Here is a video to show the step-by-step process to check and modify the notifications that are sent at different stages of an native BC approval workflow. Inspired by listening to Steve Endow’s latest podcast, his team are trying out both Power Automate Approvals and Native Approvals to meet various client requirements.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up General Journal Batch Approval in Business Central
Approvals are a critical part of any financial process, and Business Central provides a robust General Journal Batch Approval workflow right out of the box. However, a common request from users is to notify the requestor once their batch has been approved—so I’ve added that as well!
This guide walks through:
✅ Setting up the standard General Journal Batch Approval workflow
✅ Tweaking the workflow to include an extra notification for the requestor
This idea came after listening to Steve Endow’s podcast on Friday, which inspired me to share this tip!
Step 1: Enable the General Journal Batch Approval Workflow
- Go to Business Central and open the Workflows page.
- Search for General Journal Batch Approval Workflow—this is the out-of-the-box setup provided by Microsoft.
- Open the workflow and review its conditions:
- It triggers when a journal batch approval is requested.
- It checks if the batch is balanced before proceeding.
- It assigns the approval request to the designated approver.
- Once approved, it allows posting.
Step 2: Test the Standard Workflow
- Create a new General Journal batch in the General Journal window.
- Enter some transactions and request approval.
- As an approver, approve the batch and ensure it moves through the workflow correctly.
At this stage, the approval is working—but the requestor is not notified when their batch gets approved. Let’s fix that!
Step 3: Add a Notification to the Requestor
Many users ask: “How can I notify the person who submitted the batch once it’s approved?” Here’s how to add this extra step:
- Go back to the Workflow page and edit the General Journal Batch Approval Workflow.
- Insert a new workflow response action after the batch is approved.
- Choose "Send an email notification".
- Select "Notify Sender" and choose type "Approval".
- Save and activate the workflow.
Now, whenever a journal batch is approved, the requestor will get a confirmation notification!
Step 4: Test the Enhanced Workflow
- Repeat the test process by submitting another journal batch for approval.
- Approve the batch as an approver.
- Check if the requestor receives the notification—either by email or within Business Central.
Final Thoughts
🎯 With this small tweak, your approval workflow becomes more transparent and user-friendly. The requestor no longer has to chase the approver to check if their batch was approved—they get notified automatically!
What do you think?
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments
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