Approval workflows that start from a spreadsheet
Lay out your request form in Google Sheets. Every request becomes its own spreadsheet, routed step by step to the right approvers by the values in its cells. No code, no IT ticket, no new tool to learn.
- 15-day free trial
- No credit card required
- Workspace & Gmail accounts
From spreadsheet to approval process in minutes
If you can build a spreadsheet, you can build the workflow.
Design your form in Google Sheets
Labels, input cells, drop-down lists and formulas: the spreadsheet you already know is your template.
Set your approval steps
Add steps and approvers in the add-on, and route by cell — e.g. Template!C15 > 1000 goes to Management.
Requesters fill in their copy
Each request is a fresh copy of the template, editable by its requester only until they submit it.
Approvers decide, you follow
Approvers get an email with a link, decide in one click, and the next step starts. Every request is logged.
Everything an approval process needs, inside Google Sheets
No development, nothing to migrate. Built on Google Sheets, Google Drive and Gmail.
Send each request to the right people, automatically
Every step has rules on the cells of the request. Amounts, departments, urgency: what the request says decides who reviews it.
- Equal to, contains, greater than, less than and more
- Approvers by address, read from a cell, or the requester's line manager
- Unlimited sequential and parallel steps
Access that follows the workflow
Requests are shared with exactly the people who need them, when they need them — and unshared when they are done.
- The requester edits the draft, then can only read it
- Approvers get access when it is their turn
- Earlier approvers lose access once they have decided
A live log of every request, in your own sheet
Your configuration spreadsheet keeps one row per request: requester, status, current step, last decision. Colour-coded, and linked to the request itself.
- Updated automatically at every decision
- A web dashboard for owners, requesters and approvers
- Email updates to the requester at every step
Built for real approval processes
One request, one spreadsheet
Each request is a copy of your template — formulas, formatting and drop-downs included — filed in its own Drive folder.
Emails with a link
Approvers receive the request's name and a link to open it. Requesters are told when each step is decided.
Send back, hold, final approval
Send a request back for correction, put it on hold, or approve it for good and skip the remaining steps.
A dashboard for everyone
Requests to submit, approvals waiting and full history, for workflow owners, requesters and approvers.
Your data stays in your Drive
Requests are Google Sheets owned by the workflow owner: nothing is lost when people change roles or leave.
Approve from anywhere
Open requests and decide from a laptop, a tablet or a phone — in Google Sheets and the web app.
For the requests your team already handles in spreadsheets
Your data stays in your Google account
Least-privilege access by design. We never ask for access to your whole Drive.
Stays in your Drive
Requests are Google Sheets in the workflow owner's Drive. We only keep the cells your conditions use.
Least privilege
The add-on only sees the spreadsheet it is opened in. Drive access is limited to files the app creates.
Encrypted
TLS in transit everywhere, and encryption at rest for the application data we store.
GDPR-minded
Delete your account and its data at any time. See our privacy policy.
Simple pricing, unlimited workflows
Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial. No credit card required.
Standard
- Unlimited workflows
- Unlimited requesters and approvers
- Up to 1,000 requests / year
- 1 workflow creator
Premium
- Unlimited workflows
- Unlimited requesters and approvers
- Up to 5,000 requests / year
- Up to 10 workflow creators
Enterprise
- Domain-wide deployment
- Unlimited usage
- Centralised billing
- Education & non-profit pricing
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from an approval tool built on Google Forms?
The request is a spreadsheet, not a form response. Requesters get your full layout — tables, formulas, drop-downs, totals — and approvers review the document itself. It suits requests that need more than a list of questions, like quotes, budgets or multi-line orders.
Who can see a request?
Only the people who need to, when they need to. The requester edits it until they submit it, then reads it. The approvers of the step in progress can edit it; earlier approvers lose access once they have decided. The workflow owner keeps access throughout.
How are approvers chosen?
Each step has conditions on the cells of the request. Matching conditions decide the approvers: fixed addresses, an address read from a cell, or the requester's line manager. A default applies when no condition matches.
Do requesters and approvers need to install anything?
No. Requesters start and submit requests from the web app, and approvers decide from the link in their email. Installing the add-on adds a sidebar inside each request with its status and history.
Where is my data stored?
Requests are Google Sheets in your Google Drive, owned by the workflow owner and filed in a folder per workflow. The workflow configuration and approval history are kept in our database so the dashboard can show them.
Does it work with a free Gmail account?
Yes. It works with Google Workspace accounts and personal Gmail accounts alike.
Your next approval process starts in a spreadsheet
Install Sheet Workflow Plus from the Google Workspace Marketplace and run your first request today.
Start your free trial