I set a user picker field as an approver in the workflow but am not getting the approval email

[Vanessa Scherstrom]

I used the HR service desk template for this project.  This template came with the user picker field "Manager" and I want that field to assign an approver.  I turned on "Approval" for 1 person in the Manager field must approve in the workflow but the approve/deny email is not sending. 

[Harrison Ponce · Accepted solution]

Hi @Vanessa Scherstrom , can you confirm in Project Settings > Customer notifications, that the one for Approval required is created/enabled?  

[Vanessa Scherstrom]

Yes it is. 

[Harrison Ponce]

Would you be able to share a screenshot of the configuration for your Approval required customer notification as well as a screenshot of the issue that should have sent an email? You can blur out any information that you need to. That would help to see what it looks like at the moment.

[Vanessa Scherstrom]

[Harrison Ponce]

Looks like your issue is currently in the To Do status. Your first screenshot shows that the approval step is tied to the Waiting for approval status. Can you try moving it to that status? It should send an email notification at that point.

One thing to note also, is that you may want to choose someone else as the manager or reporter and assignee. When the same user is set on the approver field as other fields (like reporter or assignee) it prevents you (by default) from approving it. You also may not get the notification if you are the same user on all those fields.

P.S., love the issue summary LOL

[Vanessa Scherstrom]

That was it!  It worked. I will approve your answer (a duh moment for me).  Quick question first, I had been requested to make the manager (approver field) and the assignee the same person as the only function is to approve the request so it would only need to be assigned to that person.  Having the same assignee and approver was not affected.  Who would be prevented from approving again?  

Post-Post Script, I must speak the truth in my summary :)

[Harrison Ponce]

Your approval step may not have excluded any user fields by default - ours did when we created it almost a year ago.

You can check that setting by going to your approval configuration settings (as shown in the screenshots below).

Also, if you haven't done so already, you might look into using automation to auto-set the Manager field based on the assignee (maybe on a transition trigger).