SharePoint Document Issues

How to Fix Missing Approve and Reject Options in SharePoint

Olivia Miller Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to restore the Approve and Reject commands that have disappeared from a SharePoint document library context menu.

How to Fix Missing Approve and Reject Options in SharePoint

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing and managing document approvals in a SharePoint library.
Observed behavior: The Approve and Reject options are completely missing from the document context menu, preventing the user from approving or rejecting submitted files.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions for the SharePoint document library before modifying versioning and approval settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable Content Approval and Verify Permissions

The most common reason for missing approval options is that content approval is disabled or you lack the Approve Items permission.

SharePoint requires the Content Approval feature to be active in the library settings for the Approve/Reject options to appear.

Additionally, even if enabled, only users with specific permissions (like Site Owners or assigned Approvers) will see these options.

Access library settings

Navigate to your SharePoint document library, click the Settings (gear) icon in the top right, and select Library settings.

Open versioning settings

Click on More library settings (if applicable), then select Versioning settings under the General Settings section.

Enable content approval

Ensure that the 'Require content approval for submitted items?' option is set to Yes, then click OK to save.

Check your permissions

Verify with a Site Owner that your account has been granted the 'Approve Items' permission for this specific library.

Enable Content Approval and Verify Permissions

Draft Item Security: If you only see Approve/Reject on newly uploaded files but not on checked-in files, check the Draft Item Security settings in the same Versioning menu.

Solution 2

Toggle Approval Settings and Clear Browser Cache

If permissions and settings are correct but the menu options are still missing, resetting the configuration and clearing your browser cache can fix interface glitches.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can I see Approve/Reject on new files but not on files checked in by others?

This happens when Draft Item Security is configured to restrict who can see draft items. If a file is checked out or in a draft state, only the author or users with specific approval permissions can interact with it.

Can I approve multiple documents at once in SharePoint?

Yes, if you have the correct permissions, you can select multiple documents in the library by checking their boxes and choose 'Approve/Reject' from the ribbon or context menu to process them in bulk.

Who can grant the 'Approve Items' permission?

Only Site Owners or administrators with Full Control access can manage library permissions and grant the 'Approve Items' right to other users or SharePoint groups.

Document & File Issues