Approvals Not Working in Microsoft Teams: The Ultimate Guide to Fixing Approval Workflows

Why are approvals not working in Microsoft Teams? This is a common problem faced by many users, especially those managing large teams or complex workflows. In today's fast-paced work environment, the ability to seamlessly approve and track requests is critical. The integration of Microsoft Teams and Approvals app streamlines the approval process for businesses, but what happens when this functionality stops working? The answer is not always straightforward. Multiple factors can disrupt this vital feature, and understanding them is the first step toward resolving the issue.

The problem might lie in the configuration of your Teams settings, outdated software, permissions, or even the connected services like Power Automate. Each of these factors can lead to approval requests not being submitted, viewed, or processed correctly. As frustrating as it can be, it’s a fixable problem.

Before diving into the specific troubleshooting steps, let’s understand the key reasons why approvals stop working and why these issues tend to crop up more frequently in complex team environments. The more you automate, the more likely you are to encounter issues that need troubleshooting—this is especially true with integrated platforms like Microsoft Teams.

What Causes Approvals to Stop Working?

To understand why approvals may stop functioning, it’s important to look at the technical architecture behind the Microsoft Teams Approvals app. Approvals are managed through Power Automate, and any disruptions in this backend service can immediately halt approval processes. Additionally, if your Microsoft Teams instance is not configured properly, permissions or user roles may block approval requests from being completed.

Let's break down some of the main causes:

• Incorrect Permissions: Often, the user submitting or receiving the approval request may not have the necessary permissions. For example, if the user is not properly assigned to the appropriate team or channel, their request will never go through.
• Backend Issues with Power Automate: Since the approvals are routed through Power Automate, any misconfiguration in your Power Automate flows will disrupt the process.
• Outdated Teams Software: Running an outdated version of Microsoft Teams or Power Automate can lead to unexpected glitches, such as buttons not responding or workflows not triggering.
• Integration Problems with Third-Party Services: If your approval process involves services outside of Microsoft (such as document storage or CRM tools), any broken connections or integration failures could halt approvals.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Approvals in Microsoft Teams

Here are some of the most effective troubleshooting steps to restore your approvals functionality:

1. Check User Permissions and Roles

Ensure that both the person initiating the approval and the approver have the correct roles and permissions. Permissions in Microsoft Teams can get complicated quickly, especially when dealing with custom teams or SharePoint integrations.

• Go to Teams Admin Center.
• Check Teams Settings for the user who is experiencing issues.
• Ensure the user has appropriate access to the channel or team where approvals are being conducted.

If necessary, remove the user from the team and re-add them to refresh their permissions.

2. Inspect Power Automate Connections

If the backend of your approvals is broken, you'll need to repair the flow. Approvals in Microsoft Teams are often connected to a Power Automate flow, which manages the backend workflow.

• Open Power Automate from your Microsoft 365 dashboard.
• Navigate to your approval workflow and check for any errors or warnings.
• Ensure all connections (such as with SharePoint or Outlook) are correctly set up and authenticated.
• Restart or reconfigure the flow to test the integration.

If your approval flow involves third-party services, check for any expired tokens or integration issues.

3. Update Teams and Power Automate

Make sure that all Microsoft apps, including Teams and Power Automate, are updated to the latest version.

• Go to Settings in Microsoft Teams.
• Check for updates and ensure you have the latest version installed.
• Similarly, update Power Automate through Microsoft 365.

After updating, restart both Teams and Power Automate and check whether approvals are working.

4. Check for Corrupted Approval Requests

Sometimes, approval requests themselves can become corrupted, causing them to get stuck or not appear at all. In these cases, try manually clearing out any pending or broken approval requests from the Approvals app.

• Open the Approvals App in Teams.
• Identify any approval requests that are pending or not moving forward.
• Clear out or delete any requests that appear to be stuck.

After doing this, test the approval process with a new request.

5. Rebuild Your Approval Workflow

If none of the above fixes work, it may be necessary to rebuild your approval workflow from scratch. While this is a more drastic measure, it often fixes hidden issues that are difficult to diagnose.

• In Power Automate, delete the existing approval workflow.
• Create a new flow with a simplified structure.
• Test this new flow with a small team to ensure that it functions as expected before scaling it back up.

Best Practices for Preventing Approval Issues in the Future

Preventing future issues with Microsoft Teams approvals can save you hours of troubleshooting and lost productivity. Here are some proactive steps you can take:

1. Regularly Update Teams and Power Automate

Keeping your software updated is one of the easiest ways to avoid compatibility issues. Microsoft frequently releases updates that include bug fixes and improvements.

2. Conduct Permissions Audits

Periodically review the permissions of users who are involved in the approval process. This ensures that no one is locked out or inadvertently loses access to vital teams or channels.

3. Use Simplified Approval Flows

Sometimes, overcomplicating your approval workflows with too many conditions or steps can introduce unnecessary points of failure. Try to streamline your flows as much as possible.

4. Monitor Integrations

If your approval process relies on third-party integrations, set up a regular schedule to check that all tokens and API keys are still valid. This can help prevent unexpected disconnections that could disrupt the approval process.

5. Document Your Approval Workflows

Finally, maintain thorough documentation of your approval workflows. This makes it easier to diagnose and fix problems if they arise, as everyone involved will know how the system is supposed to function.

The Future of Approvals in Microsoft Teams

Looking forward, Microsoft is continuously improving the integration of Approvals in Teams. In the future, expect to see more AI-driven insights and automation to help reduce the chances of manual errors or failed workflows. Microsoft’s focus is on making approvals more intuitive, faster, and less prone to errors, especially as businesses rely more on these tools to manage remote or hybrid workforces.

Incorporating more sophisticated tracking and monitoring tools may also help businesses keep a closer eye on their approval processes, identifying bottlenecks and issues before they become critical.

In summary, when approvals in Microsoft Teams stop working, the root cause can often be traced to permissions, software versions, or misconfigured workflows in Power Automate. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined above, you can quickly resolve these issues and prevent them from recurring.