Approval flow to notify approver request no longer active after timeout

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have an approval flow which escalates to the next level manager when the initial approval times out. If neither of the approvers respond within the given time period, an email is sent to the initiator to inform them the approval request has not been completed and subsequently updates the status of a sharepooint list to 'Cancelled'. 

The approvers will have the approval email in their inbox and eventhough the approval has timed out, they are still able to select an action (Approve or Reject). When they do this after the timeout period, the email respoonse they receive implies that they have either approved or rejected the request. However, the status in the sharepoint list will remain 'Cancelled' (which is the outcome i want). 

What i would like to know is how I can build in a step which notifies the approver that the request is no longer active as the request has been escalated or cancelled due to timeout when they respond to the approval request email after the time out period?

Here is my flow as it stands

Thank you in advance.

[Pstork1]

I don't see a parallel branch in your screenshot to handle the escalation.  You can easily add the email you suggest at that point.  I would also suggest using CDS to actually delete the original approval.  That won't clean up the email, but the approver will get a more descriptive error message if they click on the links in the email and it will remove it from the flow approvals web page.

[Anonymous]

@Pstork1  thanks for your response, the escalation is 'start and wait for approval2' within my current flow. Sorry, I'm fairly new to this, what do you mean by CDS?

Thanks

[Pstork1]

Approvals are stored in the Common Data Service (CDS).  Its a premium connector, but using it you can delete an existing Approval record.

I don't see an action in your screenshot called 'start and wait for approval2'.

[Anonymous]

@Pstork1 The start and wait for approval 2 is under apply to each.

Not sure if at all possible, but I was hoping that if the approval times out and the approver subsequently opens the approval email and approves or rejects the request, a meesage would appear to inform them that the approval request has expired. At the moment, when the approver does respond (after time out), the email gives the impression that their response has been recorded and will action.

Thanks

[Pstork1]

If the approval is deleted using CDS I believe the message says that the approval was cancelled or something like that.  There is no way to change the message.