Google expands ability to request, review formal approvals in Docs to more users

This feature also ensures that once all reviewers have provided their approval, the file locks and cannot be edited, securing the integrity of your document.

Google is expanding the ability to request and review formal approvals on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to more users. This feature makes it easy to secure document approvals and see who has approved them.

Once requested, reviewers can approve, reject, add comments, or edit the document in response, all without leaving the secure environment of Google Workspace. Additionally, this feature also ensures that when edits are made to a document, all reviewers are notified and the latest version of the document is re-approved.

This feature also ensures that once all reviewers have provided their approval, the file locks and cannot be edited, securing the integrity of your document.

When approval is requested from multiple people, the document is considered approved once all reviewers approve the file. If an edit is made during the approval process, all reviewers will need to re-approve the latest version of the file and will receive email notifications in those instances. The document approval request is rejected for all reviewers if a single reviewer rejects the file.

Once all reviewers approve the document, the file will be locked and it can't be edited until it is unlocked or approved. Unlocking the file cancels the current approval request.

The Admin console setting for this feature is fully rolling out to both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains and may take 1-3 days to be fully visible. On the other hand, the end-user feature will start rolling out to Rapid Release domains from November 15 onwards while for Scheduled Release domains, the extended rollout will begin on November 24, 2021.

The ability to request and review formal approvals on Google Docs will be available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, Drive Enterprise, G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and G Suite for Nonprofits.