SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: How Do I Edit a Substitute Approver? URL: https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-do-i-edit-a-substitute-approver/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2025-08-19 UPDATED: 2026-02-13 READING: 2 min SUMMARY: Need to edit an assigned Substitute Approver? An Admin or Approver can edit the Substitute Approver that was chosen. Let’s get right into it! # How Do I Edit a Substitute Approver? # How Do I Edit a Substitute Approver? Plans change — the colleague you picked to cover for you might later end up on overlapping leave, change roles, or simply not be the best fit anymore. Editing the Substitute Approver takes the same path whether you're an Admin updating someone else's coverage or an Approver updating your own. Both routes land on the same Edit Leave form. ## As an Admin Use this path when you're updating coverage for an Approver other than yourself — or for your own leave when it's easier to reach through the Users list. - Sign in at app.vacationtracker.io (https://app.vacationtracker.io/signin). - In the left-hand menu, under Team & Approval Flows, click Users. - Use the search field at the top of the Users table to find the Approver whose leave needs updating, and click their name to open their profile. - Switch to the Leaves tab. - In the Scheduled Leaves section, find the leave where the Substitute was set (or needs to be set) and click Edit. - Change the Substitute Approver field — pick the new person, or set it back to None to clear the assignment. - Click Edit Leave to save. ![Admin's view of an Approver's Leaves tab with the Scheduled Leaves section and Edit button highlighted](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/helpdesk_artikal_how_do_i_edit_a_substitute_approver_first_image_place_5ce97f3354.png) If there are multiple Approvers in the Department The Substitute is stored against the specific leave request it was set on, so you need the right one. Open the scheduled leave submitted by the last Approver to request time off — that's the request the system attached the Substitute to. Opening the wrong Approver's leave won't show a Substitute field at all, because the system didn't surface it on their request. ## As an Approver If you're editing the Substitute on your own upcoming leave, you don't need to go through the Admin-only Users list. Your own profile has the same Scheduled Leaves section. - Sign in at app.vacationtracker.io (https://app.vacationtracker.io/signin). - In the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, click your profile name or avatar, then select My Profile from the menu. - On your profile page, switch to the Leaves tab. - In the Scheduled Leaves section, find the leave you want to update and click Edit. - Update the Substitute Approver field to the new person — or set it back to None if you don't want a Substitute anymore. - Click Edit Leave to save. ![Profile menu at the bottom left of the sidebar with My Profile highlighted, and the Upcoming leaves section showing the edit leave button](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/helpdesk_artikal_how_do_i_edit_a_substitute_approver_second_image_place_abf6c2be04.png) ## What Happens After You Save Once the change is saved, Vacation Tracker handles the handoff automatically: #### The previous substitute is notified They receive a message telling them they're no longer fulfilling the Substitute Approver role for your upcoming leave. No action required on their part. #### The new substitute is notified They receive a message confirming they've been assigned as the Substitute Approver, along with the dates of your leave. They'll be able to approve or deny incoming requests during that window via Slack, Microsoft Teams, email, or the dashboard — whichever channel your workspace uses. Good to know If you're clearing the Substitute entirely (setting the field back to None), only the removal notification goes out. There's no new assignee to notify. Keep in mind that if you're the sole Approver for a Department and you leave the field as None, incoming leave requests for that Department will sit pending until you're back. ## Common Questions I don't see a Substitute Approver field on the Edit Leave form. Two likely reasons. First, the leave may be in the past — the Substitute Approver field only applies to upcoming leaves, so it's hidden on the Edit form for historical entries. Second, the Department the Approver belongs to may have other Approvers available, which means the system didn't surface the Substitute field on that particular request. If you're an Admin, try the leave submitted by the last Approver in that Department to request time off. Can I change the Substitute after the leave has already started? If the leave is still in progress (today falls inside its date range), the scheduled leave is still editable, so yes — you can swap the Substitute mid-window. Both notifications go out the same way. Can I use Slack or Microsoft Teams to edit the Substitute? The edit flow runs through the online dashboard. The bots handle submitting new leave requests (including picking a Substitute the first time), but editing an existing scheduled leave happens in the Scheduled Leaves section of the profile. ### What's Next? How Does an Approver Assign a Substitute Approver? (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-does-an-approver-assign-a-substitute-approver/) How Does an Admin Assign a Substitute Approver? (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-does-an-admin-assign-a-substitute-approver/) How Do I Set an Approver within Vacation Tracker? (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-do-i-set-an-approver-within-vacation-tracker/) Need help? Contact our Support team via email (mailto:hello@vacationtracker.io) or chat (#), Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM EST.