Permission & Access Issues

How to View SharePoint Approval Requests Sent by Another User

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to view and manage SharePoint or Teams approval requests that are assigned to other team members, typically to cover for colleagues who are out of the office.

Product: SharePoint and Microsoft Teams
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A team needs to access and handle pending approval workflows when the originally assigned approver is unavailable or out of the office.
Observed behavior: The Approvals app in Teams only displays requests that are explicitly assigned to the logged-in user, restricting visibility of requests sent to other team members.

Before you start

Ensure you are logged into Microsoft Teams and communicate with your team members to coordinate a backup approval workflow before implementing these changes.

Solution 1Recommended

Add Additional Approvers During Request Creation

The most straightforward solution is for the sender to include you as a co-approver when submitting the request, granting you visibility and action rights.

By default, the Microsoft Teams Approvals app and SharePoint isolate requests so you can only see the ones you sent or received. To view and act on requests meant for absent colleagues, you must be explicitly added to the approval loop by the sender.

Open the Approvals App

Ask the request sender to open the Approvals app in Microsoft Teams to start a new request.

Add Co-Approvers

In the 'Approvers' field, the sender should type both the primary approver's name and your name as a backup.

Configure Approval Requirements

Ensure the sender toggles off 'Require a response from all approvers' if only one person needs to sign off on the request.

View in Your List

Once submitted, open your Teams Approvals app. The request will now appear in your 'Received' list, allowing you to view and approve it.

Add Additional Approvers During Request Creation

Alternative: Reassignment: If a request has already been sent, the original approver can open it in their Teams app and select 'Reassign' to forward it to you before they go on leave.

Solution 2

Route Approvals to a Shared Teams Channel

Set up a Power Automate flow to send approval requests directly to a shared channel so anyone on the team can view and approve them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Microsoft Teams administrator view all approval requests?

No, the Teams Approvals app only displays requests where you are listed as the creator or the assigned approver, regardless of admin privileges. Administrators looking to audit approvals must use the Power Automate admin center.

How do I find the Approvals app in Microsoft Teams?

Open Microsoft Teams, click on the 'Apps' icon on the left-hand sidebar, search for 'Approvals', and click to open or pin it to your sidebar for easy access.

Can an active approval request be reassigned to another team member?

Yes. If the sender enabled the reassignment feature when creating the request, the currently assigned approver can open the request in Teams and click 'Reassign' to pass it to another user.

Is it possible to assign a Microsoft 365 Group as an approver?

Yes, if you use Power Automate to create the approval flow, you can assign the approval to a Microsoft 365 Group or an Office 365 Group, allowing any member of that group to view and respond to the request.

Document & File Issues