Approval now has a new version, with optional multi-step approval workflows. 🎉
If you already use Approval - your key workflow stays exactly the same. The sections below explain what has been kept for you, and the few small changes.
If you are new to Approval, or don't use it yet - jump to What's new below to see what Approval workflows can do for you.
For current users: is my current setup still working?
Yes. Your current approval capabilities and settings have been seamlessly carried over into a Default path workflow.
It is built to keep your folder working exactly as it does today, by carrying over your current settings:
Everyone already invited to the folder is an approver - so the same people approve.
Lock editing during approval, if you had it on, is kept (now called Lock mode).
Auto-submit stays a folder setting, and auto-approval for a contact keeps working.
You can leave the Default path exactly as it is. Open it only if you later decide to manage approvers or add approval steps - see Setting up an approval workflow.
👉 Can the people who approve today still approve?
Yes. The people already invited to the folder are added as approvers on the Default path, so the same people approve as before - it is just clearer now who they are. For more on this, see Roles and permissions in Approval.
The few changes you will notice
👉 You can see which workflow a document lands in. When a document goes into approval, Datamolino shows the workflow it matched. For your folders, that is the Default path (it contains all invited users, so the same people approve documents as before). To see how matching works, read How documents are routed.
👉 Export without approval
Admins: Export to accounting software without approval is called "Skip approval and Export". Export docs to file can be done in bulk, not individually.
Users: cannot export docs to accounting software without approval. They can bulk export to file only.
For the full picture, see Exporting when approval is enabled.
👉 "Force approve and export" has been removed.
It used to override a rejected document and push it straight through. Now, to get a document through, you submit it again - and a folder admin can Approve as admin while it is still awaiting approval (with a short reason). See Admin tools: approve, reassign, reset.
👉 Rejecting now asks for a reason. When you reject a document, you add a short note saying what is wrong, so the person who submitted it knows exactly what to fix. See Approve or reject documents.
👉 Submitted documents get a "More actions" button. A folder admin sees Reassign, Download document, Approval settings, and (under Admin) Approve as admin and Reset approval. A regular user sees Download document only.
👉 Self-approval is now a setting, on by default.
By default you can still approve a document you submitted yourself, exactly as today. If a path has it turned off, you will see Approve and Reject disabled on your own document, and someone else approves it.
👉 Editing once a document is approved. Once a document is approved, it can no longer be edited - on any path, regardless of Lock mode. (Previously, if you had Lock editing during approval turned off, you could still change a document even after it was approved.) Approval now finalises the document, so everyone can trust that an approved document is the agreed version.
✨ Tip: if you normally review or tweak a document as a final step after it is "approved", build that step into your workflow. Add a stage at the end of the workflow for that review or edit, and give it the edit permission it needs. The editing then happens before the document locks - and you keep a clean, final approval. See Editing documents during approval.
What's new - Approval workflows
👉 Why use approval workflows?
Approval workflows let you make sure the right people sign off on a document before it is exported. You set the rules, add the approval stages, and choose who approves at each one. Nothing is exported without the approver first reviewing the document - giving you confidence and a clear audit trail. New to all this? Start with How approval workflows work.
Here's what you can set up:
Conditions - an amount, a supplier, a currency and coding preferences (a ledger account, a tax code, a tracking category) - that decide when a workflow applies.
Several approval stages that run in order, each with its own approvers.
What each approver can edit at their stage.
Reassign a pending approval, or fix stuck ones from an admin-only Exceptions list.
New "Approver-only" folder access role - lets a person see and approve only the documents assigned to them.
Want the full detail? Here's the complete guide
We've added a full set of articles that walk you through every part of approval workflows:
Getting started
Day to day
Automations
Admin & troubleshooting
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to do anything now that the new version has launched, if I already use Approval?
No. Your approval keeps working as it does today, and the new multi-step options are there only if you choose to use them.
Can I still edit a document after it has been approved?
No. Once a document is approved it is locked and can no longer be edited - on any path, regardless of Lock mode. Previously, if "Lock editing during approval" was off, you could still change a document after it was approved; with approval workflows that is no longer possible. If you need a final review or edit step, add a stage at the end of your workflow for it - the editing then happens before the document is fully approved. See Editing documents during approval.
What happened to "Force approve and export"?
A folder admin now uses Approve as admin instead: it approves a document that is still awaiting approval, with a reason saved to its history. There is no force-reject.
Can the same people still approve documents if I already use Approval?
Yes. Everyone invited to the folder is added as an approver on the Default path, so the same people approve as before.
Who can set up approval workflows?
Folder admins and managers. Users can submit documents, and approve or reject when they are an assigned approver. Approver-only users can only approve or reject the items assigned to them. See Roles and permissions in Approval.
Can different documents go to different approvers?
Yes. You can create more than one workflow per folder and set conditions - an amount, a supplier, or a currency - that decide which one applies. Workflows are checked top to bottom, and the first match wins. See How documents are routed.
Can someone approve a document they submitted themselves?
That depends on the workflow's self-approval setting, which is on by default. With it on, a submitter who is also an approver can approve their own document; with it off, someone else must approve it.
Will I be notified when a document needs my approval?
Not in this version. To see documents waiting for you, sign in to Datamolino and open Approvals, where your Awaiting list shows what needs a decision. Notifications are planned for a future update.
Have any questions or suggestions for us? Please let us know at support@datamolino.com. We're here to make Datamolino work better for you!