SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: How To Set Up Multi-level Approvals URL: https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-to-set-up-multi-level-approvals/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2025-08-18 UPDATED: 2026-02-13 READING: 2 min SUMMARY: We're going to be taking a closer look on How to Create an Approval Flow for Leave Requests in Vacation tracker. # How To Set Up Multi-level Approvals # How To Set Up Multi-level Approvals Some leave requests need more than one set of eyes. A direct manager might sign off on the day-to-day, and a department head or Operations lead needs to validate anything bigger or longer. Vacation Tracker's Multi-level Approval flow lets you route each request through two sequential levels — second level only sees it once the first has approved. Plan gating Multi-level Approval is available on the Complete plan. If you're on Free or Core, the option won't appear in the Approval Flow Type dropdown — you'll need to upgrade first. ## Switch a Department to Multi-level Approval - Sign in at app.vacationtracker.io (https://app.vacationtracker.io/signin). - In the left-hand menu, under Team & Approval Flows, click Departments. - On the Department you want to configure, click the three-dot menu (...) and pick Edit Department. - Scroll to Approval Flow, open the Approval Flow Type dropdown, and choose Multi-level Approval. The Approver(s) field is relabelled First Level Approver(s), and a new Second Level Approver(s) field appears right below it. - Add one or more people to First Level Approver(s) — these are the people who see each request first. - Add one or more people to Second Level Approver(s) — these are the people the request advances to once the first level has approved. - Optionally add email addresses to Notify Watcher(s) After Final Approval — these are copied once the full chain is complete. - Click Update Department at the bottom to save. ![Edit Department form with Approval Flow Type set to Multi-level Approval, showing First Level Approver(s) and Second Level Approver(s) chip fields](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/helpdesk_artikal_how_to_set_up_multi_level_approvals_first_image_place_f90af71f09.png) ## How Multi-level Flow Actually Works Once Multi-level is set up, leave requests submitted for that Department move through two stages, in order. #### 1. First level is notified When a user in the Department submits a leave request, only the First Level Approver(s) are notified. Any one of them can approve or deny. The second level sees nothing yet. #### 2. First level decides If any First Level Approver denies the request, it's rejected immediately — the second level is never notified. If any First Level Approver approves, the request advances to the next level. #### 3. Second level is notified The Second Level Approver(s) now get the notification, along with context about who approved at the first level. Any one of them can approve or deny. #### 4. Second level decides (final) If approved at this level, the leave is fully approved — quotas are deducted, calendars are updated, Watchers (if any) are notified, and the user receives their confirmation. If denied, the request is rejected. Multiple approvers per level Both First Level Approver(s) and Second Level Approver(s) accept more than one person. Within a single level, whoever acts first moves the request forward — the others don't need to also sign off. Put multiple people on a level when you want redundancy for when someone's away. ## What Users and Approvers See On the request side, the submission flow doesn't change at all — users pick dates, Leave Type, and reason the same way. The difference is in the notifications and the approval queue: - The requesting user sees more approvers listed on their request, reflecting both levels. - First Level Approvers get the initial notification and see that they're the first stop in the chain. - Second Level Approvers are only pinged once the first level has approved, and the notification shows them who approved at the first level so they have context for their decision. - Approvers can act on requests in any of the usual places — the dashboard, Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email — and the bots indicate each approver's level as well as any prior approvals. ## Going Back to Single-level If Multi-level isn't working out, you can revert it in the same form. Edit the Department, open the Approval Flow Type dropdown, pick Single-level Approval, and the Second Level field is hidden again. The Approver(s) field holds whoever was at the first level. Click Update Department to save. ## Common Questions Can I add a third (or fourth) level of approval? Not currently. The Approval Flow Type tops out at two levels — First Level and Second Level — and there isn't a way to extend it. Subdepartments don't help here either: each subdepartment runs its own independent approval flow with its own First/Second Level Approvers, so nesting Departments doesn't chain approvals together. If you need three or more sign-offs, the cleanest option is the Notify Watcher(s) After Final Approval field on the Department, which loops in additional people on completion as a notification rather than a hard gate. What happens if the First Level denies the request? The request is rejected and the Second Level is never notified. There's no way for the Second Level to override a denial from the First Level — a rejection at stage one ends the chain. Do all First Level Approvers have to approve before it moves to the second? No. Within a single level, any one Approver can move the request forward. Put three people on First Level and the first one to act decides — the other two don't need to also weigh in. This is the same logic as Single-level Approval with multiple Approvers. ### What's Next? How Do I Set an Approver within Vacation Tracker? (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/how-do-i-set-an-approver-within-vacation-tracker/) Guide: What Can an Approver Do in Vacation Tracker? (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/guide-what-can-an-approver-do-in-vacation-tracker/) Guide: Administrator vs Approver Role (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.