Create approval routing chains
Learn how to build approval chains that automatically route quotes, invoices, and expenses to the right people based on value, ensuring compliance and faster approvals.
This guide shows you how to create and manage approval routing chains. You can build workflows that automatically assign approvals to the right staff members based on rules you define.
Automated approvals save you time and reduce manual errors. By setting clear rules for who needs to approve what, you maintain financial control and ensure everyone follows the same process for quotes, invoices, and expenses.
Before you start
- You need Administrator permissions to access and manage approval settings.
- Approval routing is available on the Pro and Ultra plans.
Create a new approval chain
An approval chain is a set of rules that determines who needs to approve an item. You can create separate chains for different types of items, like quotes or expense claims.
- Navigate to Settings → Approvals.
- Click New Approval Chain.
- Enter a descriptive Name for the chain, like
High-Value Invoice Approvals. - Select the Type of item this chain applies to, such as Invoice or Quote.
- Click Save. You will now add steps to the chain.
Add approval steps and thresholds
Each step in a chain defines an approver and the conditions under which their approval is required. You can add multiple steps to create multi-level, threshold-based workflows.
- In your new chain, click Add Step.
- Under Approver, choose who needs to approve at this step. You can select a specific Staff member or a dynamic role like Manager of submitter.
- Under Condition, define when this step is triggered.
| Condition Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Always | This step is always required, regardless of the item's value. | A team lead must approve all expense claims from their direct reports. |
| When value is... | This step is only required if the item's value meets a certain threshold. | A director must approve any Quote where the Job Total is greater than 5000. |
You can add more steps to build a hierarchy. For example, a manager might approve everything up to $1,000, while a director must also approve anything over that amount.
💡 Tip: Using Manager of submitter creates a flexible workflow. You do not need to update the approval chain when staff members join or leave a team, as long as their manager is correctly set in their staff profile.
Check for errors and gaps
Before you activate a chain, you can check it for logical problems. Our analysis tool helps you catch issues that could block your approval process.
- Once your steps are configured, click Analyze Chain.
- AtomicSam checks for common errors like:
- Circular references: Where an item could be endlessly passed between two approvers.
- Value gaps: A rule might cover items under $500 and over $1,000, but have no rule for an item that is exactly $750.
- Unreachable steps: A condition that can never be met.
- If the analyzer finds problems, it will highlight them so you can correct your steps.
Delegate approvals for staff on leave
When an approver is out of the office, you can delegate their approvals to another staff member. This ensures that work does not stop while they are away.
- Navigate to Staff and select the staff member who will be absent.
- Go to the Out of Office tab.
- Enable the Set as out of office toggle.
- Enter the Start Date and End Date of their absence.
- In the Delegate Approvals to dropdown, select the staff member who will cover for them.
- Click Save. All approval requests for the original approver will be sent to the delegate during this period.
Good to know
- When an approver rejects an item, it is returned to the original submitter with a Rejected status and any comments from the approver. The submitter must then edit and resubmit the item for a new approval cycle.
- If an item does not meet the condition for a step, that step is automatically skipped.
- The Approval History panel on any quote, invoice, or expense provides a complete audit trail. It shows who approved or rejected an item, when they did it, and any comments they added.
⚠️ Heads up: If you edit an approval chain, the changes only apply to items submitted for approval *after* you save the change. Items already in the approval process will continue on the old version of the chain.