Approval templates define multi-stage approval workflows for documents and risk assessments. Each template contains one or more stages that run in sequence. For each stage, you specify who can approve and how many approvals are required. When a document or risk assessment needs approval, it goes through these stages in order. This article explains how to create, edit, and manage approval templates in CalmCompliance.
Before you start
You need the Manager or Admin role in the Site module to create, edit, or delete approval templates. If you don't have this permission, contact your site administrator.
You should have users or groups set up in your site, as you'll need to assign them as approvers for each stage
If your site has child sites, you can choose to share templates with them
Step-by-step instructions
Creating an approval template
Navigate to Settings → Governance → Approval Policies tab
Click New Template
Enter a Template Name (required) — choose something clear and descriptive, like "Senior Management Approval" or "Multi-Stage Document Review"
Optionally add a Description — provide more context about when and why this template should be used
Configure Approval Stages — each template must have at least one stage:
Adding stages: Click Add Another Stage to add additional stages. Stages run in order (Stage 1, then Stage 2, etc.)
Editing a stage: Click Edit on any stage to configure:
Stage Name (required) — e.g., "Initial Review", "Manager Approval", "Final Sign-off"
Description (optional) — additional context for this stage
Approvers — select users and/or groups who can approve at this stage:
You can select individual users from the left panel
You can select groups from the right panel
You can select both users and groups
At least one approver is required for each stage
Required Approvals Count — how many approvals are needed to complete this stage (default is 1)
For example, if you select 3 approvers and set this to 2, any 2 of those 3 can approve to move to the next stage
Saving stages: Click Save on the stage editor to save your changes, or Cancel to discard them
Removing stages: Click the delete icon (trash can) to remove a stage. You must have at least one stage in the template.
If your site has child sites, optionally enable Share with child sites:
When enabled, child sites can see and use this template
Templates shared from parent sites appear as "Inherited" in child sites
Inherited templates cannot be edited or deleted from child sites
Click Create Template
Editing an approval template
Navigate to Settings → Governance → Approval Policies tab
Find the template you want to edit in the list
Click the pencil icon next to the template name
Make your changes:
You can edit the template name and description
You can edit, add, or remove stages
Note: You cannot edit templates that are inherited from a parent site. To edit an inherited template, you must edit it in the parent site where it was created.
5. Make sure to save any stages you're editing before clicking Save Changes
Deleting an approval template
Navigate to Settings → Governance → Approval Policies tab
Find the template you want to delete in the list
Click the delete icon (trash can) next to the template name
Confirm the deletion in the pop-up window
Important: Deleting a template will remove the approval workflow from any documents or risk assessments currently using it. Those items will no longer have an approval workflow, but existing approval history will be preserved.
Assigning an approval template to documents
When creating a new document or editing an existing one, look for the Approval Template field
Select the approval template you want to assign from the dropdown menu
Save the document
When you're ready to publish a new version of the document, you can trigger the approval workflow, which will follow the stages defined in the template
Assigning an approval template to risk assessments
Approval templates for risk assessments are assigned through Assessment Policies
When creating or editing an assessment policy, look for the Approval Template field
Select the approval template you want to assign from the dropdown menu
Save the assessment policy
Important: All risk assessments created using this assessment policy will automatically have the approval template assigned. When you request approval for a risk assessment, it will follow the stages defined in the template
Common questions and answers
Q: How do approval stages work?
A: Stages run sequentially. The first stage must be completed (with the required number of approvals) before the next stage begins. For example, if you have "Manager Approval" as Stage 1 and "Director Approval" as Stage 2, the director won't be notified until all required managers have approved.
Q: What does "Required Approvals Count" mean?
A: This is how many approvals are needed from the approvers you've selected for that stage. For example, if you select 5 people as approvers and set the count to 3, any 3 of those 5 people can approve to complete the stage. If you select 2 people and set the count to 2, both must approve.
Q: Can I have multiple approval templates?
A: Yes, you can create as many approval templates as you need. For example, you might have a simple single-stage template for routine documents, and a multi-stage template for important policy documents.
Q: Can I edit a template that's being used by documents or risk assessments?
A: Yes, you can edit templates at any time. Changes will apply to new approval workflows started after the edit. Existing workflows in progress will continue using the template as it was when they started.
Q: Can I edit or delete a template that's inherited from a parent site?
A: No, inherited templates can only be edited or deleted in the parent site where they were created. If you need changes, contact your parent site administrator.
Q: What if I delete a template that's assigned to documents or risk assessments?
A: Those items will no longer have an approval workflow, but any existing approval history will be preserved. For documents, you can assign a different template directly. For risk assessments, you'll need to update the assessment policy they're using.
Q: How do approval templates work with risk assessments?
A: Approval templates for risk assessments are assigned through assessment policies. When you create an assessment policy and select an approval template, all risk assessments created using that assessment policy will automatically have the approval template assigned. To change the approval template for existing risk assessments, update the assessment policy they're using.
Q: Can I change the order of stages?
A: Yes, you can delete and recreate stages in a different order, or edit the template to rearrange stages. Remember that stages run in the order they appear (Stage 1, Stage 2, etc.).
Q: What happens if an approver is removed from a group that's assigned to a stage?
A: If a user is removed from a group that's an approver, they'll no longer be able to approve at that stage. However, if they've already approved, that approval will still count towards completing the stage.
Troubleshooting tips
Problem: I can't see the "Share with child sites" option
Solution: This option only appears if your site has child sites. If you don't see it, your site doesn't have any child sites configured.
Problem: I can't edit or delete a template
Solution: Check if the template shows "Inherited" in the list. Inherited templates can only be edited in the parent site. If it's not inherited, make sure you have the Manager or Admin role in the Site module. Contact your site administrator if you need this permission.
Problem: The template form won't let me save
Solution: Make sure you've filled in the Template Name, have at least one stage, and each stage has a name and at least one approver. You also need to save any stages you're currently editing before you can save the template.
Problem: I can't add another stage
Solution: Make sure you've saved or cancelled any stage you're currently editing. You can only add a new stage when no stage is being edited.
Problem: I want to remove an approval template from a document
Solution: Edit the document and change the Approval Template field to "No approval required" or leave it blank (depending on the form). This will remove the approval workflow from that document.
Problem: I want to remove an approval template from risk assessments
Solution: Edit the assessment policy that the risk assessments are using, and change the Approval Template field to "No approval required". This will remove the approval workflow from all risk assessments using that assessment policy.
Problem: A template name already exists
Solution: Template names must be unique within your site. Try adding a more specific name or including the year or site name to make it unique.
Problem: I'm confused about required approvals count
Solution: Think of it this way: if you have 5 approvers selected and set the count to 3, any 3 of those 5 people need to approve. If you have 2 approvers and set the count to 2, both must approve. The count cannot be higher than the total number of approvers you've selected.