> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.dingtalk.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quick start
> Get started with DingTalk OA Approval: learn its core capabilities, initiate and manage approvals from pre-installed templates, digitize attendance, HR, finance, legal, and other business approvals, and build a collaborative organizational platform.
## 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
Deeply integrated with DingTalk's built-in capabilities such as Group Chat, Direct Message, Event, To-Do, Drive, and Document to boost work efficiency.
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.
Forms and processes are simple to operate and easy to learn, keeping management and usage costs low.
Backed by proven experience handling large traffic and high-concurrency events, delivering stable and reliable service.
### 2. Internal value for the organization
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.
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.
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.
Previously paper-based business processes can be brought online quickly, boosting business efficiency by 50%.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
The Approval Admin must first configure the approver for the Form or Create a new Approval form as needed.
The Approval initiator can find and initiate the Approval from the Approval Home, Workbench, Group Chat Plugins, and other entry points.
The Approval handler can quickly handle approvals from entry points such as To-Do, Approval Center, and Direct Message.
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.
* 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].
2. 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].
* 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].
3. 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]**
**Select \[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.
**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.
* **process design**
**Add \[Approval Step]**
In process design, 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".
* **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.
#### 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.
* Fill out the Form
After opening the Form, the Approval initiator fills in the required Content and clicks Submit.
* View Progress
After submitting the Approval, the Approval initiator can view Progress in \[Approval] - \[Approval Center].
2. 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.
* Fill out the Form
After opening the Form, the Approval initiator fills in the required Content and clicks Submit.
* View Progress
After submitting the Approval, the Approval initiator can view Progress in \[Approval] - \[Approval Center].
For details, see >>> [OA Approval initiator guide](/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.
* Handle the Approval
After the Approval handler opens the Form, they can Accept, Decline, transfer, sign request, and take other Actions as needed.
2. On desktop
* Find the pending Form
The Approval handler receives reminders for approvals that need attention in To-Do, Approval Center, and Work Notifications.
* Handle the Approval
After the Approval handler opens the Form, they can Accept, Decline, transfer, sign request, and take other Actions as needed.
#### 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].
* 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.
* Review the query results — you can Select multiple Records or Select all — and then click "Export all".
2. 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].
* 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.
* Review the query results — you can Select multiple Records or Select all — and then click "Export all".
For details, see >>> OA Approval data manager guide