Multi-level approval loops

Want approval workflows where rejections send work back for fixes? Here’s how. You’ll build multi-level approvals that automatically reopen previous steps when someone hits reject - keeping quality high without grinding everything to a halt.

What is the use case for this automation?

You know those approvals that need multiple sign-offs? Multi-level loops handle them perfectly:

• Financial approvals: Purchase requests that need manager approval, then finance approval, then executive sign-off
• Content publishing: Draft → Editor review → Legal review → Final approval
• Contract management: Initial draft → Department head → Legal → CFO → CEO
• Quality control: Product inspection → Supervisor check → Quality manager sign-off

Here’s the magic - when someone rejects at any level, the work automatically bounces back to whoever needs to fix it. No chasing people down.

How do I create a multi-level approval workflow?

Here’s how your multi-level approval workflow flows with automatic rejection handling:

What to notice:

• 🔄 Every rejection automatically re-opens the creation task - no manual tracking needed
• 🎯 Later approvals only show after earlier ones pass (visibility rules¹ control this)
• 💡 COO rejection can re-open multiple steps simultaneously for faster corrections

1. Set up your approval chain steps

   Start with your template and map out who approves what. You’ll use Approve/Reject type steps:

   • Step 1: “Create wire transfer request” (Regular task)
   • Step 2: “Manager review” (Approve/Reject)
   • Step 3: “Finance department approval” (Approve/Reject)
   • Step 4: “COO final approval” (Approve/Reject)

2. Create re-open rules for each approval level

   Next, set up what happens when someone hits reject. For each approval step, create a status action2 rule:

   Rule 1: Manager rejection reopens creation

   IF (Manager review) is Rejected
   THEN Re-open task "Create wire transfer request"

   Rule 2: Finance rejection reopens creation

   IF (Finance department approval) is Rejected
   THEN Re-open task "Create wire transfer request"

   Rule 3: COO rejection can reopen multiple steps

   IF (COO final approval) is Rejected
   THEN Re-open task "Create wire transfer request"
   AND Re-open task "Manager review"

3. Add visibility rules to control flow

   Don’t show later approvals until earlier ones pass. Simple:

   IF (Manager review) is Approved
   THEN Show "Finance department approval"

   IF (Finance department approval) is Approved
   THEN Show "COO final approval"

Advanced approval patterns

Conditional approval routing

Need different approvers for different amounts? You can route based on any criteria:

IF (Purchase Amount) is greater than $50,000
AND (Manager review) is Approved
THEN Show "Board approval required"

Parallel approvals with synchronization

What if legal, compliance, and finance all need to review at the same time? Here’s how parallel approvals work:

What to notice:

• 🚀 All three approvals trigger simultaneously after initial review
• ⏸️ Final step waits until ALL parallel approvals complete
• ❌ Any rejection sends the whole thing back to start

Easy setup with visibility rules:

IF (Initial review) is Completed
THEN Show "Legal approval"
AND Show "Compliance approval"
AND Show "Finance approval"

Wait for everyone to approve before moving on:

IF (Legal approval) is Approved
AND (Compliance approval) is Approved
AND (Finance approval) is Approved
THEN Show "Final implementation"

Escalation paths

Approvals getting stuck? Here’s your fix:

1. Set the initial approval deadline
2. Create an escalation step assigned to senior management
3. Use deadline automation to trigger escalation

When time’s up, Tallyfy bumps it to the boss. Done.

Best practices for approval loops

Want your approval loops to actually work? Follow these:

• Clear rejection reasons: Add comment fields so reviewers explain what needs fixing. Nobody likes guessing why their work got rejected
• Notification setup: Turn on email notifications - people need to know when tasks bounce back to them
• Loop limits: Think about adding a counter. After 3 rejections, maybe it’s time for a meeting instead
• Documentation: Put clear instructions in each step. Tell people exactly what you’re looking for
• Audit trail: Good news - Tallyfy tracks every approval and rejection automatically. CYA built right in

Understanding re-open behavior

When a task is reopened in Tallyfy:

• Its status changes from “Completed” back to “Active”
• Original assignees are notified
• Any data entered previously remains intact
• The task appears again in the assignee’s active tasks

Real-world example: Property listing approval

Let me show you how a real estate agency nailed their listing approvals:

The magic here:

• 📸 Marketing rejection = agent gets specific feedback on photos
• 📋 Compliance issues = both agent AND manager get notified
• ✅ Every listing hits the market looking perfect

Every listing hits the market looking perfect. Agents know exactly what to fix when something’s off. No more “please see me” sticky notes.

Related articles

How To > Complex approval workflows

Tallyfy transforms complex approval workflows into trackable processes with clear visibility and accountability by providing kick-off forms conditional logic dynamic assignments real-time status tracking automated reminders and organized archiving to eliminate confusion and bottlenecks.

Power Automate > Building approval workflows with Power Automate

This guide explains how to use Power Automate’s approval features to handle formal sign-offs that extend beyond Tallyfy’s built-in task assignments by creating automated workflows that request approvals and update Tallyfy processes based on the outcomes.

Actions > Automate changing the status of tasks

Status actions automatically re-open completed tasks when specific conditions are met and are primarily used for approval workflows feedback loops and quality control processes where steps need to be revisited for corrections or revisions.

Actions > Automate hiding or showing tasks

Visibility actions in Tallyfy automatically show or hide process steps based on specific conditions to ensure complete process integrity while displaying only relevant steps when needed preventing missed requirements and maintaining workflow efficiency.

Footnotes

1. Tallyfy feature that controls when steps appear based on conditions like prior task completion ↩

2. Automation that triggers actions when a task changes status, like reopening steps on rejection ↩