How to set up Salesforce approval processes for contract management

If your contract approvals are stuck in someone’s inbox or lost in email limbo, you’re not alone. For anyone responsible for managing contracts—whether you’re in sales ops, legal, or admin—getting those approvals streamlined can save a ton of hassle. This guide will walk you through setting up a real, working approval process in Salesforce for contract management. Not just the basics, but the stuff you actually need to know, with a skeptical eye on what’s worth your time (and what isn’t).

Why bother with approval processes in Salesforce?

Let’s be honest: approvals are a pain. But if you’re handling contracts, you need a clear record of who said “yes,” when, and under what conditions. Otherwise, you’re one audit or missed renewal away from chaos. Salesforce approval processes give you:

  • A repeatable workflow so you’re not reinventing the wheel for every contract.
  • Audit trails that show who approved what, and when.
  • Automated reminders so contracts don’t get stuck “waiting on legal” forever.

But don’t expect magic. If your process is broken or full of exceptions, Salesforce won’t fix that. This isn’t a silver bullet—it’s a tool for organizing the chaos you already have.

Step 1: Map your real-world approval process first

Before you touch Salesforce, sketch out how contract approvals actually work at your company. Not the way it “should” work—the way it really does. Grab a whiteboard or a notebook and answer:

  • Who needs to approve contracts (Sales, Legal, Finance, all of the above)?
  • Do certain contracts need extra review (e.g., high value, special terms)?
  • What happens if someone’s out of the office?
  • Where do contracts get stuck now?

Pro tip: If you can’t draw your process on a single page, it’s too complicated. Salesforce can’t help you fix a broken process. Simplify first.

Step 2: Prep your Salesforce org

You’ll need to make sure your Salesforce setup supports contract approval workflows. At a minimum:

  • You need the right objects. Most contract management happens on the built-in Contract object, but some companies use Opportunities, custom objects, or even third-party apps. Figure out where YOUR contracts live.
  • Fields for approvals. Salesforce will create some fields automatically (like “Approval Status”), but you might want more (like “Reason for Rejection” or “Final Approver”).
  • Profiles and permissions. Only users with the right permissions can submit, approve, or reject contracts. Check your profiles and permission sets before you roll this out.

Heads up: Approval processes are only available in certain Salesforce editions (Enterprise, Unlimited, etc.). If you’re on a lower-tier plan, you might be out of luck.

Step 3: Build your approval process

Here’s where you actually set up the workflow in Salesforce. There’s a wizard for this, but it’s not as smart as you’d hope. Go slow, and double-check as you go.

1. Go to Setup > Approval Processes

  • In Salesforce Classic: Setup > Create > Workflow & Approvals > Approval Processes.
  • In Lightning: Setup > Process Automation > Approval Processes.

Pick the right object (like Contract).

2. Choose your entry criteria

Decide when a contract should enter the approval process. For example:

  • All contracts?
  • Only contracts above $50,000?
  • Only if a “Needs Legal Review” checkbox is ticked?

You can use formulas or field criteria. Keep it simple—overly complex rules will bite you later.

3. Set the approval steps

Salesforce lets you add one or multiple steps. Each step can go to a different approver or group.

  • Single-step: Maybe all contracts go to the Legal team.
  • Multi-step: First to Sales Manager, then to Legal, finally to Finance for high-value deals.

You can route approvals to users, roles, queues, or use formulas (like “whoever owns the record’s manager”). If your org is small, don’t overthink it. For larger companies, use roles or queues so you’re not stuck every time someone leaves.

4. Specify actions (what happens on approve/reject)

For each step, decide what Salesforce should do:

  • Approve: Update fields, send emails, unlock the record, etc.
  • Reject: Maybe send back to the submitter, notify stakeholders, or add a comment.

You can set up email alerts, field updates, and even custom tasks. Focus on the actions that actually keep things moving—nobody needs another “FYI” email.

5. Set up record locking

By default, Salesforce will lock the contract during approval so people can’t sneak in last-minute edits. You can override this, but think carefully—locking is there for a reason.

6. Add final actions

Once the contract is approved or rejected, what should happen? Typical actions:

  • Mark contract as “Approved” or “Rejected”
  • Generate a PDF or send to DocuSign (if integrated)
  • Notify other teams

Don’t go overboard here. The more automation you add, the more things can break.

Step 4: Test (and break) your process

This is where most people mess up: they build the approval process, then flip the switch for everyone. Don’t do that.

  • Clone your process in a sandbox first. A sandbox is a safe, test environment.
  • Create sample contracts that hit every scenario—big, small, weird exceptions.
  • Submit and approve as different users. Approvers, submitters, even people who shouldn’t have access.
  • Try to break it. What happens if someone rejects? What if they’re on vacation? Are the right emails going out?

Write down what works and what’s confusing. Clean up the process before it goes live.

Step 5: Train your team (but don’t overdo it)

Most users don’t care about the technical details—they just want to know what button to click and what happens next. Give them:

  • A simple one-pager or Loom video walking through the steps.
  • Clear rules: “If your contract is over $50k, Legal will review it. Otherwise, skip approval.”
  • Who to call if something breaks.

Don’t drop a 50-slide PowerPoint on them. People will tune out.

What works (and what doesn’t)

What works:

  • Keeping approval steps simple and logical.
  • Using queues or roles instead of naming specific people.
  • Setting up meaningful notifications (not just more spam).

What doesn’t:

  • Overcomplicating with too many exceptions.
  • Relying on email for everything—people miss messages.
  • Forgetting about vacations or job changes (use delegated approvers!).

Ignore: Fancy flowcharts and endless edge cases. Handle the 90% first; deal with exceptions as they come up.

Pro tips for smoother contract approvals

  • Use delegated approvers so business doesn’t stop just because someone’s out.
  • Build reports to track stuck contracts and approval times.
  • Automate field updates only when it actually saves work. More automation = more upkeep.
  • Review the process quarterly. Business changes fast. Your approval workflow should, too.

Keep it simple—and revisit often

Salesforce approval processes are powerful, but they can get messy fast. Start simple. Get feedback. Tweak as needed. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s getting contracts signed (and keeping your sanity). Don’t be afraid to cut steps that nobody remembers or uses. Iterate until it actually works for your team.

You’ll never eliminate every bottleneck, but with a straightforward Salesforce approval process, you’ll spend a lot less time chasing signatures—and more time closing deals.