SharePoint: Configure Default Approvers

Key insights

• This video demonstrates the new Default Approvers option inside Configure Approvals for SharePoint lists and document libraries.
  It shows how owners can predefine approvers so users no longer pick approvers each time.
• Key benefits: this feature removes repetitive setup, enforces consistent approval routing, and speeds workflow configuration for teams.
  It helps organizations save time and reduce approval errors.
• Quick setup steps: open your list or library, choose the Automate menu, select Configure Approvals, toggle Enable Approvals, then enable default approvers and pick static users or dynamic properties.
  Apply rules for order and response behavior, then click Apply to make approval columns appear.
• How approvals behave: SharePoint adds columns like Approval status, Approvers and Responses so teams can track progress in the list or library.
  Responders can approve or reject from the list, the approval details pane, or via the Teams Approvals experience.
• Practical use cases: ideal for policy reviews, travel or expense requests, and contract checks where consistent routing matters.
  Target audience includes SharePoint admins, Power Automate users, and Microsoft 365 teams that manage document or item approvals.
• Notes and limits: modern default approvers replace legacy versioning-based classic content approval and a list or library can use only one approval system at a time.
  Document library support rolled out to Targeted Release in November 2024 and reached General Availability in December 2024; owners can also choose static or dynamic approvers and enforce non‑overridable defaults.

Overview

Giuliano De Luca [MVP] published a concise YouTube walkthrough that introduces a new SharePoint capability: setting Default Approvers directly from the Configure Approvals option in lists and document libraries. In the video, he demonstrates how owners can predefine approvers and explains how this change reduces repetitive steps when requesting approvals. Consequently, the feature aims to make approval workflows faster and more consistent across teams that use SharePoint and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

The author walks viewers through both the user and approver perspectives, showing how approval status appears in place and how Teams responds when approvals are requested. Therefore, the video is practical for administrators, Power Automate users, and anyone tasked with managing document lifecycles. Importantly, the demonstration highlights how this update builds on the modern approvals experience already present in SharePoint.

How the Feature Works

The new option lives under the command bar's Automate menu as Configure Approvals, where owners enable approvals and turn on Enable default approvers for a list or library. Then, administrators choose either static users or dynamic fields from the list—such as a people column that stores a manager—so approval requests automatically populate approvers when users trigger them. Additionally, the configuration can specify response rules, including requiring responses from all approvers, using the first-to-respond approach, or chaining multi-stage approvals.

After activation, SharePoint injects columns like Approval status, Approvers, Responses, and Approval Creator into the view so teams can track progress at a glance. Approvers can act from multiple places: the list row menu, the approval details pane, or integrated experiences like the Teams Approvals app. Thus, the setup keeps approval data visible and centralized without forcing users to leave the list or library.

Benefits and Real-World Use Cases

This change reduces repeated manual selection and enforces consistency across approvals, which helps compliance processes such as policy sign-offs and expense validations. Consequently, teams save time and reduce human error when approvers are fixed or driven by item metadata, making routine workflows more predictable. The functionality also simplifies automation since basic approval needs can remain native to SharePoint without immediately requiring custom flows in Power Automate.

Moreover, organizations that need multi-stage or ordered approvals benefit from the configurable response rules, allowing more sophisticated review models to live inside the list or library. At the same time, the visual status indicators improve transparency for requestors and managers, and syncing with Teams lets approvers respond in the context they already use. Therefore, the feature supports both simple and moderately complex approval patterns for a variety of business scenarios.

Tradeoffs and Implementation Challenges

However, the convenience of enforced defaults introduces tradeoffs between control and flexibility: when owners lock defaults, individual users may lose the ability to route requests to ad hoc reviewers. While this enforcement supports standardization and compliance, it can slow processes that need occasional exceptions or fast re-routing. Administrators must therefore balance governance with agility, possibly by defining escape routes such as creating separate lists or temporary overrides for special cases.

Another challenge lies in correctly configuring dynamic approvers and permissions. For example, using a people column as a dynamic approver requires consistent metadata entry and appropriate sharing settings so approvers can actually access the item. Additionally, SharePoint supports only one approval model per list or library at a time, which complicates scenarios where both legacy content approval and modern approvals are needed. Consequently, organizations must plan migration paths and educate users to avoid conflicting settings.

How to Implement and Govern the Feature

The basic implementation is straightforward: owners open the list or library, choose Automate > Configure Approvals, enable approvals, turn on Enable default approvers, select approvers or fields, configure response rules, and apply the change. Afterward, approval-related columns appear automatically and users can request approvals with defaults already populated. This simplicity encourages adoption, yet it underscores the need for governance so defaults match organizational approval matrices.

Governance should include naming conventions, documentation of which lists use enforced defaults, and clear ownership for maintaining approver groups and dynamic columns. Training for requestors and approvers reduces friction, and periodic reviews ensure defaults remain accurate as teams and roles change. In short, a light governance layer will prevent errors and keep approvals reliable, while allowing the organization to scale the feature safely.

Implications for IT Pros and Teams

For SharePoint administrators and Microsoft 365 professionals, this enhancement reduces low-level configuration tasks while raising strategic questions about workflow design and compliance. Administrators gain a native mechanism to standardize approvals, yet they must monitor how defaults affect business agility and whether additional automation in Power Automate remains necessary for advanced scenarios. Thus, the improvement offers both operational savings and new governance responsibilities.

Ultimately, Giuliano De Luca’s video presents a practical, hands-on view of the feature and its immediate benefits, while prompting teams to consider tradeoffs in control, flexibility, and governance. As organizations evaluate the feature, they should weigh the time savings against the need for exception handling and metadata discipline to ensure the change truly streamlines approvals without creating hidden bottlenecks.

Keywords

SharePoint default approvers, Configure Approvals SharePoint, SharePoint list approvals, SharePoint library approvals, Default approvers for SharePoint lists, Configure approvals Microsoft 365, SharePoint approval settings, SharePoint approval workflow