Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate – Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, quick and accurate decision-making is more important than ever. One tool that enables this efficiency is Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate. This functionality lets team members review, approve, or reject requests directly from the tools they use every day—Outlook for email approvals and Microsoft Teams for chat-based approvals.

By integrating Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate, organizations can streamline workflows, reduce email clutter, and ensure that no important request slips through the cracks. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll cover everything from setting up your first approval flow to implementing advanced techniques for complex approval scenarios. Whether you’re new to Power Automate or looking to enhance your existing processes, this guide will give you the knowledge to create a seamless, efficient approval system.

1. Understanding Approvals in Power Automate

Before diving into the technical setup, it’s essential to understand what approvals are and how they fit into the Power Automate ecosystem.

An approval is a structured request that prompts one or more people to approve or reject something. When you use Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate, you’re leveraging two key communication channels—email and Teams messages—to notify decision-makers and collect their responses.

How Approvals Work

1. A trigger event occurs (e.g., a new file is uploaded, a form is submitted).
2. Power Automate sends an approval request to Outlook and/or Microsoft Teams.
3. Approvers respond directly from the message or approval card.
4. Power Automate processes the decision and takes the next action.

Approval Types

• Approve/Reject – First to Respond: The process ends when the first approver responds.
• Approve/Reject – Everyone Must Approve: Requires all assigned approvers to approve.

Benefits

• Immediate action without switching tools.
• Centralized tracking of decisions.
• Mobile-friendly approvals.

Example Use Cases

• HR leave requests
• Purchase order approvals
• Document publishing sign-offs

Image Suggestion:
A diagram showing an approval request originating in Power Automate, sent to both Outlook and Teams, and returning a response.
Image Alt Text: Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate workflow diagram

Outbound Link: Microsoft Power Automate Approvals Overview

2. Benefits of Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate

Integrating approvals into Outlook and Microsoft Teams offers several business advantages:

1. Faster Decision-Making – Notifications in Teams and Outlook mean approvals can be actioned within seconds.
2. Increased Transparency – All approval requests and responses are tracked.
3. Centralized Communication – No more jumping between tools to find requests.
4. Improved Productivity – Reduces back-and-forth emails and unnecessary delays.
5. Mobility – Approve requests on the go from your phone.

3. Prerequisites Before You Start

To set up Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate, you’ll need:

• Microsoft 365 account with Outlook and Teams access
• Power Automate license (included in many Microsoft 365 subscriptions)
• Access permissions to relevant data sources (e.g., SharePoint, Dataverse, Forms)
• Basic understanding of Power Automate navigation

4. Step-by-Step Setup Guide

This is the heart of the process—creating an approval flow that works in both Outlook and Teams.

Step 1: Open Power Automate

1. Go to Power Automate.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.

Step 2: Create a New Flow

1. Select Create from the left navigation.
2. Choose Automated cloud flow.
3. Name your flow (e.g., “Purchase Order Approval”).
4. Select a trigger—common choices include:
   • When an item is created (SharePoint)
   • When a new response is submitted (Microsoft Forms)

Step 3: Add the Approval Action

1. Click + New Step.
2. Search for “Start and Wait for an Approval”.
3. Choose an approval type:
   • Approve/Reject – First to respond
   • Approve/Reject – Everyone must approve

Step 4: Configure Approval Recipients

• Enter the approver’s email address or select from your directory.
• Add a title and description for clarity.

Step 5: Enable Outlook and Teams Notifications

• Outlook: Approvers receive an actionable message with Approve/Reject buttons.
• Teams: Approvers see an adaptive card in their chat.

Step 6: Test the Flow

1. Trigger the flow (e.g., submit a form).
2. Approve or reject via Outlook or Teams.
3. Confirm the flow processes your decision correctly.

Image Suggestion:
Screenshot of the “Start and Wait for an Approval” configuration in Power Automate.
Image Alt Text: Configure Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate

5. Advanced Approval Flow Techniques

Once you’ve mastered the basics, enhance your flows with advanced techniques:

• Multi-Stage Approvals – Route requests through multiple departments.
• Conditional Approvals – Use conditions to approve automatically if certain criteria are met.
• Parallel Approvals – Collect responses from multiple approvers at once.
• Escalations – If no response in a set time, escalate to a manager.
• Data Storage – Log all approval responses in SharePoint or Dataverse for reporting.

6. Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Approvals not showing in Teams: Check Teams app permissions and adaptive card settings.
• Email links not working in Outlook: Ensure actionable messages are enabled.
• Delayed notifications: Review Power Automate run history for delays.

Outbound Link: Troubleshooting Power Automate Approvals

7. Best Practices

• Keep approval messages concise and clear.
• Use descriptive subjects so approvers understand requests instantly.
• Store approval history for compliance.
• Test your flow with a small group before deploying organization-wide.

Conclusion

Implementing Approval in Outlook and Microsoft Teams in Power Automate transforms how your organization handles decisions. By providing a unified, quick, and trackable method for approvals, you’ll save time, reduce bottlenecks, and keep your team focused on high-value work. Start small, experiment with advanced options, and watch your workflows become more efficient.