Approval Forms

Approval Form Templates are specialized online forms designed to streamline and automate the process of requesting, reviewing, and granting approvals for a wide range of business and organizational needs. These templates are commonly used for leave requests, purchase orders, expense reimbursements, project proposals, document sign-offs, and more. By providing a structured workflow, approval forms ensure that requests are routed to the appropriate decision-makers, tracked efficiently, and documented for compliance and transparency. Whether you’re managing internal HR processes, procurement, or project management, approval forms help standardize and accelerate decision-making.

With Jotform, users can easily leverage Approval Form Templates to build custom approval workflows without any coding. Jotform’s intuitive drag-and-drop Form Builder allows you to add fields, set up conditional logic, and integrate with over 40 payment gateways or third-party tools. Submissions are automatically stored and can be managed in Jotform Tables, making it simple to track the status of each request. Real-time notifications, customizable autoresponders, and advanced search features further enhance the efficiency of your approval processes, making Jotform an ideal solution for businesses seeking to digitize and optimize their approval workflows.

Use Cases of Approval Form Templates

Approval Form Templates are versatile tools that can be adapted to a variety of organizational scenarios. They solve common workflow bottlenecks by providing a clear, auditable path for requests and decisions. Here’s how they can be used, who benefits from them, and how their structure may differ:

- Possible Use Cases:

- Employee leave or vacation requests

- Purchase order approvals

- Expense reimbursement requests

- Project or budget proposals

- Document or contract sign-offs

- IT or facility access requests

- Event or travel authorizations

- Problem Solving Points:

- Eliminates manual paperwork and email chains

- Reduces approval delays by automating routing and notifications

- Ensures compliance and record-keeping with digital audit trails

- Centralizes request management for easy tracking and reporting

- Possible Owners and Users:

- HR managers (leave, travel, and expense approvals)

- Finance and procurement teams (purchase orders, reimbursements)

- Project managers (project proposals, resource requests)

- IT administrators (access and equipment requests)

- Department heads and executives (final approvers)

- Differences of Creation Methods:

- Content and Fields: Leave request forms may require employee details, dates, and reason for leave, while purchase order forms need vendor information, itemized lists, and budget codes.

- Approval Routing: Some forms may require multi-level approvals (e.g., supervisor, department head, finance), while others need only a single sign-off.

- Conditional Logic: Forms can display or hide fields based on user input (e.g., additional documentation for high-value purchases).

- Integrations: Expense forms may integrate with accounting software, while IT requests might connect to helpdesk systems.

In summary, Approval Form Templates can be tailored to fit any approval workflow, ensuring requests are processed efficiently and transparently across your organization.

How to Create an Approval Form

Creating an effective Approval Form with Jotform is a straightforward process that can be customized to fit any approval scenario, from simple one-step sign-offs to complex multi-level workflows. Here’s a step-by-step guide to building your own approval form, tailored to your organization’s needs:

1. Start with the Right Template or a Blank Form

- Log in to your Jotform account and click “Create” on your My Workspace page.

- Choose “Form” and either start from scratch or select from Jotform’s library of Approval Form Templates.

- Pick a layout: Classic (all questions on one page) or Card (one question per page).

2. Add Essential Form Fields

- Click the “Add Element” menu to drag and drop fields relevant to your approval process.

- For a leave request, include fields like employee name, department, leave dates, and reason.

- For purchase orders, add vendor details, item descriptions, quantities, and budget codes.

- Use the “Widgets” tab for advanced fields such as file uploads (for receipts or supporting documents) or e-signatures.

3. Set Up Approval Workflow Logic

- Use Jotform’s conditional logic to route submissions to the appropriate approvers based on form responses (e.g., requests over a certain amount go to a manager).

- Add multiple approval steps if needed, ensuring each approver receives a notification and can approve or deny the request.

4. Customize the Form Design

- Click the Paint Roller icon to open the Form Designer.

- Adjust colors, fonts, and layout to match your organization’s branding.

- Apply a professional theme or create a custom look for your approval form.

5. Configure Email Notifications and Autoresponders

- In the Settings menu, set up email notifications for approvers and confirmation emails for requesters.

- Customize messages to include request details and next steps.

6. Publish and Share Your Form

- Click “Publish” to get a shareable link or embed the form on your intranet or website.

- Share the form via email or internal communication channels.

7. Test and Monitor Submissions

- Use the Preview feature to test the form and approval workflow.

- Submit a test request to ensure notifications and approvals work as intended.

- Track submissions and approval statuses in Jotform Tables for easy management and reporting.

By following these steps, you can create a robust approval form that automates your workflow, reduces manual errors, and provides a transparent record of all requests and decisions. Jotform’s flexibility allows you to adapt the form to any approval scenario, ensuring a seamless experience for both requesters and approvers.