--- title: "Getting started: Build your first approval workflow" canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/getting-started/new-trial-user-step-by-step/" md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/getting-started/new-trial-user-step-by-step.md" last_updated: "2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z" description: "Follow this step-by-step guide to create your first approval workflow in your Nutrient Workflow Automation account and streamline your business processes." --- # Build your first approval workflow This guide walks you through creating your first approval workflow in your trial account. > Keep this guide open in another window as you walk through the steps. ## Build a form The approval process begins with a form that employees fill out to start the request process. ### Step 1: Create a new form 1. Select **Administration** from left navigation panel (if you can’t see the left navigation panel, click the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner to open it). 2. Select **Forms**. 3. Select **Add New Form** > **New**.![Add New Form button in navigation](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/forms-and-add-form-highlighted.png) 4. Give the form a name. 5. Add it to a category so people can find it. Categories are similar to folders. 6. You can optionally add a description of the form. 7. Save the form. The **Form Builder** screen appears as shown below. ### Step 2: Add questions to the form Refer to the [create form questions](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/create-form-questions.md) guide for instructions on how to add questions to a form. You can preview your form by selecting the **Preview** tab. For more information, refer to the [preview form](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/form-preview-and-editor.md) guide. Refer to the [forms documentation](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms.md) for more guides related to forms. Add several question fields to the form. ## Build a process After building the form, build a process to manage it. ### Step 1: Create a new process Refer to the [create a new process](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/processes/create-a-new-process.md) guide for detailed instructions. ### Step 2: Building your process A process is a series of tasks. Add tasks, connect them together, and then configure them. Process building begins with the Process Flow canvas. Refer to the [process flow workspace](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/processes/process-menu/process-flow.md) for more information. Refer to the [create a task](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/processes/tasks/creating-a-task.md) guide for instructions on adding tasks. Add a [form task](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/processes/tasks/standard-task/standard-task-form-task.md) that displays the new form you created. The system automatically creates a task called **Start** when you create a new process. Drag and drop a **Form** task from the list of task types.![Dragging a form task onto the canvas](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/drag-forms-task.png) Then, give the **Form** task a name and click anywhere on the process flow canvas to save the name. Right-click the **Form** task to display the task menu and select **Configuration** > **Configure Task**.![Right-click menu showing Configure Task option](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/configure-task-option.png) Click the **Please select a Form** field, search for your new form under its category, and select it.![Adding form configuration](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/select-form.png) Click **Save** and then **Close**. Now, drag a transition line from the middle of the **Start** task to the **Form** task. You’ll notice a pink bar appear when you hover over a task. Drag it to the tasks you’d like to connect. In this scenario, it’s **Start** and the **Trial Form** task.![Connecting tasks with transition arrows](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/files/1546/connect.gif) > You can also connect two tasks by dragging the new task onto an existing task. Next, you need to add a recipient for this **Form** task. A recipient is a person who receives a given task assignment. Since the request form is the first task in this process, the recipient is the person who starts the request and completes the form. That means the recipient is the requester. For more on how these two roles differ, see [the difference between a requester and a recipient](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/faq/the-difference-between-a-requester-and-a-recipient.md). You’ll assign this first task to the requester. Right-click the **Form** task and select **Recipients** from the menu. The recipient window enables you to select a dynamic recipient, which means the system will automatically assign the task to the appropriate person. In this case, you want to automatically assign the **Form** task to the requester. Select **Dynamic** and click the **+** icon to add the recipient.![Adding recipient](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/add-recipient.png) Once you’ve added the requester as the recipient, click **Close**. Add the next task, which will be an **Approval** task. This will enable you to assign the completed form to someone to review it. 1. From the list of tasks on the left, drag the **Approval** task into the Process Flow canvas and drop it below the **Form** task. 2. Name the **Approval** task. 3. Right-click the **Approval** task and select **Configuration** > **Configure Task**. You can give the person reviewing the completed form some options to select. These could be options such as approved, denied, need more information, and so on. To do this, follow the steps below. 