Study guide
7.2 Approval Actions, Rejections & Record Locking
Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder Exam
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1 Chapter 1: Platform Architecture, Boundaries & Extensions
1.1 Declarative vs. Programmatic Architecture & Limits 1.2 AppExchange Solutions & Package Selection 1.3 Core CRM Standard Objects & Capabilities
2 Chapter 2: Security, Access & Analytics
2.1 Object-Level & Field-Level Security 2.2 Record-Level Sharing Architecture 2.3 Advanced Sharing & Scoping Solutions 2.4 Reports, Custom Report Types & Dynamic Dashboards
3 Chapter 3: Data Model Architecture & Relationships
3.1 Custom Objects & Custom Field Types 3.2 Master-Detail & Lookup Relationships 3.3 Many-to-Many Relationships & Junction Objects 3.4 Schema Builder & Data Architecture Visualization
4 Chapter 4: Data Management & External Integrations
4.1 Field Type Conversions & Data Loss Considerations 4.2 Data Import Wizard vs. Data Loader 4.3 Salesforce Connect, External Objects & Indirect Lookups
5 Chapter 5: Declarative Formulas & Validation Rules
5.1 Cross-Object Formulas & Advanced Formula Functions 5.2 Roll-Up Summary Fields & Calculation Rules 5.3 Validation Rules & Error Handling Strategies
6 Chapter 6: Salesforce Flow Architecture & Design
6.1 Flow Fundamentals & Flow Trigger Types 6.2 Record-Triggered Flows: Fast Field Updates vs. Actions 6.3 Screen Flows & Guided User Interactions 6.4 Flow Execution Architecture, Bulkification & Fault Paths
7 Chapter 7: Complex Automation & Approval Processes
7.1 Multi-Step Approval Processes & Approver Routing 7.2 Approval Actions, Rejections & Record Locking 7.3 Automation Selection Strategy & Legacy Migration Patterns
8 Chapter 8: Lightning App Builder & Page Customization
8.1 Lightning Record, Home & App Pages 8.2 Standard, Custom & AppExchange Lightning Components 8.3 Custom Buttons, Web Links & Quick Actions
9 Chapter 9: Dynamic UI, Record Types & Mobile Experience
9.1 Dynamic Forms & Conditional Component Visibility 9.2 Dynamic Actions & Page Interaction Patterns 9.3 Record Types, Business Processes & Picklist Control 9.4 Salesforce Mobile App Customization & Compact Layouts
10 Chapter 10: Application Lifecycle Management & Sandboxes
10.1 Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Stages & Governance 10.2 Sandbox Types, Capacity & Refresh Cycles 10.3 Sandbox Strategy for Development, Testing & Training
11 Chapter 11: Deployment Tools & Packaging Strategies
11.1 Inbound & Outbound Change Sets 11.2 Change Set Dependency Tracking & Deployment Sequencing 11.3 Managed vs. Unmanaged Packages & Distribution
12 Current Exam Blueprint, Agentforce & Flow Operations
12.1 Current Exam Facts, Official Weights & Study Mapping 12.2 AgentExchange: Extending an Org with the Agentforce Marketplace 12.3 Agentforce Automation for App Builders 12.4 Flow Approval Processes, Monitoring & Troubleshooting
7.2 Approval Actions, Rejections & Record Locking
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Approval processes execute automated actions across four distinct stages: Initial Submission, Step-Level (Approval/Rejection), Final Approval/Rejection, and Recall.
The only four automated actions natively supported within Approval Processes are Field Updates, Email Alerts, Tasks, and Outbound Messages.
Classic approval processes cannot use cross-object field update actions. Update a status on the submitted record and use an appropriate Flow for related-record changes, or use a Flow Approval background step.
During an active approval process, the record is locked against edits; only System Administrators and (optionally) the currently assigned Approver can edit locked records.
Enabling 'Re-evaluate Workflow Rules after Field Update' can cause subsequent declarative rules to evaluate, but risks triggering recursive loops if not carefully managed.
Last updated: October 2026
Approval Actions, Rejections & Record Locking
When a record transitions through an approval lifecycle, the platform executes automated responses that enforce data integrity, maintain audit compliance, and notify stakeholders of status changes. These responses are known as Approval Actions .
