Skip to main content

​
1. Get to know DingTalk OA Approval

DingTalk OA Approval is an out-of-the-box, one-stop approval platform that solves complex management challenges with simple operations. Through pre-installed templates, it helps organizations quickly build a collaborative platform and digitize attendance, HR, finance, legal, and other business approvals. Combined with DingTalk’s native capabilities, it improves efficiency, connects business management, and ultimately brings the entire business online.

​
1. Differentiated value

DingTalk basic integration capabilities

Deeply integrated with DingTalk’s built-in capabilities such as Group Chat, Direct Message, Event, To-Do, Drive, and Document to boost work efficiency.

Deep linking with DingTalk business

Deeply integrated with management suites such as attendance, Smart HR, Smart Finance, Smart Business Travel, and Smart Contract. Approval and business systems are connected, unifying task flow, data flow, and cash flow to break down data silos.

Experience and reputation

Forms and processes are simple to operate and easy to learn, keeping management and usage costs low.

High availability and high performance

Backed by proven experience handling large traffic and high-concurrency events, delivering stable and reliable service.
DingTalk OA Approval overview

​
2. Internal value for the organization

Organization head

Complete approvals quickly, even while traveling — no more spending a whole day each week working through stacks of paper Approval forms. When questions arise during the approval process, reach the Submitter and other approvers directly through the form to communicate and resolve issues efficiently.

HR

leave request, out-of-office, business travel, and other attendance approvals sync to attendance statistics, cutting attendance-based payroll from 5 days to 1. Onboarding, transfers, role changes, and offboarding sync to the employee roster, eliminating manual work and keeping department User information accurate.

Finance

Common Approval forms such as payment, reimbursement, petty cash, and invoice are preset within the Organization. Fill in forms online with standardized Data, and cash flow is tallied automatically — no more tedious, low-efficiency work.

Business departments

Previously paper-based business processes can be brought online quickly, boosting business efficiency by 50%.

IT

Preset industry Templates let you Use this template with one click and cover business departments’ various Form and Approval needs. Diverse APIs and integration options connect with the Organization’s internal business systems and break down business and Data silos.

Employee

Quickly Find, initiate with one click, fill out anytime, auto-route, and track Progress online — no more chasing people down or hunting for signatures.

​
2. Core roles and corresponding actions

​
1. Core roles

Approval Admin

Has operation Permissions in the Approval Admin Console, and can Create, Edit, and manage Forms they have Permissions for within the Organization.In the Admin Console, can query, Export, and Delete Form Data they have management Permissions over.The Admin is typically a User in the Organization responsible for business process management, such as an HR, administrative head, or IT head.

Approval initiator

Based on the settings of a specific Form, can initiate applications from entry points such as the Approval app, Organization Workbench, and Group Chat Plugins.Within the Approval app, can view Data within the Form’s scope.The Submitter is usually every User in the Organization, but based on the actual scenario, only some Users can be selected as Submitters.

Approval handler

Based on the handlers set in the process, can handle approvals from entry points such as To-Do, Approval Center, Direct Message, and Work Notifications.Within the Approval app, can view Data within the set scope.Handlers are typically department managers in the Organization, or the person in charge of, executing, or collaborating on a specific matter.

Data manager

Can perform Data management according to the Permissions set for a specific Form.Within the Approval app, can query, Export, Delete, and perform other actions on specific Forms.The data manager is typically the executor of a specific matter within the Organization who, in daily work, needs to run statistics and aggregation on specific approval Data.

​
2. Core actions

Create/Edit form

The Approval Admin must first configure the approver for the Form or Create a new Approval form as needed.

Initiate approval

The Approval initiator can find and initiate the Approval from the Approval Home, Workbench, Group Chat Plugins, and other entry points.

Handle approval

The Approval handler can quickly handle approvals from entry points such as To-Do, Approval Center, and Direct Message.

Manage data

The data manager can Filter, query, and Export Data by conditions.

