How to create a travel request workflow with approval routing

Simplify business travel management from request to approval

In this guide, you’ll build a travel request workflow that lets employees submit trip details, automatically routes approvals to managers and finance, and keeps everyone updated through automated emails. Perfect for HR, operations, and finance teams managing travel budgets.
📘 Learn more: Create your first form, app, or portal in a flash

Step 1 — Create your travel request form

Start from your workspace and click + New → Form. You can start from scratch or choose the Travel Approval form template from the Template gallery.

Or use Magic Create, describe what you need:

“A travel request form that collects trip details, calculates estimated costs, and routes approvals to managers and finance automatically.”

Why this matters: this form becomes the foundation for transparent, efficient travel planning.
📘 Learn more: How to create a form

Step 2 — Add key travel and cost fields

Include all essential details to evaluate and approve travel requests efficiently:

• Employee name and email
  
  
• Department / Manager
  
  
• Destination city and country
  
  
• Purpose of travel
  
  
• Start and end dates
  
  
• Mode of travel (Flight, Train, Car, etc.)
  
  
• Estimated travel cost (variable or number field)
  
  
• Accommodation cost estimate
  
  
• Total estimated budget (auto-calculated)
  
  
• Approval status (hidden: Pending → Approved → Rejected → Completed)
  
  

💡 Tip: group sections like Trip details, Budget, and Approvals for better clarity.
📘 Learn more: Form editor and field types

Step 3 — Auto-calculate total estimated cost

Add variable fields to calculate the total travel budget automatically.

Example formulas:

• @total_estimate = @travel_cost + @accommodation_cost
  
  
• @with_buffer = @total_estimate * 1.1 (adds 10% contingency)
  
  

Display this with a content field:

“Your total estimated budget is $@with_buffer.”
📘 Learn more: How to use a variable with a formula

Step 4 — Add approval logic for managers and finance

Go to Settings → Advanced logic and define routing rules:

• If Department = Sales → Assign to Sales Manager
  
  
• If total_estimate ≤ 1,000 → Auto-approve by Manager
  
  
• If total_estimate > 1,000 → Send to Finance for review
  
  
• If International travel = Yes → Add HR approval step
  
  

💡 Pro tip: use on-update logic for multi-step approvals, so each stage updates automatically after review.
📘 Learn more: How to create an approval form

Step 5 — Automate notifications and approval emails

Open Settings → Advanced logic or Notify tab to create dynamic email templates:

• To Manager: new travel request awaiting review.
  
  
• To Employee: request received and under review.
  
  
• To Finance: approved request ready for budget release.
  
  
• To Employee (on final approval): travel approved with cost summary.
  
  

Personalize with variables like @employee_name, @destination, @total_estimate, and @approval_status.
📘 Learn more: How to send and receive conditional email notifications

Step 6 — Add on-update logic for multi-stage approval flow

Use on-update logic so your form updates automatically when reviewers take action:

• When Manager approves → Notify Finance and set Status = “Finance review.”
  
  
• When Finance approves → Set Status = “Approved” + Notify HR.
  
  
• When Rejected → Send explanation email to employee.
  
  

This ensures approvals move smoothly across departments without manual follow-up.
📘 Learn more: What is on-update logic and how it works

Step 7 — Generate travel approval PDFs automatically

Once a request is approved, generate a PDF approval letter automatically:

• Include employee info, trip details, and approved budget.
  
  
• Add signatures for Manager and Finance team.
  
  
• Attach to confirmation emails or store in a shared workspace.
  📘 Learn more: How to generate custom PDFs using templates
  
  

Step 8 — Track and manage travel requests in dashboards

Open your Results → Responses tab to visualize and filter requests:

• Table view: list all travel requests with status and total cost.
  
  
• Kanban view: organize by Pending, Under review, Approved, Completed.
  
  
• Charts: analyze spending by department, destination, or month.
  
  

📘 Learn more: How to showcase charts based on form responses

Step 9 — Create a travel management portal

From your workspace, create a Portal and add pages for each role:

• Submit a travel request (employee view)
  
  
• My travel history (personal dashboard)
  
  
• Pending approvals (manager view)
  
  
• Finance dashboard (budget tracking)
  
  

Restrict access so employees see only their own requests, while managers and finance have broader visibility.
📘 Learn more: How to create a portal and manage users’ access

Step 10 — Analyze trends with AI

Enable AI Analyze to uncover insights about travel spending and efficiency:

• “Average approval time per department.”
  
  
• “Top destinations by cost.”
  
  
• “Monthly travel budget usage.”
  
  

📘 Learn more: Uncover insights and trends in your data with AI Analyze

Pro tips

• Add reservation limits to restrict travel requests within monthly or quarterly budgets.
  
  
• Duplicate this setup for local travel, client visits, or training events.
  
  
• Use linked rows to connect this workflow with expense claim or vendor payment forms.
  📘 Learn more: What are linked rows and how to use them
  
  

Example scenario

An employee submits a travel request for a client meeting in Dubai. The form auto-calculates total cost and sends it to their Manager for approval. Because the trip exceeds $1,000, it’s automatically routed to Finance. Once approved, Formaloo generates a PDF travel authorization and emails it to the employee. The HR dashboard updates the request as Approved and ready for travel.
📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic, automations, and AI

FAQ

1. Can I handle multiple approval levels (Manager → HR → Finance)?
   Yes, use a mix of on-submit and on-update logic to chain multi-step approvals.
2. Can I track travel budgets by department?
   Absolutely, add a department field and create charts grouped by cost center.
3. Can I let users view or edit their own requests?
   Yes, create a portal with login access so employees can see or update their requests securely.
   📘 Learn more: How to let users view and edit their own data in your portal

Your travel approval system is live, automate, route, and relax

You’ve built a complete travel request workflow that routes approvals, tracks spending, and keeps teams aligned. Keep refining your logic, dashboards, and automations to make every trip request faster and more transparent.
📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic, automations, and AI

Last updated October 2025

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