1. On the **Configure Task** screen of the Approval task, select **Add Option**.![Add Option button](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/add-option-highlighted.png) 2. You can give the person approving the request these options to choose from: **Approved**, **Denied**, **More Information Needed**.![Approval options configuration](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/approved-denied-more-information-needed-options.png) When you’re done creating the options, click **Close**. Next, connect the **Form** task to the **Approval** task by hovering over the **Form** task and dragging the arrow to the **Approval** task. This triggers the approval task when you complete the form. To learn more about approval tasks, refer to the [Approval task](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/processes/tasks/standard-task/approval-task.md) guide. Assign an approver to the request. 1. Right-click the **Approval** task and select **Recipients**. 2. On the screen that appears, select the **Contacts** and **Groups** filter options. 3. Click on the **+** icon next to a Contact or Group to add it to the window on the right side. 4. Click **Close**. Add milestones to track the request status. You use milestones to update the overall status of a request. Completed milestones also show up in reports and KPI dashboards. 1. From the task list on the left, drag **Milestone** and drop it into the Process Flow canvas next to the **Approval** task. 2. Name it **Approved**. 3. Add another **Milestone** for **Denied** and **More Information Needed**. 4. Connect the **Approval** task to the three milestones.![Process flow with milestones](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/adding-milestones.png) ### Step 3: Configuring rules By default, when you connect one task to another, the second task starts when the previous task completes. In this approval process, the **Approved** milestone triggers only when the approver selects **Approved**. Right-click the **Approved** milestone and select **Configuration** > **Configure Rules**.![Configure Rules menu option](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/configure-rules.png) Select **Add Rule**. You’ll notice a default rule is already in place for when the Approval task is completed. Add an additional rule that looks at the Approval task and checks if the Approver selected **Approved**. 1. From the Source dropdown, select **Data**. 2. From the Task dropdown, select the Approval task you created. 3. From the Field dropdown, select **Approval Choice**. 4. From the Operator dropdown, select **Is**. 5. From the Value dropdown, select **Approved**.![Rule configuration with data source](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/rule-values.png) 6. Click **Add Rule**, and then click **Close**. Now repeat this process for the two other milestones (Denied and More Information Needed). Make sure to select the appropriate values for each. The process ends when the Approver selects either the **Approved** or **Denied** milestones. The **End Process** task marks the request as completed when the **Approved** or **Denied** milestones run. Drag the arrow from the **Approved** milestone to the **End** task and do the same for **Denied**.![Connecting milestones to End task](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/end-task.png) When the approver selects More Information Needed, the system routes the process back to the original form.![More Information Needed milestone connected to Form task](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/more-information-to-form-task.png) Configure the Form task to handle both new requesters and requesters who return to complete more information. 1. Right-click the **Form** task and select **Configuration** > **Configure Rules**. The window that appears shows two rules, one for people starting the process, and one for people for whom more information is needed. In these rules, change the AND operator to an OR. 2. Double-click AND to use the dropdown to click OR. This way, both situations become valid. 3. Click **Save Rules** and then **Close**.![Rule configuration with OR condition](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/rule-configuration-with-or-condition.png) To make the process visible to end users, move it into production as follows: 1. Select the **Process Detail** tab in the top header. 2. Select **Production** in the Publish Status dropdown. 3. Scroll down to the end of the screen and click **Save**.![Process Detail tab with Publish Status](@/assets/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/forms/process-detail-publish-status.png) ## Testing your workflow When users log in, they can only view the **Actions** tab in the left navigation panel. From the **Actions** tab, end users can select **Start A Request** to locate and initiate the process you created. Refer to the [available task types](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/processes/tasks/standard-task/complete-list-of-task-types.md) guide for more information on task types. Nutrient Workflow Automation supports different types of workflows, complex rules that start tasks, KPIs for processes, database and external application integrations, task escalations, due dates, and reminders. Refer to the [process documentation](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/processes.md) guides for more information. ## More videos on getting the most out of your Nutrient Workflow Automation trial **Building your first approval workflow** **Creating a process** **Creating a form** **Configuring an Approval task** **Configuring a Form task** **Watch a recorded demonstration of Nutrient Workflow Automation platform** --- ## Related pages - [Getting started](/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/getting-started.md) - [Preparing for process automation](/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/getting-started/preparing-for-process-automation.md) - [Path to successful process implementation](/guides/workflow-automation/admin-guide/getting-started/the-path-to-a-successful-process-implementation.md)