Microsoft Sharepoint: Approval Status Guide

Key insights

• Demo overview: Chris Kent demonstrates how to combine SharePoint's Approval Status with List Formatting to make document libraries show approvals clearly.
  He shows practical steps, visuals and common pitfalls from a Microsoft 365 community demo.
• Enable approvals and workflow: Turn on the approvals toggle to add an approval column and assign approvers for items.
  Items start as pending and approvers can approve or reject directly in SharePoint, updating visibility through metadata.
• Format status with JSON: Use JSON to style the approval column and create clear visual cues like colored badges and icons.
  Chris demonstrates sample JSON and how to adapt it for your naming and column types.
• Customize visual views: Build a clear gallery by adjusting the Tile view to highlight approval state and metadata at a glance.
  Tiles help reviewers and content owners spot pending items faster during reviews.
• Teams integration and sync: Approvals surface in the Teams Approvals app so stakeholders can act without leaving Teams.
  Metadata syncs in near real time, and the demo explains how approvals and notifications keep content protected during review.
• Practical tips and permissions: Check Permissions before enabling approvals so only the right people can approve or edit during review.
  Test JSON on a copy, watch internal column names when formatting, and verify performance for large libraries.

Microsoft published a demonstration video that walks through using file approval status with the modern List Formatting experience in SharePoint. The demo, presented by Chris Kent of Takeda during a Microsoft 365 & Power Platform community call on 22 May 2025, shows how to enable approvals, style status columns with JSON, and create tile views that make approval states visually clear. Reporters and practitioners can use this walkthrough to understand practical setup steps and common pitfalls when adopting the new approval features.

Video in brief

The presenter begins by showing how a simple toggle turns on the content approval flow, adding an Approval Status column to any list or library. He then demonstrates assigning approvers, submitting requests, and approving or rejecting items directly from the SharePoint interface. Throughout the demo, Chris switches into the Microsoft Teams context to show how approval requests surface in the Microsoft Teams Approvals app for actioning without leaving collaboration space.

Next, Chris focuses on visualizing status using the List Formatting capabilities and JSON snippets that modify how rows and tiles appear. These formatting options let teams show Pending, Approved, and Rejected states with color, icons, and custom labels to improve at-a-glance clarity. He also points out where metadata updates in real time and how protections can prevent edits while items are under review.

Key demo takeaways

First, the integration simplifies end-to-end approval by combining SharePoint's approval metadata with Teams notifications and action points. This reduces context switching because approvers can respond from either SharePoint or the Microsoft Teams Approvals app, and updates propagate immediately across the suite. As a result, teams gain transparency into status changes and a clearer audit trail for content lifecycles.

Second, the visual customization enabled by JSON-based list formatting improves usability but introduces a maintenance task. Administrators and power users can craft tile views that highlight important documents, yet those customizations require periodic review as lists evolve. Therefore, while the visual layer boosts productivity, organizations must plan for governance of formatting rules and shared snippets.

How to implement

Implementers should start by enabling approvals on a test list and assigning a small set of approvers to validate the workflow behavior. Then, apply simple JSON templates to the status column to confirm visual cues align with your team's expectations before rolling changes to production. During the walk-through, Chris suggests keeping JSON snippets modular so teams can reuse and adapt them across lists and sites.

Administrators also need to balance permissions and notifications when enabling approvals, since incorrect settings can block necessary edits or overwhelm approvers with requests. Testing permission tiers and notification frequency helps strike that balance. Moreover, documenting the formatting snippets and sharing them through a central repository reduces duplication and supports consistent branding and usability.

Tradeoffs and challenges

The modern approval experience offers clear benefits, yet it introduces tradeoffs around complexity and governance. On one hand, integrating with Teams and using JSON formatting makes the process faster and more visible; on the other hand, it increases the number of moving parts administrators must manage. For example, automation and real-time metadata updates improve speed but raise the risk of accidental approvals or missed steps if role assignments are unclear.

Another key challenge is scaling across large libraries and many teams. JSON-based formatting provides rich visuals, but maintaining many custom templates can become a burden, especially when lists change structure. Performance can also vary on very large lists, so teams should measure impact and consider simpler formatting or targeted views for heavy-use libraries.

What this means for teams

For many organizations, the enhanced approval workflow will speed up reviews and lower friction by keeping actions inside familiar tools like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. Teams that adopt the approach can expect faster content cycles and clearer status reporting, which benefits compliance and editorial workflows. At the same time, successful adoption depends on clear governance, training, and a habit of reviewing formatting and permission settings regularly.

Ultimately, the demo provides a practical starting point rather than a full governance plan, and it highlights where teams must invest effort to maintain clarity and control. By combining careful setup, periodic audits, and shared formatting libraries, organizations can enjoy the productivity wins while managing the complexity that comes with a richer, integrated approval experience.

Keywords

SharePoint list formatting, file approval status SharePoint, list view formatting conditional, SharePoint document approval workflow, JSON column formatting SharePoint, SharePoint Online list formatting tutorial, modern list experience approval, SharePoint content approval settings