Microsoft released a simple, yet very effective, approval tool for business automation called Request sign-off. The request for sign-off comes “out of the box” and works with individual documents and list items.
To start a sign-off:
- Select the target document; click Flow and select Request sign-off.
- Click Create flow.
- Behind the scenes the flow will connect to SharePoint, Approvals (Flow) and Notifications (Flow). These connections are required to make the process work.
- Enter an Approver name (multiple are allowed); an accompanying Message and click Run flow.
- Click See Details to see what is Flow is doing and how.
- After the Flow starts a new column called “Sign-off status” will be created and the status will be set to “Pending”.
- The Approver will receive an Approval email request from Microsoft Flow and be prompted to “Approve” or “Reject” the sign-off request with optional comments.
- The “Sign-off status” will be updated to “Approved” or “Rejected”.
The power of the Request sign-off feature is not the technology that drives it but rather the simplicity of use and the empowerment of end-users.
Thanks for stopping by.
NY
Norm Young 
It appears that a user can subsequently modify the document but the Sign Off status remains as ‘Approved’. Unless I’m missing something, this makes this feature useless.
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Hello Kat,
Your understanding is correct. Power Automate can be used to work around this behaviour by checking the file out once approved or removing edit permissions on the file.
Thanks for reading!
NY
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