Unable to Add, Edit, Reorder or Delete Steps in an Active Salesforce Approval Process

This article explains why you cannot add, edit, reorder or delete steps in an active Salesforce Approval Process, and how to make structural changes by cloning the Approval Process.

Why Approval Process Steps Cannot Be Changed After Activation

Salesforce does not allow adding, editing, reordering or deleting steps in an Approval Process once it is activated. This restriction exists to protect data integrity. Any records currently in flight through the approval workflow rely on the existing step structure to route correctly. Modifying steps mid-process could cause approvals to skip steps, route to the wrong approver or fail entirely. To make structural changes, the Approval Process must first be deactivated. This is the expected behavior, and the workaround is to clone the existing Approval Process.

How to Add or Remove an Approval Step by Cloning the Approval Process

1. Navigate to Setup, enter Approval Processes in Quick Find, and click the result.
2. Find the Approval Process in question.
3. Deactivate this Approval Process.
4. Click the Clone button on the Approval Process detail page to create a new Approval Process.
5. Create or modify the Approval steps as desired.

Why the Clone Button Is Missing

An active Approval Process cannot be cloned and must be deactivated first. If you do not see the Clone button, make sure the Approval Process is deactivated. This is a technical design that protects the data integrity of in-flight approval requests and prevents unintended changes to them.

What Happens to Records Submitted Under the Old Approval Process

Records that were submitted with the old Approval Process do not reflect the changes made in the new Approval Process. They must be submitted for approval again using the new Approval Process.