A folder admin builds approval workflows in Approval workflows.
Each workflow is a named path with optional conditions that decide which documents it matches, followed by one or more stages that run in order. Anything you save applies to documents submitted from then on; documents already in flight keep the workflow they captured when they were submitted.
Opening the workflow editor
Workflows live in the Folder Preferences - Approval, and only folder admins can change them.
👉 Where do I create or edit a workflow?
Open the Folder Preferences, then click Approval Workflows. The editor lists every path for the folder. Paths run top to bottom and the first match wins, with the Default path sitting greyed at the bottom as the catch-all that every folder has.
👉 Who is allowed to edit workflows?
Only admins can create or edit workflows. Users and Approver-only users cannot open Approval workflows. See roles and permissions in approval.
Naming a workflow
👉 How do I add and name a workflow?
Click Add workflow, or click an existing workflow's name to open it, then type the name in the field at the top of the path. Choose a name that reflects the rule, for example "Invoices over 5,000" or "USD invoices", so the list is easy to scan later.
Setting the conditions
Conditions decide which documents a workflow matches. A path with no conditions behaves as a catch-all.
👉 What can a workflow match on?
You can set one or more conditions:
Total amount - documents whose total meets or exceeds a threshold.
Supplier - one or more specific suppliers.
Currency - a specific currency code.
Coding conditions - for folders connected to Xero, Quickbooks or FreeAgent. Attributes like: Ledger account, tax code, Tracking categorories, Class, Customer, etc.
A document must satisfy all of a path's conditions to match it, and the first path in the list whose conditions all match is the one used.
👉 What happens if I leave conditions empty?
A path with no conditions matches every document that reaches it, so it acts as a catch-all. Learn more about how documents are routed.
Adding stages
Stages are the approval steps. They are lettered A, B, C and run in order.
👉 How do I add a stage?
Click Add stage to create the first one, then add more as you need them; each stage runs only after the stage before it is approved. For every stage you set three things:
Trigger - Always (the stage always runs) or from a total amount (the stage activates only at or above a total you set). If you use amount triggers across several stages, each later stage's amount must be equal to or higher than the one before.
Edit permission - what an approver can change at this stage: All locked (read-only), the whole document, or selected fields. Choosing selected fields opens a field picker, and the available fields depend on the folder's accounting integration. See editing documents during approval.
Approvers - search for existing members and select one or more, or invite a new approver.
👉 Can a stage have more than one approver?
Yes. When a stage has more than one approver, any one of them can approve it - you do not need them all. A stage with more than 10 approvers shows as a count rather than listing every name.
Self-approval
👉 Can someone approve a document they submitted themselves?
Self-approval is on by default for each path, so a person who submitted a document can also approve it at a stage where they are an approver. Turn it off on a path when the submitter must not approve their own documents; the Approve and Reject buttons then appear disabled for them and someone else must act.
Frequently Asked Questions
👉 Will editing a workflow change documents already in approval?
No. A document captures a snapshot of the workflow - all stages and named approvers - at the moment it is submitted. Editing the workflow afterwards does not touch documents already Awaiting approval; the new version applies only to documents submitted from then on.
👉 How do I apply an updated workflow to a document already submitted?
An admin must use Reset approval to return the document to Ready, then submit it again. The resubmission captures the current workflow. See how documents are routed.
👉 Can I delete the Default path?
No. The Default path is created automatically for every folder and cannot be deleted, which guarantees there is always a path to catch a document. You can edit its stages and approvers like any other path. For the wider picture, see how approval workflows work.
👉 Why wasn't an approval workflow applied to a document?
First, make sure that the the approval workflow is enabled. If it was enabled when the document was submitted for approval, review if the document met the conditions of a workflow higher up the list.
