How to build a project request form with automatic approval

Automate project intake from request to approval

In this guide, you’ll build a project request and approval flow inside Formaloo, perfect for agencies, internal teams, or clients submitting work requests. You’ll set up a form, use logic for automatic approvals, send notification emails, and visualize approved projects in a dashboard.
📘 Learn more: Create your first form, app, or portal in a flash

Step 1 — Create your project request form

Start from your workspace and click + New → Form. You can start from scratch or select a Project Request Form or Approval Form from the Template gallery.

Or use Magic Create, describe what you need (e.g., “A form where users can request new projects, auto-assign to a manager, and approve or reject automatically”).

Why this matters: a clear request form ensures all project details are captured before work begins.
📘 Learn more: How to create a form

Step 2 — Add your project and requester fields

Include all necessary details:

• Requester name and department (prefill from login if internal)
  
  
• Project title and description
  
  
• Deadline or expected delivery date
  
  
• Budget or required resources
  
  
• Priority level (dropdown: Low, Medium, High)
  
  
• Approval decision (hidden or admin-only field, e.g., Pending → Approved → Rejected)
  
  

💡 Tip: use file upload for briefs or mockups.
📘 Learn more: Form editor and field types

Step 3 — Add logic for automatic approvals

Go to Settings → Logic → Advanced logic and define your approval rules.

Example rules:

• If Budget ≤ 1,000 → Automatically set “Approval status = Approved”
  
  
• If Department = Marketing → Assign to Manager A
  
  
• If Priority = High → Notify Operations Lead immediately
  
  

You can combine on-submit or on-update logic to run approvals instantly or after edits.

Why this matters: automating decisions keeps workflows moving without waiting for manual checks.
📘 Learn more: How to create an approval form

Step 4 — Send notifications to the right people

Open Settings → Notify and set up who gets notified when a project is submitted or approved:

• Notify project managers when status = Pending approval.
  
  
• Send an auto-reply to requester when Approved or Rejected.
  
  
• Use conditional emails to customize messages by status or department.
  
  

💡 Pro tip: Include the requester’s project title or deadline in your subject line using @project_title or @deadline.
📘 Learn more: How to send and receive conditional email notifications

Step 5 — Update project status automatically

Use on-update logic so every time a project is reviewed or edited, the form updates its status field or triggers follow-up actions.

Examples:

• When approval = Approved → Set status to “In progress”
  
  
• When approval = Rejected → Send email to requester with notes
  
  

You can even create follow-up forms (e.g., “Project kickoff” or “Completion report”) connected to this one for multi-step tracking.
📘 Learn more: What is on-update logic and how it works

Step 6 — Track approved projects in a dashboard

Go to your Results → Responses page and switch between views:

• Table view for all project details
  
  
• Kanban view grouped by Approval status
  
  
• Chart blocks to track total requests or approval rates
  
  

Why this matters: your team can monitor requests and approvals in real time.
📘 Learn more: How to create a Kanban board

Step 7 — Build a team portal for ongoing project management

Create a portal where managers can view, approve, or edit project requests. Add pages like:

• All project requests (table view)
  
  
• Pending approvals (filtered list)
  
  
• Approved projects (chart or Kanban view)
  
  

Restrict access so only authorized users can change approval fields or update projects.
📘 Learn more: How to create a portal and manage users’ access

Pro tips

• Use linked rows to connect approved projects with follow-up forms (kickoff, deliverables, invoices).
  
  
• Add an AI summary field that auto-summarizes project descriptions for reporting.
  
  
• Duplicate this setup for each department or client workflow.
  📘 Learn more: What are linked rows and how to use them
  
  

Example scenario

A team member submits a Website Redesign project. Because the budget is under $1,000, Formaloo automatically approves it. The requester receives an email confirmation, and the project appears under Approved in your Kanban dashboard. Managers can log into the portal anytime to update progress or add feedback.
📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic, automations, and AI

FAQ

1. Can I include multiple approval levels?
   Yes, add conditional logic to create multi-step approvals (e.g., auto-approve low-budget, send to manager for high-budget).
2. Can I notify different managers by department?
   Absolutely, set conditional emails or logic rules by department field.
3. Can requesters edit their project after submission?
   Yes, enable edit access or use a portal so users can update their own requests securely.
   📘 Learn more: How to let users view and edit their own data in your portal

Your automated approval flow is live

You’ve built a complete, no-code project approval system with smart logic, automated emails, and dashboards. Every request now routes, approves, and updates automatically, saving your team time and keeping projects moving fast.
📘 Learn more: Share your form or app with your team or audience

Last updated October 2025

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