​
2.1 Edit/Create Approval form

  1. Edit an Approval form:
  • On the DingTalk official website, after downloading and installing the desktop client, the Approval Admin can go to [Workbench] - [OA Approval], locate the Approval form to configure, and click [Edit] in the upper-right corner.
Edit an Approval form from the desktop client
  • The Approval Admin can also Sign in to the DingTalk Admin Console, go to [Approval] - [Form Management] on the Home page, locate the Approval form to configure, and click [Edit].
Edit an Approval form from the Admin Console
  1. Create an Approval form:
  • On the DingTalk official website, after downloading and installing the desktop client, the Approval Admin can go to [Workbench] - [OA Approval], click [Manage Approval Forms] in the upper-right corner, and then click [Create Approval Form].
Create an Approval form from the desktop client
  • The Approval Admin can also Sign in to the DingTalk Admin Console and, on the Home page, go to [Approval] - [Form Management] - [Create Approval Form].
Create an Approval form from the Admin Console
  1. Basic operations for Approval form settings
Basic Settings form design process design Premium Settings
  • Form name
  • Form Group
  • Select widget
  • Enter widget name
  • Decide whether to enable Required
  • Add Step
  • Configure approver
  • Initiator settings
  • Approver settings
  • Basic Settings
Enter [Form name]
Enter the form name
Select [Group]
Select a group
  • form design
Select [Widget] Drag a widget from the widget library on the left into the process form designer on the right. For example, to fill in short text such as a reimbursement application item, select the single-line input widget from the Basic widgets and drag it into the form designer in the middle.
Drag a widget into the form designer
Enter [Widget name] In the settings pane on the right, enter the title of the single-line input widget. If the field is required, enable Required — once enabled, an initiator who does not fill it in cannot Submit the Form.
Configure the widget name and Required option
  • process design
Add [Approval Step] In process design, Add approvers and CC recipients.
Add approvers and CC recipients
Configure [Handler type] For example, when the approver is relatively fixed, use Designated User approval. Click the approver Step card to configure it, check Designated Users, click “Add User”, Select Users from Contacts, and then click “Save”.
Configure a Designated User approver
  • Premium Settings
[Initiator settings] & [Approver settings] Premium Settings include rules for the initiator, approver, form display, and Permissions. In general, these do not need to be changed when configuring a simple process.
Premium Settings for initiators and approvers

​
2.2 Initiate an approval

  1. On mobile
  • Find the Form
The Approval initiator can Find the Approval form via Search, from the Workbench, or by opening the Approval app and searching inside it for the Form they need — for example, leave request or reimbursement.
Find the Form
  • Fill out the Form
After opening the Form, the Approval initiator fills in the required Content and clicks Submit.
Fill out the Form
  • View Progress
After submitting the Approval, the Approval initiator can view Progress in [Approval] - [Approval Center].
View Progress
  1. On desktop
  • Find the Form
The Approval initiator can Find the Approval form via Search, from the Workbench, or by opening the Approval app and searching inside it for the Form they need — for example, leave request or reimbursement.
Find the Form on desktop
  • Fill out the Form
After opening the Form, the Approval initiator fills in the required Content and clicks Submit.
Fill out the Form on desktop
  • View Progress
After submitting the Approval, the Approval initiator can view Progress in [Approval] - [Approval Center].
View Progress on desktop
For details, see >>> OA Approval initiator guide

​
2.3 Handle approvals

  1. On mobile
  • Find the pending Form
The Approval handler receives reminders for approvals that need attention in To-Do, Approval Center, and Work Notifications.
To-Do entry point
Approval Center entry point
Work Notifications entry point
  • Handle the Approval
After the Approval handler opens the Form, they can Accept, Decline, transfer, sign request, and take other Actions as needed.
Approval action screen
Approval action options
  1. On desktop
  • Find the pending Form
The Approval handler receives reminders for approvals that need attention in To-Do, Approval Center, and Work Notifications.
To-Do entry point
Approval Center entry point
Work Notifications entry point
  • Handle the Approval
After the Approval handler opens the Form, they can Accept, Decline, transfer, sign request, and take other Actions as needed.
Approval actions on desktop

​
2.4 Manage data

  1. DingTalk Admin Console operations
  • On the DingTalk official website, after downloading and installing the desktop client, go to [Workbench] - [OA Approval], click [Manage Approval Forms] in the upper-right corner, and then click [Form Data Management].
  • The Approval Admin can also Sign in to the DingTalk Admin Console and, on the Home page, go to [Approval] - [Form Data Management].
Form Data Management in the Admin Console
  • You can query Data by form name, approval status, initiator, approval Number, initiation time, and completion time. The time range can span at most half a year.
Query approval data by conditions
  • Review the query results — you can Select multiple Records or Select all — and then click “Export all”.
Export approval data
  1. Desktop client operations
  • On the DingTalk official website, after downloading and installing the desktop client, the approval data manager (not the Approval Admin) operates in [Workbench] - [OA Approval] - [Data Center].
Data Center in the desktop client
  • You can query Data by form name, approval status, initiator, approval Number, initiation time, and completion time. The time range can span at most half a year.
Query approval data in the Data Center
  • Review the query results — you can Select multiple Records or Select all — and then click “Export all”.
Export approval data from the Data Center
For details, see >>> OA Approval data manager guide