In addition to triggering automated actions, the platform automatically manages data governance by imposing Record Locking . While a record undergoes review, standard users must be prevented from altering deal amounts, discount terms, or delivery dates that would invalidate the approver's evaluation. Understanding the precise timing of approval actions, the scope of field updates, and the nuances of record locking is essential for building robust enterprise workflows and passing the Platform App Builder certification.
Approval Action Stages & Execution Timing
Salesforce Approval Processes organize automated actions into the following operational stages based on where the record sits within the approval lifecycle: APPROVAL ACTION STAGES
- │
- ┌─────────────────┬──────────────┴──────────────┬─────────────────┐
- ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
- ┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐
- │Initial Submiss│ │ Step-Level │ │Final Approval/│ │ Recall Actions│
- │ Actions │ │ Actions │ │ Rejection │ │ (Withdrawn) │
- ├───────────────┤ ├───────────────┤ ├───────────────┤ ├───────────────┤
- │• Lock Record │ │• Step Approval│ │• Final Approv.│ │• Unlock Record│
- │• Status Update│ │ (Advances or │ │ (Unlock/Lock,│ │• Reset Status │
- │• Submitter Ack│ │ concludes) │ │ Commit DML) │ │• Notify Rep │
- │• Outbound Msg │ │• Step Reject │ │• Final Reject.│ │• Cancel Tasks │
- │ │ │ (Branch/fail)│ │ (Unlock, Log)│ │ │
- └───────────────┘ └───────────────┘ └───────────────┘ └───────────────┘
- 1. Initial Submission Actions
Execute immediately after a record satisfies the process entry criteria and enters the approval pipeline.
Standard Actions: The record is automatically locked by default. Administrators typically configure an initial field update setting Approval_Status__c to 'In Review' or 'Pending Approval' , alongside an automated email alert acknowledging receipt of the submission.
2. Step-Level Approval & Rejection Actions
Execute at the boundary of an individual approval step:
Step Approval Actions: Fire when the assigned approver approves that specific step. If additional steps remain, the record advances to the next step; if this is the final step, the process transitions to Final Approval Actions.
Step Rejection Actions: Fire when an approver rejects that specific step. Depending on step configuration, this either immediately invokes Final Rejection Actions or returns it to the previous approver, when that rejection behavior is available and configured.
3. Final Approval Actions
Execute when the record has successfully received all necessary approvals across all required steps in the sequence.
Standard Actions: The administrator typically updates the record's primary status (e.g., setting Status to 'Approved' , 'Active' , or 'Closed Won' ), unlocks the record (or leaves it locked against future modifications), dispatches confirmation emails to stakeholders, and optionally triggers an outbound message to an external ERP system for fulfillment.
4. Final Rejection Actions
Execute if an approver rejects the record and the process does not route to an alternate step.
Standard Actions: The platform executes final rejection actions, commonly updating Approval_Status__c to 'Rejected' , unlocking the record so the submitter can revise terms, and emailing the submitter with instructions or logged rejection comments.
5. Recall Actions
Execute when a submitted record is withdrawn prior to final approval.
Triggering Recall: A recall occurs when the original submitter or a System Administrator clicks the Recall Approval Request button on the record.
Standard Actions: Recall actions typically unlock the record, reset the status back to 'Draft' , and withdraw pending approval work; separately created Task records need explicit cleanup.
Supported Automated Action Types
Classic approvals support four principal automated action types, with availability governed by the selected action stage; locking and unlocking are additional approval controls:
Field Updates: Changes the value of a standard or custom field on the submitted record ; cross-object field updates cannot be assigned as classic approval actions. For picklist fields, administrators can select specific picklist values. For text, number, date, or currency fields, values can be set statically or computed via formula expressions.
Email Alerts: Dispatches an email using a predefined Classic or Lightning Email Template to designated recipients, including users, roles, record owners, submitters, or related contact lookups.
Tasks: Creates a new follow-up Task assigned to a designated user, role, or record owner. Useful for scheduling post-approval onboarding or fulfillment check-ins.
Outbound Messages: Sends a secure, configurable SOAP XML message payload containing specified record field values to an external listening endpoint (such as an enterprise middleware or billing system) without requiring Apex code.
Important
Unsupported Direct Actions: Approval Processes do not natively support posting to Chatter, invoking Screen Flows, launching autolaunched flows directly, or executing custom Quick Actions as direct approval actions. If a Chatter notification or complex multi-system transaction must occur upon approval, administrators must trigger an After-Save Record-Triggered Flow or Apex trigger that monitors the status field updated by the approval action.
