Approval processes have been a key feature in Salesforce for years, giving businesses the ability to manage multi-step approvals across teams. With the rise of Salesforce Flow as the main automation tool, Salesforce has now introduced Approval Orchestration in Flow Builder, offering admins and developers more flexibility, control, and scalability.
At iBirds Services, our Salesforce experts closely track these updates and help organizations design approval solutions that are efficient, scalable, and aligned with best practices.
In this article, we will cover the journey of approval processes from Spring ’25 to the latest Winter ’26 updates. You will see how to create an approval process entirely with Flow, what new features have been added, and why migrating from the legacy approval process to Flow Approval Orchestration can improve efficiency.
Approval Orchestration Flow Types
The Spring ’25 release introduced new Flow types designed specifically for approvals. These flow types allow admins to build both simple and complex approval scenarios without consuming automation credits.
Available Flow Types
- Autolaunched Approval Orchestration (No Trigger):
This type can be started manually, triggered from other flows, or launched through custom buttons. - Record-Triggered Approval Orchestration:
Automatically triggers when a record is created or updated to meet the entry criteria.
Building Blocks: Stages and Steps
Approval orchestration works around Stages and Steps:
- Approval Steps: Interactive steps where approvers review and make decisions via screen flows. Approvers can be Users, Groups, or Queues. Options include email notifications, record locking, and allowing edits.
- Background Steps: Automated steps that run without user interaction, similar to workflow actions. These typically use autolaunched flows to update fields or send notifications.
Additionally, admins can configure Evaluation Flows to handle complex entry/exit conditions and Decision elements to move records between stages based on defined logic.
we often see clients benefit from well-structured orchestration designs that reduce approval delays and improve compliance.
Build Your Approval Process in Flow Builder
Every business has unique approval requirements, but Flow Orchestration provides a structured way to handle them. Let’s look at a basic example.
Imagine an Opportunity should go for approval as soon as it is created, but only if the related Account Type is “Customer.” In this case, we’ll use the Record-Triggered Approval Orchestration Flow Type and assign the Opportunity Owner’s manager as the approver.
Preparing the Flows
Before building the orchestration:
- Create a screen flow for the approver to make a decision.
- Build an autolaunched flow to update a custom field (e.g., Approval_Status__c) based on that decision.
Salesforce provides the Evaluate Approval Requests template for screen flows, saving setup time. For autolaunched flows, define variables for the Opportunity Id and decision outcome, then use them in an Update Records element.
Designing the Orchestration
Inside Flow Builder:
- Add a Stage with entry criteria (Account Type = Customer).
- Add an Approval Step that uses the screen flow. The approver is set as the Opportunity Owner’s manager.
- Add a Background Step to update the Approval_Status__c field with the approver’s decision.
- Configure notifications—either use Salesforce defaults or design custom messages with more detail.
Example Use Case:
- For Opportunities under 500K: The manager is the only approver.
- For Opportunities over 500K: The manager approves first, then a second approver gives the final decision.
This ensures scalability while keeping the process easy to update as requirements evolve.
👉 Implementation partners like iBirds Services help businesses configure such multi-level flows with precision, reducing risks of misrouted approvals.
Account for Recalls and Errors
The Summer ’25 release added two important features: Recalls and Fault Paths.
- Recalls: Users can now withdraw submissions within Flow orchestration. A recall path can be added directly in the start node and configured by stages. Background flows handle the recall logic.
- Fault Paths: Each stage can include error-handling logic, giving admins better control over failures. If a step fails, you can define the next action without breaking the whole process.
iBirds Services, our Salesforce team emphasizes building strong recall and error-handling strategies so businesses can maintain process stability.
Debugging in Winter ’26
One of the most useful updates in Winter ’26 is the enhanced Debug Mode for Flow orchestrations, including approval flows.
- You can now test approval processes directly in Flow Builder without manually simulating every case.
- Debugging can run in rollback mode, preventing unwanted data changes.
