How should you configure a Power Automate approval with custom escalation?
A company uses a Power Automate cloud flow to manage purchase approvals. Purchase orders will always be approved, rejected, or marked as escalated to a manager. The company has the following requirements: Multiple approvers must be included in each approval request. Once approved, an email must be sent to the purchasing team that confirms the outcome. The flow must not wait for remaining approvers after a decision is reached. You need to configure the approval. Which three configurations should you use? Each correct answer presents part of the solution. NOTE: Each correct selection is worth one point.
Community Insight
It tests how custom approval responses and first-response behavior interact; the trap is choosing Approve/Reject - First to respond, which cannot model the Escalate to manager outcome.
This AB-410 question tests configuring a Power Automate approval for purchase orders that can be approved, rejected, or escalated to a manager while multiple approvers respond. The correct setup uses Custom Responses - Wait for one response, a single approval action with multiple approvers, and a condition on the outcome (C, D, E).
A common mistake is selecting Approve/Reject - First to respond because it sounds like the required no-wait behavior, but it offers only two outcomes and cannot capture escalation.
Community Discussion (1 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Custom Responses - Wait for one response is the only approval type that both supports a third outcome such as Escalate and completes as soon as one approver responds. Assigning multiple approvers in a single approval action satisfies the requirement that every request include multiple approvers without splitting the approval into separate actions. A condition then evaluates the returned response so the flow can send the confirmation email for approval and handle rejection or escalation appropriately. Together, C, D, and E implement the stated purchase-order approval process without waiting for remaining approvers.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
A is wrong because Approve/Reject - First to respond supplies only Approve and Reject outcomes, so there is no built-in way to mark a purchase order as escalated to a manager. B is wrong because separate approval actions in parallel branches do not create one approval request containing multiple approvers; they create multiple independent approvals and complicate the first-decision behavior. The scenario explicitly calls for multiple approvers in each approval request and a decision that stops the flow from waiting, which the single custom-response approval action handles directly.Community Comment Notes
The sole community note from aed747e aligns with this configuration, explaining that custom choices such as escalation require "Custom Responses - Wait for one response" while the flow continues on the first response. It also notes assigning multiple approvers in one action and evaluating the outcome with a Condition to send confirmation emails. That reasoning supports C, D, and E rather than the standard first-to-respond approval type.Exam Strategy
Look for two clues in approval questions: whether the business needs custom outcomes beyond Approve and Reject, and whether the flow must continue after the first response. If both are present, Custom Responses - Wait for one response plus a condition is usually the intended pattern, with multiple approvers kept in one action.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
Separate the approval type decision from the downstream logic: first choose Custom Responses - Wait for one response when custom outcomes and first-response completion are required, then use a condition to branch on the response. Keep multiple approvers in the same approval action so the request represents one approval rather than several independent ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Approve/Reject - First to respond wrong when escalation is required?
It supports only Approve and Reject, so it cannot represent the Escalate to manager outcome; use Custom Responses - Wait for one response instead.
Does assigning multiple approvers in one action still stop after the first response?
Yes. With Custom Responses - Wait for one response, the approval completes on the first decision and does not wait for the remaining approvers.