SharePoint Document Issues

Fix SharePoint Submit for Approval Button Missing Issue

Emma Brown Oct 7, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to find the Submit for Approval button in the SharePoint document library toolbar, which has been unexpectedly replaced by an Open option.

How to Fix SharePoint Submit for Approval Button Missing

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to submit a document for approval using a configured Power Automate flow within a SharePoint document library.
Observed behavior: The Submit for Approval button is missing across multiple libraries and tenants despite the approval flow remaining properly configured, showing an Open option instead.

Before you start

Verify that you have the correct library permissions and ensure that your associated Power Automate approval flows are still actively turned on.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Approval Flow Settings and Check Microsoft Service Health

Since this issue affects multiple libraries and tenants without prior configuration changes, it is most likely a Microsoft service-side bug. You should verify your settings and consult the service health dashboard.

When buttons tied to Power Automate disappear globally across a tenant or multiple tenants, it usually indicates a backend service degradation or an update being rolled out by Microsoft that temporarily breaks the UI integration.

Check Power Automate Flow Status

Log in to Power Automate, navigate to 'My flows', and confirm that the approval flow linked to your SharePoint document library is turned on and has not been suspended.

Review Document Library Settings

In SharePoint, click the gear icon to open Settings, go to 'Library settings', click on 'More library settings', and review the 'Versioning settings' to ensure content approval requirements haven't been accidentally disabled.

Check Microsoft 365 Service Health

If you are an administrator, log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to 'Health', and click 'Service health'. Look for any active advisories or outages related to SharePoint Online or Power Automate.

Open a Microsoft Support Request

If no service degradation is listed and the button remains missing, go to the 'Support' section in the Microsoft 365 admin center and create a new service request to notify Microsoft technicians.

Verify Approval Flow Settings and Check Microsoft Service Health

Service-side Issue Confirmation: Because this specific issue has been observed across multiple distinct tenants simultaneously, local browser troubleshooting (like clearing cache) is unlikely to resolve it until Microsoft deploys a backend fix.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the 'Open' option appear instead of 'Submit for Approval' in SharePoint?

This happens when the SharePoint document library fails to properly load the customized Power Automate UI elements. When the backend connection drops or times out due to service degradation, SharePoint reverts to displaying default document actions like 'Open'.

Can I manually trigger an approval flow if the SharePoint button is missing?

Yes. If your flow allows for it, you can navigate directly to the Power Automate portal, find your specific approval flow, and manually trigger it from the interface, or temporarily set up a manual trigger using a selected file as the parameter.

How long does it typically take Microsoft to fix service-side SharePoint issues?

Depending on the severity and scale of the issue, Microsoft typically acknowledges service degradations within a few hours. Fixes can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days to fully roll out across all global tenants.

Does clearing the browser cache bring back the Submit for Approval button?

If the issue is isolated to a single user, clearing the browser cache might help. However, if the button is missing for multiple users across multiple libraries or tenants, clearing the cache will not work as the issue stems from the Microsoft 365 backend services.

Document & File Issues