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Zoho CRM

Approval Stage

An Approval Stage in Zoho CRM is a single level within a multi-level Approval Process. Each stage has a designated approver –…

An Approval Stage in Zoho CRM is a single level within a multi-level Approval Process. Each stage has a designated approver – a specific user, role, or reporting manager – and a set of actions that fire when that stage is approved or rejected. Records must pass through all configured stages sequentially before the approval is complete.

How Multiple Stages Work

When an Approval Process has two stages, the record first goes to Stage 1 approver. Once Stage 1 is approved, it automatically moves to Stage 2 approver. If any stage is rejected, the process stops and the submitter is notified with the rejection reason.

Each stage can have different approvers and different actions on approval and rejection. For example, Stage 1 might update a “Pre-Approved” flag, while Stage 2 updates the “Final Approval” flag and triggers a contract generation function.

Industry Example

Enterprise Software Sales: An enterprise software company uses two approval stages for deals above INR 50 lakhs. Stage 1: Regional Sales Manager. Stage 2: VP of Sales. Both must approve before the deal moves to “Contract Drafting”. If either rejects, the deal returns to the rep with a mandatory rejection reason field.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Approval Stage in Zoho CRM?

An Approval Stage is one level within a multi-level Approval Process. Records pass through stages sequentially, with each stage having its own approver and actions. All stages must be approved for the overall approval to complete.

How many approval stages can Zoho CRM have?

Zoho CRM supports up to three sequential approval stages within a single Approval Process. For more complex multi-level approvals, Blueprint with custom transitions is the recommended approach.

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