SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Approver Training 0: What You Do as an Approver (Microsoft Teams) URL: https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/approver-training-microsoft-teams-what-you-do-as-an-approver/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-23 UPDATED: 2026-10-23 READING: 3 min SUMMARY: Start here: what an Approver does in Vacation Tracker on Microsoft Teams, where leave requests reach you, and what you can see. # Approver Training 0: What You Do as an Approver (Microsoft Teams) # Approver Training 0: What You Do as an Approver (Microsoft Teams) As an Approver, you decide on leave requests from the people in your Department. This training covers the essentials in nine short articles. Start here to see what you do, where requests reach you, and what you can see. ## What You Do - Answer leave requests: approve or deny requests from the people in the Departments you approve for. - Keep leave accurate: edit a request before you answer it, or cancel leave that's already approved. - Add leave for your team: when someone can't request it themselves. - See who's off: check who else is away before you decide. - Keep your team informed: send notifications about your team's leave. - Set limits: automations such as blackout dates or a maximum number of people away. ## How You Became an Approver Approver isn't a Role. Your Administrator added you as an Approver on one or more Departments, and you approve leave for the people in those Departments. You still request your own leave like everyone else. If a Department has more than one level of approval, a request reaches you when it gets to your level. ## Where Requests Reach You Every new request arrives as a message from the Vacation Tracker bot in Microsoft Teams, with buttons to approve or deny it. The same request also waits for you in the Vacation Tracker dashboard, under Waiting on you on your Home page. Answer it in whichever place suits you. When you first become an Approver, the bot sends you a message saying so. ![Vacation Tracker bot message in Teams next to the Waiting on you list in the dashboard](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/approver_training_microsoft_teams_what_you_do_as_an_approver_1_e5a354bc9b_12e1d33131.png) ## What You Can See in the Dashboard - Home: your requests under Waiting on you. - Calendar and Wallchart: who's off and when. - Users: the people in your Departments. You can open their profiles and leave, but not change their settings. - Team Notifications and Add-ons: notifications and automations for your team. - Holidays: holidays for each Location. You can view them, but not change them. Your Administrator decides whether Approvers can also see features such as Reports. ![Left-hand menu in the Vacation Tracker dashboard for an Approver](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/approver_training_email_only_what_you_do_as_an_approver_2_7f289597ec_f11e92e1b8.png) ## In Microsoft Teams Open the Vacation Tracker app in Teams. Use these tabs: - Chat: leave requests to answer and other updates. You can also type questions to the bot, for example who from your team is off this week. - Request Leave: request your own leave and choose a Substitute Approver. - My Profile: your own pending requests, scheduled leave and leave quotas, with links to the dashboard and the Knowledge Base. ![Vacation Tracker app in Teams with the Chat, Request Leave, My Profile and About tabs](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/approver_training_microsoft_teams_what_you_do_as_an_approver_3_574e4fa186_ebe3ace91c.png) ## Use Vacation Tracker From an AI Assistant Under Workspace Settings, click Integrations, then MCP. It shows how to connect Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot and other AI assistants to Vacation Tracker, so you can check leave or approve and deny requests from the assistant. Your assistant acts as you, so it can never see or change more than you can. ![MCP page under Integrations with the server address and the list of what your assistant can do](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/approver_training_email_only_what_you_do_as_an_approver_3_9a3372d444_2739df16a1.png) ## The Training Path Each article covers one job. Follow them in order the first time. - Approve or Deny Leave Requests in Microsoft Teams: answer requests from Microsoft Teams. - Approve or Deny Leave Requests in the Dashboard: check the details and decide in the dashboard. - Change a Leave Request or Cancel Approved Leave: change a request or cancel approved leave. - Add Leave for a Team Member Who Can't Request It: when someone can't request it themselves. - Check Who's Off Before You Approve: check coverage in the dashboard or ask the bot. - Send Your Team Leave Summaries and Birthday Messages: summaries and birthdays in a Teams channel or by email. - Choose Who Approves Requests While You're Away: who answers requests while you're away. - Set Leave Rules for Your Team With Automations: rules like blackout dates and maximum users away. ## Common Questions Why can't I see everyone in the company?As an Approver, you see the people in the Departments you approve for. Your Administrator manages everyone else. Can I approve leave for more than one Department?Yes. Your Administrator can add you as an Approver on as many Departments as needed. ### What's Next? Approver Training 1: Approve or Deny Leave Requests in Microsoft Teams (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/approver-training-approve-or-deny-leave-requests-in-microsoft-teams/) Approver Training 2: Approve or Deny Leave Requests in the Dashboard (Microsoft Teams) (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/approver-training-microsoft-teams-approve-or-deny-leave-requests-in-the-dashboard/) Guide: Administrator vs Location Admin vs Approver vs User (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/guide-administrator-vs-location-admin-vs-approver-vs-user/) Need help? Contact our Support team via email (mailto:hello@vacationtracker.io) or chat (#), Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM EST.