Salesforce Platform App Builder Certification Handbook

Comparing workflows and approval processes

Both workflows and approval processes help us automate business processes. Let's quickly have a recap of both:

Workflow rules	Approval process
Workflow rules are triggered immediately and automatically after saving	The record has to be sent for approval manually by clicking on Submit for approval
Workflow actions are executed immediately or are time-dependent	There is a separate action for each step of the approval process
They have a single set of criteria and action	This is a multi-step process
They are completely automated	This requires a manual decision at every stage

This covers automating a business process using workflows and approvals. It is worth noting that the records can be approved ...