Related-Record Updates and Workflow Re-evaluation
A classic approval field update targets the submitted record. Classic approval processes cannot use cross-object field update actions , including custom-to-custom master-detail relationships. Do not infer approval support from the similarly named legacy workflow feature.
To update a parent after a child is approved, set an approval-status field on the child and use an after-save Flow that reacts to the transition; supported modern Flow API versions run record-triggered flows for approval field updates. Alternatively, a Flow Approval process can run an autolaunched flow as a background step. When calculating a total across approved detail records, a filtered native roll-up may be simpler than incrementing a stored parent total. Account for rejection, resubmission, deletion, and concurrent approvals so the total cannot drift.
The legacy Re-evaluate Workflow Rules after Field Update option can cause up to five further reevaluations after the initial field update. It does not permit a classic approval to perform cross-object updates: cross-object actions reached through reevaluated workflow are ignored. Workflow Rules and Process Builder reached end of support on December 31, 2025; build new orchestration with Flow and test any remaining legacy interactions.
Record Locking Mechanics & Access Governance
When a record enters an active approval process, the platform enforces data immutability by placing the record in a Locked state. The record lock prevents simultaneous edits that could undermine the integrity of the pending approval.
Who Can Edit Locked Records?
During Step 3 of the Standard Setup Wizard, the app builder configures the Record Editability property. Salesforce provides exactly two options:
Only Administrators can edit records during the approval process: Only users possessing the 'Modify All Data' system permission or 'Modify All' object-level permission for that sObject can edit the record while locked.
Administrators OR the currently assigned approver can edit records during the approval process: In addition to System Administrators, the specific user or queue member currently holding the pending approval request can edit record fields before rendering a decision.
Note
Even when 'Administrators or currently assigned approver' is enabled, the submitting user cannot edit the record once locked. If the submitter realizes they entered an incorrect quantity or discount percentage, they must either ask the approver to make the correction, wait for a rejection, or use the Recall Approval Request action to unlock the record, apply edits, and resubmit.
Approval Action Stage Comparison Matrix
Action Stage Execution Trigger Default Record State Permitted Actions Primary Use Case
Initial Submission Record passes entry criteria upon submit Locked Field Update, Email Alert, Task, Outbound Msg Set status to 'In Review', lock record, send submitter confirmation
Step Approval Approver approves an intermediate step Locked Field Update, Email Alert, Task, Outbound Msg Increment step audit field, notify next tier approver
Step Rejection Approver rejects an intermediate step Locked (or transitions) Field Update, Email Alert, Task, Outbound Msg Branch to secondary review, log rejection rationale
Final Approval All approval steps completed successfully Unlocked (or Locked) Field Update, Email Alert, Task, Outbound Msg Set status to 'Approved', unlock record, trigger ERP integration
Final Rejection Request rejected without further steps Unlocked Field Update, Email Alert, Task, Outbound Msg Set status to 'Rejected', unlock record for rep revisions
Recall Actions Submitter or admin withdraws request Unlocked Field Update, Email Alert, Task, Outbound Msg Reset status to 'Draft', unlock record, cancel pending review
Best Practices & Common Exam Traps
Tip
Validation Rule Bypass Considerations: Approval field updates do not check custom validation rules. Standard field requirements can still cause errors, and downstream Flow/Apex can introduce additional save operations. Test approval transitions and do not rely on a custom validation rule alone to block an invalid approval-action value.
Important
Submitter Recall Permissions: By default, submitted records cannot be recalled by the submitter unless the administrator explicitly checks 'Allow submitters to recall approval requests' in the Approval Process Settings. If left unchecked, only an administrator can recall a pending request.
Common Exam Traps
Trap 1: Attempting cross-object field updates across Lookup relationships. Classic approvals cannot use cross-object field update actions. Use Flow or a filtered master-detail roll-up when related records must change.
Trap 2: Assuming sales reps can edit records while in approval. A common exam scenario involves a sales rep needing to update an Opportunity closing date while the Opportunity is in an active approval process. Even if the rep is the record owner, they cannot edit the record while locked. The rep must recall the approval request, make the modification, and resubmit.
Trap 3: Believing Chatter posts can be added directly as approval actions. Chatter posts are not available as native approval actions. Only Field Updates, Email Alerts, Tasks, and Outbound Messages can be created directly within the approval action builder.
Official Source Check
Checked October 19, 2026: Classic approval field update restrictions .