Approval workflow capturing comments from approvers email

[Yoshio]

I have spent many hours searching and reading posts and I'm not able to get what I want working.

I need an approval workflow that will capture the approvers' comments they enter in the approval request email they receive and save them with the SP item that was approved/rejected.  I have it now so that I at least can capture the names of the approvers but can't seem to find the right post that will get me what I need.

Thank you, anyone that can help me, and all who are reading this possible duplicative post!!

[ScottShearer · Accepted solution]

@Yoshio 

My example below should help you out.

First, I initialize a string variable near the top of my Flow.

After the approval takes place, I loop through each of the comments and append them to a string variable along with the approvers name.  Finally, I reference the string variable when I update the SharePoint list item.

Let me know if this solves your problem.

[Pstork1]

Instead of doing your Loop based on Approvers, do it based on Responses.  That is the collection that holds the responses coming back from the approval.  Look for the Responses Comments  and Responses Approver Name in the dynamic content inside the Loop.  Those are the fields hou want to record.

[Yoshio]

I do not have "Responses" in my dynamic content.  This is the problem I keep running into.  I don't have all the aspects of the solutions that I see online.  So I am at a loss

[Yoshio]

Thank you.  I don't have the "check for outcome" available so am not sure how to proceed from that step.

[Yoshio]

Sorry to be rude...thank you for your advice and taking the time to help me.

[ScottShearer]

@Yoshio 

I believe your issue is that you are using Create an Approval rather than Start and Wait for an Approval.  I suggest re-writing your Flow to use Start and Wait for an Approval unless you have a specific reason for using Create an Approval.

If you choose to use Create an Approval, insert a wait for an Approval action immediately after the Create Approval action.  After you do so (assuming that you configure it properly), you should see what you need in Dynamic properties.

[Pstork1]

Taking another look at your Flow, I think you may be trying to build it off a Template that uses an older Approval action that has been discontinued.  Replace the current Create and Approval action in your Flow with Start and Wait for an Approval (V2) that will have the responses objects in it.

[Yoshio]

yes!  Thank you so much!  It's working now! 🙂

[Yoshio]

Thank you SO MUCH!  I got it to work!  I marked it as the solution too.

you are the best!

[vjpw]

@ScottShearer  - I am thinking to use your solution in my flow. 

could you also tell me, do we have an command or logic to update only the comments column in a sharepoint list?

Best Regards,

Vj

[Anonymous]

Hi Scott, I have a question. I've set up an "everyone must approve" flow and it's going very well. I'm able to capture all comments once the flow completes, but the problem I'm facing is that comments don't populate until the entire flow has finished. I've tried configuring a run after scenario to include succeeds and times out, but do you happen to know if there's a way to get these comments to appear otherwise? Here's the tail end of my flow for your reference.

[Pstork1]

When using a single approval action with multiple approvers there is no way to get the comments from each approver until all approvals are complete. 

[ScottShearer]

@Anonymous 

@Pstork1 is correct. 

You might consider using approvals assigned to just one approver in a loop and setting concurrency control to On in the loop.  Setting concurrency control to on will allow for all of the approvals to take place at once - the default is sequential.  That way you can grab the approval comments as action is taken on each approval.  This will require substantial changes to your Flow.

[Sk-73]

Hi Guys, @ScottShearer @Yoshio @Pstork1 @Anonymous can I check with you, how can I make it the requester can see the approval comment?

Currently, the approver after leaving a comment there click the submit button, only the approver can see the comment. But the requester didn't get a notification. 

So, I set up share point update item > then Outlook send an email V2 to notify the user. But it doesn't include the approver comment. 

I hope there's a way can let the requester see the approval comment. 

Thank you.

Sk-73

[Pstork1]

Please post this as a new question rather than tagging it onto and old thread.  It will get more results that way and it will be easier for others to find the solution afterwards.

[Sk-73]

@Pstork1  Noted on that. Thank you.

[Ixys]

Hi All,

I went through this post and many others trying to find a solution to this problem, and yes, it's clear that there are a few ways to create a line break.

I actually can see the line break using a few of the different methods within the flow after I run it. The email body shows those line feeds, but my problem is that these line breaks disappear when I receive the email in outlook, the text is again all one single line.

Has anyone seen this and have they found a solution, besides making changes to Outlook?

The interesting thing is that when using Approvals the text in the Details section keeps the line breaks in the email I receive, but not any of the text coming from the variable that captures the different individual comments.

what else is there I could try, please?

[Pstork1]

Please post this as a new question instead of tagging it onto an older thread that's been answered.  Very few people will notice it here and any answer will be invisible to the wider community.

[anthjanz]

Thank you SO much!!