[$250] Workflows - Owner becomes first and second approver after removing second approver

[jponikarchuk]

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Version Number: 9.2.44-1
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: Yes
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: Exp https://test-management.browserstack.com/projects/2219752/test-runs/TR-1187/41236910/940181650?q=workflow&issue_type=jira
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): njsodisjodnsijdo@gmail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Device used: Mac 15.5 / Chrome
App Component: Workspace Settings

Action Performed:

1. Go to staging.new.expensify.com
2. Go to workspace settings > Members.
3. Invite a member to the workspace.
4. Go to workspace settings > Workflows.
5. Click on the default approval workflow.
6. Click Additional approver.
7. Upgrade the workspace if prompted.
8. Add the invited member from Step 3 as the second approver.
9. Go to workspace settings > Members.
10. Remove the member from workspace.
11. Go to workspace settings > Workflows.

Expected Result:

The default workflow will not show Second approver because the second approver is removed and the first approver is the owner.

Actual Result:

The default workflow shows owner as Second approver, when owner is also the first approver.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari
• MacOS: Desktop

Screenshots/Videos

1.mp4

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Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021988348892467651723
• Upwork Job ID: 1988348892467651723
• Last Price Increase: 2026-01-06

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @shubham1206agra

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @JmillsExpensify (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[mukhrr]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

When a member who is set as the second approver in the default workflow is removed from the workspace, the workflow incorrectly displays the owner as both the first and second approver instead of showing only the owner as a single approver.

What is the root cause of that problem?

The updateWorkflowDataOnApproverRemoval only handles single approver removal for default workflows. When the default workflow has multiple approvers and the second approver is removed, the function returns the workflow unchanged, leaving the removed member still listed in the approvers array

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

We need to add logic to handle multiple approvers in the default workflow section

function updateWorkflowDataOnApproverRemoval({approvalWorkflows, removedApprover, ownerDetails}: UpdateWorkflowDataOnApproverRemovalParams): UpdateWorkflowDataOnApproverRemovalResult {
// existing logic...

// Handle multiple approvers in default workflow
if (isMultipleApprovers && workflow.approvers.some((item) => item.email === removedApproverEmail)) {
    const removedApproverIndex = workflow.approvers.findIndex((item) => item.email === removedApproverEmail);
    
    // If removing the first approver (and not owner), replace with owner
    if (removedApproverIndex === 0 && currentApprover?.email !== ownerEmail) {
        return {
            ...workflow,
            approvers: [{
                ...currentApprover,
                avatar: ownerAvatar,
                displayName: ownerDisplayName,
                email: ownerEmail ?? '',
            }],
        };
    }
    
    // For other positions, filter out the removed approver
    const updatedApprovers = workflow.approvers.filter((_, index) => index !== removedApproverIndex);
    return {
        ...workflow,
        approvers: updatedApprovers,
    };
}

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

[etCoderDysto]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

Workflows - Owner becomes first and second approver after removing second approver

What is the root cause of that problem?

Here we are adding user to approver list before we check if the user is already added the approvers list

App/src/libs/WorkflowUtils.ts

Lines 54 to 60 in 1a4004c

	const isCircularReference = currentApproverEmails.has(nextEmail);
	approvers.push({
	email: nextEmail,
	forwardsTo: employees[nextEmail].forwardsTo,
	avatar: personalDetailsByEmail[nextEmail]?.avatar,
	displayName: personalDetailsByEmail[nextEmail]?.displayName ?? nextEmail,
	isCircularReference,

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

We should move approvers.push below if (isCircularReference) check

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

 if (isCircularReference) {
            break;
        }
        approvers.push({
            email: nextEmail,
            forwardsTo: employees[nextEmail].forwardsTo,
            avatar: personalDetailsByEmail[nextEmail]?.avatar,
            displayName: personalDetailsByEmail[nextEmail]?.displayName ?? nextEmail,
            isCircularReference,
        });

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[nkdengineer]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

The default workflow shows owner as Second approver, when owner is also the first approver.

What is the root cause of that problem?

The owner becomes the second approver because we also update the owner's forwardsTo to themself

App/src/libs/actions/Policy/Member.ts

Line 473 in 1a4004c

forwardsTo: policy?.owner,

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

If the employee is the owner, then we should update the forwardsTo to empty. The backend should also update the same.

optimisticMembersState[employeeEmail] = {
    ...optimisticMembersState[employeeEmail],
    forwardsTo: employeeEmail === policy?.owner ? '' : policy?.owner,
};

App/src/libs/actions/Policy/Member.ts

Line 473 in 1a4004c

forwardsTo: policy?.owner,

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021988348892467651723

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @shubham1206agra (External)