Approvals add-in makes creating and managing approval requests on Word doc easier

Microsoft has introduced a new add-in, Approvals, that allows you to create and manage approval requests for a Word document.

Connor Rodewald, Senior Product Manager on the Low Code Experience team, said in a post on the Microsoft 365 Insider blog:

Using the Approvals app for Microsoft Teams, you can attach links to files when you create approval requests, but these approvals aren’t currently attached to the Word document itself. By bringing the Approval add-in to Word, you now have a direct entry point to create approval requests for a specific document you’re working on.

This Add-in also allows you to see all approval requests that took place over time in a specific document. As an approver, you can also respond to the request right in the Word document, rather than needing to go to the Approvals app in Microsoft Teams.

How does it work?

On the Word document, click File, then Home, and click Get Add-ins. Type Approvals in the search box. From the search results list, select Approvals.

Next, click the Add button on the Approvals page, then accept the license terms and click the Continue button.

To create a request in Word, click the New approval request button in the Approvals pane. You can create a basic request or use the existing template. Once you have filled in the details, click the Send button.

To respond to a request, click the request in the Approval history section, you can either select the Approve button or Reject button.

To create a Word template as a team owner within Microsoft Teams, launch the Approvals app, click Create or manage templates > New template, then choose the team you are creating the template for, and enter a template name.

In the Category drop-down, choose Word, add a description, and complete the process as prompted.

Here are the scenarios and tips & tricks mentioned in the official post:

Scenarios to try

• Create an approval request for a document.
• Approve or reject a document approval request.
• As a team owner, create a template for your team to use when submitting a document for approval. 

Tips and tricks

• Only one Approval request can be active at a time. 
• To cancel a request, open it within the Approvals History section, and then click the Cancel request button. 
• When rejecting a request, you can include additional information in the Comments box above the buttons.
• To learn more about the template creation process, see: Discover templates in Approvals – Microsoft Support

To use this add-in, you need Microsoft 365 with an F1 (Frontline worker) license and above. This also includes EDU and Enterprise licenses.

What do you think about the Approvals add-in in Word? Share your views with our readers in the comments section below.