Approval Setup
Approval Setup defines which transactions need sign-off and who signs them. You pick a transaction type, assign users to approval levels, and the chain applies from that point on — this is the whole configuration of the Approval add-on.
Where to find it
Go to Setup > Security Settings > Approval Setup.
Select Transaction Type
- Open the Approval Setup page.
- Select the transaction type — Sales Order, Expense, Work Order and so on.
The full list of supported types is on the Approval page.
Define Approval Levels
Each type has five level columns. You assign a designation group to each one — not an individual, and not a security role. Everybody in that group holds that level.
| Column | What that level does |
|---|---|
| Top — First | Finalises the transaction. Only this level can, and only once every level below it has approved. |
| Second to Fifth — Lowest | Approve or reject on the way up. |
The selector is labelled Select a Role, but what it lists is designation groups — the group on the employee's record, not the security role from Roles and Permissions. If a person is not picking up their approval level, their designation group is the first thing to check.
Which way the chain runs
Approval climbs. A document is raised at the lowest filled level and moves up one level at a time, ending at Top.
So a three-level chain with Top, Second and Third filled works like this: the Third-level group raises the document, Second approves it, and Top finalises it. Each approval notifies only the next level up — nobody above is told about a document that has not reached them yet.
Two rules the form enforces
| Rule | What you will see |
|---|---|
| Fill the levels top-down | Second is locked until Top is set, Third until Second is set, and so on. You cannot leave a gap in the middle of a chain. |
| Every group must be different | Using the same designation group twice is refused — the same people cannot approve their own approval at two levels. |
Set the top level before anything else. A chain with no top-level approver has no one who can finalise, so transactions accumulate in Pending with nothing able to release them.
A worked setup
Purchase orders are raised by buyers, checked by the purchasing manager and signed off by finance. That is three levels:
| Column | Set to | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Top — First | Finance Head | Finalises the order. |
| Second | Purchase Manager | Approves before it reaches finance. |
| Third | Purchase Buyer | Raises the order. |
| Fourth, Fifth | left empty | Not used. |
Worked examples follows three real purchase orders through exactly this chain — one approved, one rejected, and one that bypassed approval entirely.
Who the chain applies to
A chain attaches to the designation group of the person raising the document. Somebody whose group appears nowhere in the five levels has no level to start at, so no approval is created and their document proceeds normally.
This is not an override — there is simply nothing to attach to. If a document type must always be approved, every designation group that can raise one has to appear somewhere in its chain. Test it with one document before relying on it.
Configure Approval Options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Select a Role | The designation group that holds this level. Everybody in the group holds it. |
| Inactive | Temporarily disables the rule without deleting it. |
| Edit | Change an existing rule. |
| Delete | Remove a rule no longer needed. |
| Super Admin | The override role. |
Designing a chain that works
- Keep it short. Every level is a delay, and a five-level chain on a routine purchase order becomes something people work around.
- Levels are groups, not people, so approvals do not stop when one person is on leave — as long as the group has more than one member in it.
- Check the raising groups are covered, or documents will quietly bypass the chain.
- Use Inactive rather than delete while testing — it is reversible.
Related pages
- Approval — how the process works
- Approval Inquiry — approving transactions
- Worked examples — three orders followed end to end
- Designation Group — what levels are assigned to
- User Roles — the roles being assigned