The information in this article is still correct. However, you will find differences between some of the visuals here and the new UI of Form Publisher.
In this article, you will learn how Form Publisher sends the approval notification emails to the appropriate approvers configured during the setup, in a workflow process.
How are your approval notification emails sent?
By way of the permissions you granted for Form Publisher during installation, Form Publisher uses Gmail API to access your Gmail box and send the notification emails from there, on your behalf.
The internal mechanism of sending approval notifications in a workflow is precisely the same as the regular notifications of document generation.
The article [DATA PROCESSING] How does Form Publisher send documents via email notifications on form submission? explains how Form Publisher instructs the Gmail API to send these notifications on its behalf. It also details how Gmail API handles it to deliver those emails to the designated email addresses.
When are the approval notifications sent?
Upon Google Form submission, Form Publisher generates documents automatically with the responses and can route those documents for the approval process.
If you have configured the approval workflow in Form Publisher, it sends notifications during the start of the process and sends notifications when the approval happens, via email.
1. Beginning of the approval process
When the approval process starts, email notifications are sent to the assigned approver(s), asking for the approval and sign-off (if e-signature is requested) on the document attached.
The email notification contains an Approve/Reject button, which redirects the approver to the Form Publisher web app for recording the approval.
2. During the approval process
During the approval process, the approver can approve, reject or ask for more information on the request (if the form is configured for accepting Edit after Submit).
At each step of the process, the email notifications are sent to the approvers and the submitters, notifying the approval's status and comments.
From and to whom are these emails sent?
We send these notification emails from your Google account if you are the owner of the Google Form. You (the same Google account) are also the owner of all documents generated by Form Publisher.
By default, your recipients, you have assigned (in the Sharing options and notifications sidebar of Form Publisher) to receive the documents with responses, are the same list of people who can approve these documents.
They will receive the approval email notifications and the generated documents (as a PDF attachment or shared files in Drive with View, Edit or Comment access, depending on your configuration).
Is there any difference between the notifications about document generation and approval notifications?
Form Publisher sends both notifications the same way. But the difference in the approval notifications is the addition of Approve/Reject buttons, to enable the recipients to participate in the workflow.