Invoice Approval Workflow
Require sign-off before invoices are finalized. Configure approval levels, assign approvers, and track where each invoice stands in the process.
When an approval workflow is enabled for invoices, a saved invoice is held until it clears every configured approval level. Approvals prevent unauthorized billing, enforce a threshold for large invoices, and create an audit trail of who authorized each one.
How Invoice Approvals Work
Approval workflows are configured in Settings → Documents & workflows → Approval workflows. One workflow per document type; you can require approval for all invoices, or only for invoices at or above a minimum amount.
Once configured, every invoice that meets the trigger enters the approval queue when it is saved. The invoice page shows its current approval status, and Update, Void, Duplicate and Convert to are unavailable until the workflow completes.
The Approval Banner
When an invoice has an active approval workflow, a banner appears at the top of the invoice page.
| Banner State | What It Shows | Who Sees It |
|---|---|---|
| Pending Approval | Amber banner: "Awaiting Level 1 of 2 approval". Includes a dot per level showing progress. | All users with access to the invoice |
| Approval In Progress | Blue banner: "Level 2 of 3 - Awaiting review" once an earlier level has approved. | All users |
| Approved | Green banner: "All 2 approval levels completed", with each approver and when they acted. | All users |
| Returned for Revision | Amber banner: "This document needs to be revised and resubmitted", with the approver's comments. The creator edits and resubmits; the chain restarts from Level 1. | All users |
| Rejected | Red banner: "This document has been rejected and cannot proceed", with the reason. | All users |
Below the banner, View Approval Workflow expands the full path: every level, its name, who is awaited or who acted, when, and their comments.
Approval Actions
Approvers assigned to the current level see three buttons on the banner.
| Action | Effect | Who Can Perform It |
|---|---|---|
| Approve | Approve & Forward moves the invoice to the next level. Approve & Finalize, at the last level, finalizes the invoice and its journals are posted. Comments are optional. | An approver assigned to the current level |
| Return | Sends the invoice back to the creator with comments (required). The creator can edit and resubmit; approval restarts from Level 1. | An approver assigned to the current level |
| Reject | Ends the workflow. A reason is required. The invoice cannot be approved afterwards — void it and raise a new one. | An approver assigned to the current level |
The banner always shows where the hold-up is — "Awaiting Level 2 of 3 approval" — and the expanded path names the people at that level under "Awaiting approval from". The invoice creator can see exactly who to ask without contacting anyone.
Multi-Level Approval
Add as many levels as your process needs. Each level has a Level Number and a Level Name, and one or more assigned approvers; a level can require more than one distinct approver before the chain moves on.
A user saves the invoice. If it meets the workflow trigger (at or above the minimum amount, or any amount when the minimum is 0), it enters approval immediately.
The invoice appears with Pending Approval. An approver at Level 1 opens it and clicks Approve.
The banner reads Approval In Progress, Level 2 of 2. Level 2 approvers see Approve, Return and Reject.
Approve & Finalize marks the invoice Approved. The banner turns green, its journals post, and the invoice can be shared and collected.
Configuring the Workflow
Navigate to: Settings → Documents & workflows → Approval workflows
| Setting | Details |
|---|---|
| Document Type | Invoices (also Bills, Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, Expenses, Credit Notes, Debit Notes, Payments, Receipts, Estimates/Quotes, Delivery Notes, Goods Received Notes). Cannot be changed after creation. |
| Minimum Amount for Approval | Documents below this amount do not require approval. Set to 0 to require approval for all amounts. |
| Workflow Active | Enable or disable the workflow without deleting it. |
| Levels | Add Approval Level: Level Number, Level Name (defaults to "Level N Approval"), and the users assigned to it. |
| Delegation | An approver can delegate their approvals to a colleague for a period. |
Once an invoice is rejected, the only path forward is to void it and create a new invoice. Rejection is permanent. If an approver made an error, the original invoice must be voided and the corrected version submitted through the workflow again. This is intentional — it preserves the audit trail.
Related
- What approval withholds while it is pending: Editing, voiding and restoring.
- The invoice being approved: Invoices.
- Where the approval banner sits on the page: The document page.