SharePoint Document Issues

Require Approval Before SharePoint Document Updates Become Visible

Elise Williams Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

A user needs to configure a SharePoint document library so that document revisions require supervisor approval before becoming visible to others.

Require Approval Before SharePoint Document Updates Become Visible

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up a document library where revised documents are hidden from standard users until approved, while preserving version history and preventing deletions or renaming.
Observed behavior: SharePoint does not provide this complete, complex workflow as a single built-in feature, requiring a combination of versioning, security settings, and Power Automate to achieve the desired result.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Administrator permissions for the SharePoint document library and access to Microsoft Power Automate to create custom approval flows.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure SharePoint Versioning and Power Automate Flow

Combine built-in SharePoint versioning and draft security settings with a custom Power Automate flow to handle supervisor routing and notifications.

SharePoint natively supports content approval and version history, which controls document visibility. However, for dynamic supervisor routing and customized notifications, you must integrate these settings with a Microsoft Power Automate workflow.

Enable Content Approval

Navigate to your SharePoint document library. Click the Gear icon, select 'Library settings', and then 'More library settings'. Click on 'Versioning settings' and select 'Yes' under 'Require content approval for submitted items'.

Configure Version History

In the same 'Versioning settings' menu, select 'Create major and minor (draft) versions'. This ensures that the previous approved major version remains visible while the new minor version is pending approval.

Restrict Draft Visibility

Scroll down to 'Draft Item Security' and select 'Only users who can approve items (and the author of the item)'. Click 'OK' to save your changes.

Create a Power Automate Flow

Open Microsoft Power Automate. Create a new automated cloud flow triggered by 'When a file is created or modified (properties only)' in SharePoint. Add an 'Start and wait for an approval' action, assign it to the supervisor's email dynamically or statically, and add condition branches for 'Approve' or 'Reject' to update the file's approval status accordingly.

Configure SharePoint Versioning and Power Automate Flow

Custom Flow Design: For complex or highly specific approval flow templates, consult the Microsoft Power Automate community forums, as custom workflow structures vary based on organizational needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I prevent users from deleting or renaming SharePoint documents?

You can create a custom permission level in SharePoint by going to Site Permissions, copying the existing 'Contribute' permission level, and unchecking the 'Delete Items' option. Assign this new permission level to the standard users in your library.

What happens to the old document version while a new one is pending approval?

If you configure 'Draft Item Security' correctly, standard users will continue to view the last approved major version of the document. Only the author and designated approvers will see the new draft version until it is approved.

Can SharePoint automatically route approvals to a user's manager?

Yes, but it requires Power Automate. In your flow, you can use the 'Get manager (V2)' action from the Office 365 Users connector to dynamically find the document author's manager and route the approval request directly to them.

Document & File Issues