Send One Approval Notification to all Users in a DL

[joan_mckinley]

We would like to send one email to all approvers in a AD Distribution List group at once instead of each approver receiving an email individually.   In the To: Field we expected it to show the Distribution List name but it shows each individual email address in separate emails.

We have played with all the different workflow types but they are still receiving individual emails.  Can we do this without creating a utility mailbox that they would have to monitored?

[jdempsey]

The short answer is no.  Any time you specify a security group/distribution group in a workflow or approval group, it will be enumerated, and emails will be sent to each individual member.  The only way to achieve a single mail to a group would be to use a group mailbox, which has its own drawbacks (and you already stated you don't want to do that).

What is the reason you want a single mail instead of individual mails?  Perhaps there is an alternate way to achieve what you're looking for without using a single email.

[joan_mckinley]

Thank you @jdempsey.  The customer doesn't want the approvers to receive the email separately since it will be harder determine who is going to work on that approval.  There will be some follow-up for the request (expensive software) before any of the approvers can approve.  If it was one email to the DL, they could easily reply "I am working this request", so multiple people don't call the user.

[jdempsey · Accepted solution]

That's what I thought you might say.  There is a setting under Web Site > Catalog Behavior called "Allow approvers to accept requests".  When using a pool type approval, the approvers within that pool can select a request and click the "Accept" button.  The request will then show a little indicator in the approvals list showing that someone has accepted it, and if you hover over the approver icon in the Status column, it will show you who has accepted the request.  You can also see a note added to the request notes indicating who accepted the request.  Once a request has been accepted, it will still appear in the list of available approvals for everyone in the group, but other members of the group will not receive approval reminder emails for that request.  Only the person who is listed as having accepted the request will receive the approval reminder notifications.  Hopefully this could help achieve the intended purpose without needing to change to a single email for all approvers.

[joan_mckinley]

Thank you @jdempsey! We will test that out and see if it will work for our customer.

Thanks,
Joan