Troubleshoot Approval Requests

If an approval request does not behave as expected, this guide covers the most common causes.

Common issues

I cannot approve or reject a request

Check:

• you are the assigned approver
• the request is still in pending state
• the request has not expired

I cannot cancel a request

Only the requester can cancel a pending request. If the request is already approved, rejected, cancelled, or expired, it can no longer be cancelled.

My approval request expired

If a request passes its expiry time before a decision is made, it becomes expired automatically. Expired requests cannot be acted on. Submit a new request if the approval is still needed.

I rejected a request but the requester is asking why

Use a clear decision comment when rejecting. This gives the requester the context they need to correct and resubmit the request if necessary.

I do not see the request in my inbox

Check:

• whether the request was assigned to you
• whether your filter is set to the correct status
• whether you are in Inbox or My Requests

Best practice

Set a reasonable expiry time and include enough detail in the title and description so the approver can decide without needing extra context.