When creating a new approval process, Salesforce offers two wizards: Jump Start and Standard Setup. They build the same underlying approval process; the difference is how much you configure and how much Salesforce decides for you.
Jump Start Wizard
A single-step wizard that asks for the essentials and uses sensible defaults for everything else.
You provide:
- Object (Account, Opportunity, custom, etc.)
- Process name
- Entry criteria (or use formula)
- Approver (single approver — a specific user, the submitter’s manager, or a related user)
- Email template (optional)
Salesforce fills in:
- Initial submission actions (default lock, default email)
- Final approval actions (default unlock, default email)
- Final rejection actions (default unlock, default email)
- Recall actions (default unlock)
- Page layout for the approval page
When to use it: A simple, single-step approval — one approver, default behaviours, no fancy actions. Great for prototypes and straightforward business cases.
Standard Setup Wizard
A multi-step wizard that walks you through every aspect of the approval process configuration:
- Choose object and entry criteria
- Specify the email template
- Select fields to display on the approval page
- Choose initial submitters
- Add steps (one or many), with per-step criteria, approver assignment, and actions
- Define initial submission, final approval, final rejection, and recall actions
When to use it: Anything more complex than the simplest single-step case. Specifically when you need:
- Multiple steps with different approvers
- Custom actions on initial submission (e.g. a field update beyond just locking)
- Different approval/rejection/recall actions
- Specific field display on the approval page
- Allowed submitters beyond just the record owner
Which one to use
| Scenario | Wizard |
|---|---|
| Single-step approval, one approver, default behaviours | Jump Start |
| Multi-step approval | Standard |
| Custom actions on submission/approval/rejection | Standard |
| Specific approver lookup (e.g. related-record approver) | Standard |
| Prototype that you’ll refine later | Start with Jump Start — you can edit to add more steps later |
Editing after creation
You can convert a Jump Start process into a multi-step process by simply adding more steps after creation. The Jump Start choice doesn’t lock you out of more advanced configuration later.
What interviewers want
- The two names: Jump Start and Standard Setup
- That Jump Start is single-step + defaults and Standard is full configuration
- A practical recommendation: Standard for production, Jump Start for quick prototypes
Verified against: Salesforce Help — Create an Approval Process. Last reviewed 2026-05-17 for Spring ‘26 release.