Unanswered

Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

Like (0) Share

Report

Posted on 3 Mar 2020 13:59:12 by mmorales

Hi everyone, I'm trying to set up an automated approval workflow that would sometimes require multiple approvers. The end goal is that everyone should answer before the flow moves forward but I seem to be having trouble getting that set up correctly. I can not for the life of me see what I have wrong. Hoping someone can help please.

Below is a screenshot of the of my flow that I keep having issues with.

I receive the initial approval email to both assigned email addresses, after hitting approval on both user accounts it immediately goes to an approval failed action.

Should the Outcome - is equal to - be 'Approve' only in this scenario with multiple assigned users?

I have the same question (0)

Summarized by AI

AI generated content may be incorrect

Did you find this summary helpful?

All responses (14)

Answers (0)

trem0rs 36 on 22 Apr 2021 at 05:00:15

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

Thank you so much. This worked for me. Saved my bacon!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
jasonmurphy 34 on 25 Mar 2021 at 00:33:26

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

Hi @Pstork1, confirming all good here. Thanks again for your help!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
jasonmurphy 34 on 24 Mar 2021 at 00:48:35

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

Thanks @Pstork1, I've re-built the flow and having some good success using your suggested method with testing in prototype. Will confirm asap how it goes in final version. Really appreciate your help.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Pstork1 67,483 Most Valuable Professional on 23 Mar 2021 at 23:13:55

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

@Jcook Outcome will actually work for multiple approvers. It gives you a comma delimited string of the results. That way you can evaluate the result without resorting to an Apply to Each.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Pstork1 67,483 Most Valuable Professional on 23 Mar 2021 at 23:12:43

Like (2)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

Outcome is a delimited string of the approvals. So if you have two approvers it will look like "Approve, Approve" or "Reject, Approve". I normally turn the conditions around and check if Outcome "Contains" "Reject". If it does its rejected. If it doesn't its Approved. Since you are only checking for Approve its giving you some false positives.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
jasonmurphy 34 on 23 Mar 2021 at 23:01:59

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

Hi @Pstork1, @Jcook,

I'm having a similar challenge and wonder if you could please help?

We've got three levels of sequential approvals and the first approval step (#1) requires both approvers (always two) to approve. Then there is a condition if they approve it goes to approver #2, if they approve to approver #3 and then the final outcome.

At the moment, it goes to approver stage #1 and then flows to #2 and #3, and completes the outcome, but then cycles back to approver #2 and #3 for a second time.

I've posted a screengrab of how it's setup.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
mmorales 8 on 11 Mar 2020 at 18:14:56

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

@Pstork1 I eventually could not get having 2 different approvers in the same "Start and Wait for an Approval - Everyone Must Approve" to work. It would either reject the response of Approve, Approve or if I changed the condition from "Response" to "Outcome" it would send a Approve / Reject email to the created by email that initially kicked off the flow.
I ending up opting to do this in a two step method where it would go to the 1st user for approval and if he approved it would then go to the 2nd user. In both scenarios they each have a condition to inform the "Creator" in the event if something was rejected.
I've attached two screenshots below in the event if anyone ever runs into the same scenario.
First Approver

Second Approver

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Pstork1 67,483 Most Valuable Professional on 03 Mar 2020 at 20:05:57

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

Not quite. If you are going to use a loop based on Responses then there should be a piece of dynamic data available when doing your condition that ends in Response (note the singular ending). That's what your condition should be based on. And you should be checking against Approve. "Approve Approve" would be if you were checking Outcome outside the loop.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
mmorales 8 on 03 Mar 2020 at 17:28:15

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

@Pstork1 Gotcha gotcha,
So as I understand it, you are saying for me to test it out as shown below in the image?

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Pstork1 67,483 Most Valuable Professional on 03 Mar 2020 at 15:19:08

Like (0)

Report

Re: Flow - Start and Wait for an Approval - Multiple Approvers - Keep receiving "Start an approval action failed"

My point was that if you used Outcome you don't need the Apply to Each loop. You only need the condition to test Outcome. If you are going to use the loop on Responses then you want to test the 'Response' dynamic content.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No