Creating approval flows with Power Automate

Approval workflows are a key automation pattern used in business processes like document review, leave requests, purchase approvals, etc. With Power Automate, you can easily integrate these workflows into your Power Pages applications, enabling seamless submission, approval, and tracking for end users.

Use Case Example

A user submits a request form via Power Pages. This submission needs managerial approval before proceeding to the next step.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Design the Power Pages Form

In Power Pages:

Create a Basic Form or Custom Web Page connected to a Dataverse table.
Include fields like:
- Title or Request Name
- Requested By (User)
- Reason / Comments
- Status (e.g., Pending, Approved, Rejected)
- Manager Email

Step 2: Create a Power Automate Flow

Open Power Automate and follow the steps:

Trigger

Use: When a row is added (Dataverse trigger)
Table: Your form’s associated table

Step 3: Add Approval Step

Use the Start and wait for an approval action:

Approval type: Approve/Reject – First to respond or Everyone must approve
Title: “Approval needed for [Request Title]”
Assigned To: Manager’s email (dynamic from form)
Details: Add summary fields (comments, date, purpose, etc.)

Step 4: Add Conditional Logic

After the approval step, use Condition to check response outcome:

If Outcome = Approve
    → Update Dataverse record to Status = Approved
    → Send confirmation email to requestor
Else
    → Update Status = Rejected
    → Notify the user of rejection

Step 5: Update Record and Notify

Action: Update a row in Dataverse to reflect the decision
Action: Send an email or Teams notification to the requester

Optional Enhancements

Multiple-level approvals: Use nested approval steps (e.g., Manager → Director).
Add timeline/history tracking: Store approval logs in a separate table.
Deadline-based reminders: Use parallel flows to send reminders if no response.
Customize the Approval Email Template: Use markdown formatting.

Displaying Approval Status in Portal

Add a list view (Entity List or Custom table grid)
Filter records by the logged-in user
Show a Status column with color-coded indicators

Security Tips

Ensure users can only view/update their own requests
Use Power Pages Web Roles and Table Permissions
Limit who can approve using Dataverse security roles

Sample Use Cases

Leave/Time-off requests
Purchase order approvals
Partner registration approvals
Content publishing approvals
Case or complaint resolution approvals