Troubleshooting Salesforce workflow and approval process issues requires a systematic approach to identify and resolve common errors in configuration, permissions, and execution. Salesforce provides multiple tools and methods to diagnose these problems, including debugging features in Flow Builder, error logs, and community-driven solutions. The most frequent issues involve approval processes not triggering, permission errors, and deployment failures—each requiring specific troubleshooting steps.

Key findings from the sources include:

• Debugging in Flow Builder: The Winter '26 release introduced enhanced debugging capabilities for Flow Approval Processes, allowing users to test and modify approvals before deployment ^[1].
• Common Permission Issues: Users often encounter errors due to insufficient permissions, such as 'Modify All' or 'Run Flows' privileges, which prevent approval processes from executing correctly ^[2].
• Triggering Approval Processes: Approval processes may fail to fire if not properly triggered by automation tools like Process Builder or Flow, rather than relying solely on entry criteria ^[4].
• Deployment Challenges: Issues arise when deploying approval processes between environments, particularly due to mismatched usernames or missing metadata in deployment manifests ^[6].

Troubleshooting Salesforce Workflow and Approval Process Issues

Debugging Approval Processes in Flow Builder

The Winter '26 release introduced significant improvements to debugging approval processes within Flow Builder, addressing a common pain point for administrators. The new features allow users to test approval workflows in a controlled environment, reducing deployment errors and ensuring smoother execution. One critical step is to deselect the "Run automation in rollback mode" option, which enables real-time testing without affecting live data.

Key debugging steps and features include:

• Testing in Rollback Mode: By default, flows run in rollback mode during debugging, which prevents changes to actual records. Deselecting this option allows users to test approvals with real data modifications, providing a more accurate simulation of production behavior ^[1].
• Error Logs and Notifications: Flow Builder now provides detailed error logs that highlight where an approval process fails, such as permission issues or misconfigured steps. These logs are accessible directly within the Flow interface and can be exported for further analysis ^[3].
• Orchestration Runs: The new Lightning App for tracking approval submissions allows administrators to monitor the status of approval requests in real time. This includes viewing which steps have been completed, pending actions, and any errors encountered during execution ^[5].
• Migration from Legacy Approvals: For organizations transitioning from older approval processes, Salesforce offers a migration wizard to convert legacy workflows into Flow-based approvals. This tool helps identify compatibility issues and suggests corrections before deployment ^[5].

A common issue reported in the Trailblazer Community involves approval steps not firing due to misconfigured entry criteria or missing triggers. For example, Lauren Carrasquillo’s case highlights that approval processes require explicit automation (e.g., Process Builder or Flow) to trigger, even if entry criteria are met. Without this, the process remains inactive, leading to confusion ^[4]. Similarly, Heena Nain’s experience with unanimous approval steps failing to notify the second approver underscores the need to verify user permissions and process logic during debugging ^[2].

Resolving Permission and Deployment Errors

Permission-related issues are among the most frequent causes of approval process failures. Users often report errors such as "insufficient privileges" or "user doesn’t have permission to edit the record," which halt the approval workflow. These problems typically stem from missing object-level permissions, profile settings, or flow execution rights.

Critical permission and deployment troubleshooting steps include:

• User Profile Permissions: Ensure approvers and submitters have the necessary permissions, such as "Modify All" for the object in question. For example, Miglena Armutlu’s suggestion to check the 'Modify All' permission resolved an issue where the second approver was not receiving requests ^[2]. Additionally, users submitting approvals must have "Run Flows" permission enabled in their profile or permission set ^[7].
• Object and Field Access: Verify that all users involved in the approval process have at least "Read" and "Edit" access to the object and its related fields. Sandesh Bhat’s case demonstrates that even with a field update function in the approval process, users may encounter errors if they lack edit access to the Timecard object ^[9].
• Deployment Metadata: When deploying approval processes between environments (e.g., sandbox to production), include all dependent metadata in the deployment manifest. Eric Csongradi’s issue with SFDX deployments failing due to missing Workflow metadata types highlights the importance of a comprehensive manifest. The solution involved explicitly adding the Workflow metadata type to the package.xml file ^[6].
• Username Mismatches: Approval processes assigned to specific users may fail during deployment if usernames differ between environments. Niki Vankerk’s workaround involved temporarily renaming sandbox users to match production usernames, reselecting users in flow steps, and then reversing the changes post-deployment ^[7].

Deployment issues are further complicated by the upcoming retirement of Process Builder, scheduled for December 31, 2025. Salesforce recommends migrating existing processes to Flow Builder to avoid future compatibility problems. The migration process itself may uncover hidden dependencies or configuration errors, making thorough testing essential ^[3].

Practical Examples from the Trailblazer Community

Real-world scenarios from the Salesforce Trailblazer Community provide actionable insights into troubleshooting common approval process issues. These examples illustrate how administrators diagnose and resolve problems, often through collaborative problem-solving.

Notable cases and solutions include:

• Approval Process Not Firing: Lauren Carrasquillo’s issue with an approval process for "Won" opportunities was resolved by creating a Process Builder to trigger the approval, as entry criteria alone were insufficient. Tony Trinh’s response emphasized that approval processes require an explicit trigger, such as a button click or automation rule ^[4].
• Unanimous Approval Failures: Heena Nain’s problem with a unanimous approval step not notifying the second approver was partially addressed by checking user permissions and cloning the process. However, the root cause remained unresolved, suggesting deeper configuration issues or potential bugs in the unanimous approval logic ^[2].
• Permission Errors on Rejection: Sandesh Bhat’s inability to reject a Timecard record due to permission errors was resolved by ensuring the user had edit access to the object. Community members suggested adjusting the profile settings or using a permission set to grant the necessary access ^[9].
• SFDX Deployment Fixes: Eric Csongradi’s deployment failure due to missing Workflow metadata was fixed by updating the package.xml to include the Workflow type. This case underscores the importance of reviewing deployment logs for missing dependencies ^[6].

These examples highlight the value of community collaboration in troubleshooting. Many issues are resolved by verifying basic configurations, such as permissions and triggers, before diving into complex debugging. The BMC Helix Remedyforce video tutorial further reinforces this approach by demonstrating how to resolve the "no applicable approval process found" error by double-checking entry criteria and activation status ^[10].