In backward-compatible document libraries, you can use an approval process as a method of reviewing and approving documents in enhanced folders before publishing them on the portal site. After you approve a document a public version is automatically created. Users who are assigned as readers on the folder containing the document can then search for and view the document on the portal site.
- When you create a subfolder, an approval process is inherited from the parent folder along with role assignments. However, any subsequent changes to the approval process on the parent folder are not inherited. You must manage the approval process for each folder individually.
- Alternatively, you can establish different approval process configurations for individual folders and subfolders by clicking the Approval tab on the Properties page of the specific folder.
Note You can make changes to an approval process, but these changes affect only documents submitted for approval after the changes have been made. Changes to the approval process for a folder do not affect documents already pending approval.
- If you choose not to configure an approval process, Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 will publish documents automatically upon submission, without review or approval.
To configure an approval process, you must complete the following tasks:
- Choose the appropriate document approvers.
- Supply e-mail addresses for approvers to allow SharePoint Portal Server to alert them when a document is ready for review. This is not required, but it is recommended. If you do not provide e-mail addresses, users see only alert requests for approvals on the portal site and do not receive the alert results in an e-mail message.
- Create an e-mail message to send to approvers when a document is submitted for their approval.
- Choose an approval route.
SharePoint Portal Server has two approval routing options: serial and parallel, which are illustrated below.
- Serial approval (one after another). When the author submits the document by using the Publish command, the first member of the Approvers list receives a request for approval by e-mail. After the first person on the list approves the document, the next person on the list is asked to approve it, and so on. SharePoint Portal Server publishes the document only after all approvers on the list have approved the document. If any person on the list rejects the document, SharePoint Portal Server cancels the approval process and returns the document to the document library in a checked-in state.
- Parallel approval (all at once). This approval model is based on the number of approvals required to publish the document. The coordinator can choose one of two strategies: one approval publishes the document or all approvers must approve the document for publication to take place. When the author submits the document by using the Publish command, SharePoint Portal Server sends a request for approval to all approvers. The approval e-mail informs approvers of the location of the document. If the required number of approvers approves the document, SharePoint Portal Server publishes it. If the document does not receive the required number of approvals, SharePoint Portal Server cancels the approval process and returns the document to the document library in a checked-in state. As a coordinator, you have the ability to stop an approval process, either by using the Bypass Approval command or the Cancel Publish command. This is useful if a document is under approval and one or more of the approvers is not available. The Bypass Approval command skips all remaining approvers and publishes the document to the portal site. The Cancel Publish command cancels the approval process and returns the document to a checked-in, unpublished state in the document library.
Important If you are both a coordinator on a folder and an approver for that folder, when you receive an approval request, the Approve, Bypass Approval, Reject, and Cancel Publish options are all available to you on the same menu. Ensure that you do not accidentally choose Bypass Approval or Cancel Publish when you want to approve or reject a document.
Related Topics
Add or remove approvers in the backward-compatible document library
Approve or reject a document in the backward-compatible document library
Approve or reject multiple documents in the backward-compatible document library
Bypass or cancel approval in the backward-compatible document library
Choose an approval route in the backward-compatible document library
