Getting started with Approval Workflows

Prevent unapproved actions—Build approval workflows by type

Approval workflows make sure the right people review invoices, work orders, contacts, and bank details before anything is processed. Start by creating workflow types at the billing group level, then add multi-step approvals for each type.

Availability: This feature is available to Pro and Enterprise package users. To upgrade your plan, contact your Account Manager or request a contact here.

Create workflow types at the billing group level

Each approval workflow links to a workflow type. Create and manage types from Settings > Automations > Approval Workflows.

1. Go to Settings > Automations > Approval Workflows.
2. Click Create New Workflow.
3. Name your approval workflow type (for example, “Invoice Approvals” or “Work Order Approvals”).
4. Add a description (optional).
5. Select the type of approval this workflow will support:
   • Invoice Approvals
   • Work Order Approvals
   • Contact Approvals
   • Bank Details Approvals - coming soon
6. Select which company or companies this workflow applies to.
7. Click Create and save.

From here, add the approval steps you need for this workflow type.

This screenshot shows where to create and manage approval workflow types under Settings > Automations.

This GIF demonstrates naming a workflow type, selecting the approval type, and choosing companies.

Avoid bottlenecks—Assign teams to approve steps

Team Approvals let a team, not just one person, complete an approval step. Any team member can approve, which speeds things up and keeps work moving.

Set up approval teams

1. In the Workflows area, click Manage Teams.
2. Click the Create a new team button.
3. Give your team a name, for example, “Finance Approvers.”
4. Select which companies this team applies to.
5. Choose how to add people:
   • Add specific users, or
   • Use rule-based criteria to include users by user role and/or business role.
6. Review the user preview and exclude anyone who shouldn’t be included.
7. Click Create and save.

Note: You can edit the team at any time.

This animation shows creating a team, applying rules, and reviewing the user preview.

Assign a team to an approval workflow

1. Go to Approval Workflows.
2. Choose an existing workflow or create a new one.
3. Open any approval step and, for Approver, select the team from the dropdown.
4. Click Save Step.

Approve as a team member

• When a step is assigned to a team, all team members receive a notification (email and/or in-app).
• The approval task appears on each member’s dashboard and in My Approvals.
• Any member can review and approve.
• Once one member approves, the step is complete; no further action is needed from others.

Keep workflows current—Manage drafts and published workflows

Use the central workflows area to review, edit, or delete approval workflows. This keeps your process clear and up to date.

Open the Approval Workflows area

Go to Settings > Automations > Approval Workflows.

Edit or delete a workflow

1. Find the workflow you want to change.
2. Click the three-dot icon at the end of the row.
3. Select Edit or Delete, then confirm your changes.

This screenshot shows the central list of approval workflows and the three-dot menu for actions.

Protect access—Grant permissions to manage approval workflows

Only users with the right permissions can create or manage approval workflows. Check who has access and update roles as needed.

Confirm who can access Approval Workflows

• Admin users automatically see Approval Workflows under Settings > Automations.
• If you don’t see this option, your role doesn’t have access.

Grant access to a role

1. Go to Settings > Company & Users > Maintain User Roles.
2. Select the role you want to update.
3. Under Settings Permissions, enable Has access to approval workflows.
4. Save your changes.

Once enabled, users in that role can view and manage approval workflows.

This image highlights the role permission for Approval Workflows under Settings Permissions.

Regional Terminology Note: We use Asia-Pacific/European terminology in this article. If you work in North America, you may see Purchase Order where we say Work Order. For more regional terms and equivalents, see the Regional Terminology Guide.