- New Manually Set Output Variables feature allows admins to define outputs during testing, ensuring even asynchronous steps can be debugged effectively.
iBirds Services uses structured debugging approaches during client implementations, ensuring that approval flows run smoothly in production.
Taking Action, Reviewing, and Re-Assigning Approvals
Once the orchestration is active, approvers interact with it through the Orchestration Work Guide component, which must be added to the record page.
Key features include:
- Approvers receive notifications and can approve via email or directly within Salesforce.
- The Work Guide automatically hides when no tasks are pending.
- Approval details can be tracked using the Approval Trace component, showing comments, status, and approver details.
- Work items can be reassigned to another User, Queue, or Group directly from the Approval Lightning App list view.
For reporting, Salesforce also allows admins to create Custom Report Types with Approval Submissions, Work Items, and Submission Details.
Flow Approval Process Wizard
The Summer ’25 release introduced a Wizard to simplify setup.
When creating a process from the Approvals App, the wizard lets you:
- Define the number of approval levels.
- Add recall paths and final actions.
- Auto-generate a skeleton orchestration in Flow Builder, which can then be customized further.
👉 For new admins, iBirds Services often provides guided workshops on using the Wizard effectively while ensuring processes align with compliance rules.
Extend Access for Power Users
With Winter ’26, Salesforce admins can delegate limited control over autolaunched approval flows to specific power users (like Sales Ops teams).
- These users can manage flows without full “Manage Flows” permission.
- Any changes require a “Submit for Activation” review process, ensuring admins still control production deployments.
This balances flexibility with governance.
Key Considerations Before Using Approval Orchestration
Before fully adopting Flow Approvals, keep these points in mind:
- Each orchestration supports up to 50 versions.
- Unlike general orchestrations, Flow Approvals do not consume automation credits.
- Errors generate two emails—one for orchestration failure, one for flow failure.
- Currently, manual selection of the next approver is not supported; approvers must be defined in the step.
- User Resources should store usernames, not User Ids.
👉 iBirds Services recommends reviewing these considerations early in the design phase to avoid common pitfalls during implementation.
Final Thoughts
The move to manage approvals directly in Salesforce Flow Builder is a big step forward. It provides flexibility, scalability, and better alignment with modern business needs.
From recalls and fault paths to debugging and advanced reporting, Salesforce continues to enhance approval orchestration with each release. For admins and businesses, this means more control, fewer limitations, and easier adaptation to evolving requirements.
As Winter ’26 rolls out, now is the right time to evaluate how Flow Approval Orchestration can replace or improve your legacy approval processes. With experience across multiple Salesforce implementations, iBirds Services helps organizations plan migrations, optimize flows, and adopt these new features effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What is Salesforce Flow Approval Orchestration?
Flow Approval Orchestration is a new way to build approval processes directly inside Salesforce Flow Builder. It allows admins to design multi-step approvals with more flexibility, control, and automation.
Q2. How is Flow Approval Orchestration different from legacy approval processes?
Legacy approval processes are limited and less flexible. Flow Approval Orchestration offers stages, steps, recalls, error handling, and better scalability, making it more powerful for modern business needs.
Q3. What are the main Flow types for approvals?
There are two types: Autolaunched Approval Orchestration (manual or triggered from other flows) and Record-Triggered Approval Orchestration (starts automatically when record criteria are met).
Q4. Can approvers recall or reassign approval requests in Flow Orchestration?
Yes. With Summer ’25, recall options were added, and in Winter ’26, reassign features allow tasks to be sent to another User, Queue, or Group.
Q5. What new features were introduced in the Winter ’26 release?
Winter ’26 adds enhanced debugging, manually set output variables, rollback mode for safe testing, and extended control for power users without giving full admin rights.
Q6. Does Flow Approval Orchestration consume automation credits?
No, unlike other orchestrations, Flow Approvals do not consume automation credits, making them more efficient for frequent business processes.Q7. Why should businesses migrate to Flow Approval Orchestration?
Migrating ensures better scalability, faster approvals, stronger compliance, and future-proof processes. It reduces delays and gives admins more control over error handling and reporting.