Workflow guide

Build a Google Forms approval workflow with email routing

A standard Google Form is good at collecting requests, but not at routing submissions through reviewers, sending approval emails, or writing a clean audit trail back into the response sheet. FormFlow keeps Google Forms as the intake surface and adds the approval layer behind it.

Quick answer

Google Forms does not include a full approval workflow by itself. The practical setup is: collect the request in Forms, link the response Sheet, route each submission to reviewers, and write approved, rejected, or pending status back to the sheet.

Manual workaround

Email each submission to a reviewer and update the response sheet by hand. This works for very low volume but is hard to audit.

Apps Script workaround

Build custom triggers and email links if someone can maintain the script, permissions, and error handling.

FormFlow path

Use a sidebar setup for reviewer routing, email decisions, reminders, and response-sheet status tracking.

First test

Submit one copied-form request and confirm reviewer email delivery, approve/reject behavior, and the final sheet status.

Best-fit approval scenarios

This workflow is strongest when the form is only the first step and a decision has to happen afterward.

Leave or PTO requests

Route each submission through one or more managers while keeping the request state visible.

Access approvals

Collect requests in a simple form and push them through a structured reviewer chain.

Exception handling

Use the form as intake, then attach comments, decisions, and timestamps to the resulting workflow record.

Internal operations requests

Handle purchasing, facilities, IT, or admin approvals without building a separate internal portal.

Recommended setup path

  1. Open the Google Form in edit mode and confirm it already collects the information the approvers will need to review.
  2. Install and launch FormFlow, then select the linked response spreadsheet with Google Picker.
  3. Define the approval levels and attach the approver email addresses in the right order.
  4. Adjust notification behavior, reminder timing, and any required comments or status labels the workflow should use.
  5. Run a test submission before launch so you can verify the approval links, reviewer mail delivery, and status writes in the linked response sheet.
The linked Google Sheets response file becomes the operational record, so teams that care about audit visibility should review that sheet during testing, not just the emails.

What to evaluate before going live

Approver identity

Confirm the right people can receive and act on approval requests before any live submissions arrive.

Status visibility

Make sure the linked response sheet gives operators enough clarity to understand where each request sits.

Reminder logic

Use reminders carefully so overdue workflows are visible without creating mailbox noise.

Submission quality

The cleaner the initial form fields are, the easier it is for approvers to make a decision from the email and audit trail.

Next steps