the approval process, teams are also creating essential sales documents, such as invoices and customer quotes, to ensure all necessary paperwork is prepared efficiently. Streamlined approval workflows help shorten the sales cycle by accelerating deal closure and increasing efficiency. Clear roles, serial or parallel routing, and concise notifications prevent rework. With Lark, you can align sourcing, finance, and ops teams with document workflow software that automates procurement approvals and purchase orders.
🙋 Explore more about Top 10 Document Approval Software Tools
Legal and compliance: Redlining, policy approvals, risk reviews
Legal workflows focus on clarity and traceability. A document approval workflow captures redlines, comments, and versions for clean comparisons. Policy approvals move drafts through subject experts and leadership with auditable decisions. Risk reviews collect evidence and enforce least‑privilege access. Strong approval workflow software supports phased routing, secure external review, and retention controls. For example, Lark Approval streamlines sign‑offs across teams, while Lark Base stores clause libraries, policies, and automated approval workflow rules.
HR and operations: Leave, onboarding, policy updates
HR needs fast, fair decisions with a friendly experience. Leave requests show balances and coverage, enabling quick, delegated approvals. Onboarding and offboarding orchestrate multi‑team tasks—HR, IT, facilities—using hybrid serial and parallel steps. During these HR processes, permission levels are managed to ensure each team member has the appropriate access, maintaining clarity in roles and responsibilities. Policy updates run as a document approval workflow with acknowledgment tracking. Lark simplifies HR processes with document approval workflow systems that route travel requests and leave applications to managers and HR teams.
Marketing and content: Asset review, brand checks, campaign sign‑off
Content creation thrives on focused feedback and clear gates. Asset reviews route drafts to content, design, and brand in parallel, then consolidate decisions. Brand and legal checks add targeted steps before launch, ensuring all content aligns with the company's style guide for consistency and compliance. Campaign sign‑off uses stage criteria—brief, QA, go‑live—with time‑boxed review windows. A flexible approval process workflow cuts context switching and prevents version confusion. Lark Approval supports inline previews and approvals for continuous improvement.
👉 Learn more about Content Approval Software to Streamline your Workflow.
IT and security: Access requests, change approvals, vendor risk
IT and security prioritize control and speed. Access requests apply least‑privilege rules, time‑bound grants, and revocation on schedule. Change approvals classify risk, using serial gates for high‑risk changes and lighter paths for standards. Vendor risk reviews gather questionnaires, evidence, and approvals across security, legal, and procurement. Automated approval workflow patterns reduce manual chasing. Lark Approval handles quick, auditable decisions, and Lark Base centralizes inventories, policies, and approval workflow dashboards.
Conclusion: Build approval workflows that speed decisions
An approval workflow should feel like a well‑lit path, not a maze. When stages are clear, rules are explicit, and context arrives with the request, decisions move quickly and quality improves. The essentials don’t change across teams: clean intake, smart routing (serial, parallel, or hybrid), crisp SLAs with escalation, and a complete audit trail. Start with one high‑impact flow—invoice approval workflow, contract approval workflow, or a document approval workflow—then measure cycle time and rework, refine the approval process workflow, and expand what works.
Keep the experience human: one‑click actions, concise notifications, and permissioned visibility build trust while workflow approval software handles the heavy lifting. If you want collaboration at the center, Lark Approval brings decisions into the conversations where work happens, and Lark Base gives you policies, templates, and analytics in one place—helping your workflow approval operate with speed, clarity, and confidence.
FAQs
What is an approval workflow?
An approval workflow is a structured path that routes a request—invoice, contract, document, asset, or access change—to the right people for a decision. Each step follows clear rules and roles, captures outcomes (approve, reject, request changes), and records an auditable history. In practice, it turns policy into action using workflow approval logic that is easy to track and refine.
What are the steps of the approval process?
Most flows share a simple sequence: intake, routing, review, decision, and handoff. Intake captures required fields and files. Routing applies thresholds and conditions to pick serial, parallel, or hybrid paths. Review gathers feedback and requests changes when needed. Decision records the outcome with a reason. Handoff triggers downstream actions and archives the audit trail. This pattern fits document approval workflow, contract approval workflow, and invoice approvals.
What are the 5 steps of workflow?
A lightweight template works well across use cases:
capture the request,
validate and classify,
route to approvers,
decide and document,
complete and measure.
You can add SLAs, escalation, and delegation as guardrails. As complexity grows, switch between serial and parallel stages to balance speed and control.
How do I choose the right approval workflow software?
Start with your top two use cases—an invoice approval workflow and a contract approval workflow are common—and map their fields, roles, rules, and exceptions. Look for no‑code configuration, serial/parallel routing, SLA and escalation, secure external review, strong integrations, and analytics that show stage time and rework. Lark Approval brings one‑click decisions into chat and docs, while Lark Base centralizes templates, policies, and dashboards.
