Set up automated approval workflows to verify your business purchases and sales. Approval flows help ensure every transaction is checked based on your custom rules, reducing errors and streamlining your processes.
Who Can Manage Approval Workflows?
Practice Admins
Can create and edit approval workflows at both the client and practice level.
Have full access by default.
Client Admins & Standard Users
Can access client approval workflows for any client they already have access to.
To create or edit approval workflows at the practice level, they must enable “Manage the practice’s business” under their user settings. This is turned off by default.
Granting Practice Users Approval Permissions in Client Workflows
To allow practice users to be selected as approvers in client workflows:
Go to Clients > Manage > Practice Access
Enable the Approval permissions toggle next to the relevant user
Alternatively:
Go to Team > Manage > Client Access
Enable the Approval permissions toggle next to the client
Note: If you don’t see “Client Access”, that user is likely a Practice Admin. Admins already have access to all clients by default. In that case, enable approval permissions from the Clients page.
Only practice users who already have access to a client can be added as approvers in that client’s workflows.
Business Admins & User Admins
Can fully manage approval workflows.
Standard Users
Cannot create or edit workflows.
Can be set as approvers.
Can view documents sent to them during the approval process - even if they don’t have permission to View all documents. Once approved, the document will no longer be visible to them.
Creating an Approval Workflow
You must have an Admin role in Dext to set up approval workflows.
To create a new approval workflow:
Go to Business Settings > Approvals
2. Choose either the Costs or Sales tab, then click Create workflow
3. Name your workflow and set criteria like item type, document type, category,
supplier, or projects 1 and 2
All criteria are selected by default until you narrow them down.
Use Clear selection to reselect all.
4. Add approval stages:
Set approvers, approval types, and conditions.
Choose whether approvers can edit documents.
5. Choose whether to enable the workflow after saving and whether to auto-
publish items upon final approval
6. Click Save to complete setup
Workflow Tips
You can have up to 5 approval stages
At each stage, you can assign a manager or multiple users as approvers. Once one person approves, the others are no longer required to take action
Both admin and standard users can be approvers - approval permissions don’t depend on the user's role
If you select Manager as the approver type, the request will go to the submitter’s assigned manager. If no manager is set, the approval can’t be requested. Admins must assign managers via Users > Manage > Edit user details
Enable Allow self-approval if users should be able to approve their own items
Practice users can be added to the clients’ approval workflows as approvers if they have approval permissions for that client. Even if not set as approvers, all types of Practice users can still approve or reject items by default
Workflows are linear - each one defines a single approval route
You can create up to 50 workflows across all categories (Costs, Sales, and Expense Claims)
Workflow Priority: How Rules Are Applied
When multiple approval workflows apply to a document, the one with more specific rule criteria takes priority.
Example:
Workflow A: Applies to all cost items, across all suppliers – Approver is Bob.
Workflow B: Applies only to Flora’s Florist and Karl’s Koffee – Approver is Anita.
If a document is from Flora’s Florist, Workflow B will apply because it is more specific.
Only one workflow applies to a document at any given time.
Tip: Create a “catch all” workflow to cover any documents that don’t match other workflow criteria. This can help handle new suppliers, categories, or projects automatically.
Editing or Deleting Approval Workflows
To edit an approval workflow:
Go to the Approvals settings page
Click on the workflow you want to edit
3. Update criteria, stages, or toggle settings like auto-publish, self-approval, or
workflow activation
4. Click Save
To delete an approval workflow:
Go to the Approvals settings page
Open the workflow you want to delete
Click Delete workflow
4. Confirm the deletion
Tip: If you want to temporarily stop a workflow, consider switching it off instead of deleting it.
What happens when a workflow is deleted?
Any items currently in the approval flow will return to the Inbox
Previously approved items are not affected
Reviewing Items for Approval
To review and take action on items:
Open the Approvals tab in the Costs Inbox
Approve directly from the list or click into the item to review it
To reject an item, click Reject - it will return to the submitter’s inbox
Admins can:
View and act on others' items (Approve/Reject/Edit, if allowed in workflow)
Standard users can:
Approve documents assigned to them
Lose access after approval
See only their items (if Access all documents isn’t enabled)
Once approved, item details can’t be edited.
Managing Notifications
To manage approval email notifications:
Click your Profile icon in the top right
Select User Settings
Scroll to the Approval email notifications section
Adjust your preferences
Setting Approval Reminders
To send automatic email reminders for pending approvals:
Go to Business Settings > Approvals > Reminders
Set the Enable approval reminders toggle to Yes
Choose your preferred day and time for reminders to send
Only Admin users can configure these reminders.
FAQ
Can standard users approve documents?
Yes, standard users can be assigned as approvers. They can approve items sent to them, but won’t be able to edit or view them after approval unless they have the Access all documents permission.
What happens if no manager is assigned when using the Manager approval type?
The approval request won’t be sent. An Admin must assign a manager to the user under Users > Manage > Edit user details for the workflow to function.
Can practice users be added as approvers to the clients’ Approval workflows?
Yes, as long as they have access to the client and approval permissions are enabled for that client. Still, Practice users with access to the client can approve items, even if they are not set as approvers.
Is it possible to pause an approval workflow?
Yes, you can switch a workflow off without deleting it. This allows you to pause it and turn it back on later.
What’s the maximum number of workflows I can create?
You can create up to 50 workflows across all categories - Costs, Sales, and Expense Claims.