# Multi Approval
Multi Stage Approval is a staged sign-off on a business document before it posts. Instead of one person clicking Approve, a Sale Invoice, Purchase Order, or similar voucher moves through named stages (for example Sales Manager → Finance → Director). You can require the chain always, or only when a condition matches — such as customer outstanding over a limit, or Payment Mode = Bank.
How it works
Setup is under Settings → Multi Stage Approval:
| **Page** | **Path** |
|----------|----------|
| Approval Stage | **Settings → Multi Stage Approval → Approval Stage** — [documentation](settings/approval-stage.md) |
| Approval Template | **Settings → Multi Stage Approval → Approval Template** — [documentation](settings/approval-template.md) |
Your company plan must include Multi Level Approval. Contact support if templates never attach.
When a template applies, the one-click Approve button is replaced by a staged review.
- Create Approval Stages — who can approve, and whether any one, all, or a minimum number of them must act.
- Create an Approval Template — which employees can start the chain (Originators), which document types it covers, the stage order, and optional launch terms.
- An originator creates a document (for example a Sale Invoice) and fills Employee with their own record.
- On save, Freespace checks for a matching active template. If one matches, it is stored on the document. Direct Approve (and Save & Approve) is blocked — the message is Multi level approval is required.
- On the document view, the originator clicks Send Request on Stage 1, picks one or more approvers from that stage, and optionally adds notes or attachments.
- The document status becomes Multi Level Approval. Assigned approvers see Approve, Reject, and Send For Revise.
- When a stage is approved, the next stage can be requested immediately (Request Next Stage) or later with Send Request on that stage. Stages run in order — the previous stage must be Approved first.
- When the last stage is fully approved, the document is approved automatically (ledger, inventory, and close rules run as usual).
Save document
Template attaches if terms match
→
Send Request
Status = Multi Level Approval
→
Stage approvals
Approve, reject, or send back
→
Final approve
Last stage complete → Approved
Quick Start
1. Create stages
Go to Settings → Multi Stage Approval → Approval Stage. Add one stage per review step (for example Sales Manager, Finance, Director). See Approval Stage.
2. Create a template
Go to Settings → Multi Stage Approval → Approval Template. Name it, add originators, select document types, add stages in order, then choose Always launch or Based on terms. See Approval Template.
3. Create a matching document
Log in as an originator. Open the document type you selected (for example Sale Invoice), set Employee to that originator, and save.
4. Send the first request
Open the document. Use Send Request on Stage 1. Choose approvers from the stage list and confirm.
5. Approve through the chain
Each approver opens the same document, reviews the panel, and clicks Approve. On the last stage, the document becomes Approved.
Approval Stages
A stage is one review step. Reuse the same stage on more than one template.
| **Field** | **Description** |
|-----------|-----------------|
| Stage Name * | Label shown on the document panel (for example Sales Manager Approval). |
| Approval Rule * | ANY, ALL, or MINIMUM. |
| Minimum no. of approvals required | Shown only when the rule is MINIMUM. |
| Approvers * | Employees who can be selected when a request is sent for this stage. |
| Allow Document Editing on Revision | When checked, the original requestor can open Edit on the panel after Send For Revise. |
| Notes | Instructions for approvers. |
| Status | Active or Suspended. Suspended stages should not be used on new templates. |
Approval rules
| **Rule** | **When the stage is complete** |
|----------|--------------------------------|
| ANY | The first assigned approver who approves completes the stage. Other pending requests on that stage expire. |
| ALL | Every approver who was requested must approve. The panel shows Pending Approval By until the last one acts. |
| MINIMUM | The number in Minimum no. of approvals required must approve. The panel shows that count while the request is open. |
A Super User can Approve, Reject, or Send For Revise even when they are not in the stage's approver list.
Approval Templates
A template is the chain: who may start it, which documents it covers, the stage order, and when it launches.
| **Field** | **Description** |
|-----------|-----------------|
| Name * | Template name. |
| Description | Purpose and when to use it. |
| Originators * | Employees whose documents can pick up this template. Matching uses the document Employee field. |
| Select documents you will like to add * | One or more document types. |
| Stages | Ordered list of Approval Stages. Serial number is the sequence. |
| Launch Approval * | Always launch or Based on terms. |
| Terms | Shown only for Based on terms. Every term on the template must match. |
| Status | Active or Suspended. Only Active templates attach. |
Documents you can add
| **Group** | **Documents** |
|-----------|---------------|
| Sales | Sale Quotation, Sale Order, Sale Invoice, Pro Forma Invoice, Credit Note, Sale Debit Note |
| Purchase | Purchase Quotation, Purchase Order, Purchase Invoice, Debit Note |
| Accounts | Expense, Receipt Voucher, Payment Voucher |
| Other | Inventory Adjustment, Expense Claim, Production Voucher |
When a template applies
On save (and on update while the document is still a draft), Freespace looks for an Active template that:
- Includes this document type under Select documents you will like to add.
- Lists the document Employee as an Originator. If Employee is blank, no template attaches.
- Matches launch rules (below).
If more than one template matches, an Always launch template is chosen first. Only if none of those exist does a Based on terms template apply. Do not keep both kinds for the same originators and document type — Always launch will hide the terms-based one.
Launch Approval
| **Option** | **When it attaches** |
|------------|----------------------|
| Always launch | Every time that originator saves that document type. |
| Based on terms | Only when every term on the template matches the document. |
To treat two conditions as “either / or” (Bank or high customer balance), create two templates. Terms on a single template are always “and”.
Term fields
| **Field** | **Operations used** | **Value** | **Applies to** |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------|----------------|
| Total | Equal to, Greater than, Less than | Amount | Most documents use Total. Expense, Expense Claim, Receipt Voucher, and Payment Voucher use the voucher amount. |
| Payment mode | Matched to the selected mode | Cash, Bank, Cheque, PDC, Digital Wallet | Sale Invoice, Purchase Invoice, Receipt Voucher, Payment Voucher, Expense, Credit Note, Sale Debit Note, Debit Note |
| Customer Balance | Equal to, Greater than, Less than | Amount | Sale Invoice, Sale Order, Sale Quotation, Pro Forma Invoice — and only when Payment Mode is Credit |
| Customer Group | Equal to | A customer group | Sale Invoice, Sale Order, Sale Quotation, Credit Note, Sale Debit Note, Pro Forma Invoice |
| Customer | Equal to | A customer | Same sales documents as Customer Group |
| Variance Exceeded | Equal to | True or False | Used for Production Voucher when production variance requires approval |
Customer Balance is compared as:
invoice Total + customer's current closing balance
against the term value. Cash, Bank, and other non-credit invoices never match a Customer Balance term.
Payment mode in terms does not include Credit. Use Customer Balance, Total, Customer, or Customer Group for credit invoices.
Approval view & actions
When a template is assigned, the document view shows a stage panel under the bill. Each stage shows its name, current status, history, attachments, and the buttons the logged-in user is allowed to use.
Click the stage name to open the stage master in a dialog.
What each stage shows
| **Item** | **Description** |
|----------|-----------------|
| Stage name | From the Approval Stage. |
| Status | Not Requested, Approval Requested, Approved, Rejected, Cancelled Request, or Requested for Revision. |
| Request / Approval / Rejected / Cancelled / Send For Revision | One history block per action, with By, Time, and Note. |
| Next Action By | Approvers the request was sent to (joined with OR, AND, or commas depending on the approval rule). |
| Pending Approval By | Remaining approvers when the rule is ALL or MINIMUM and some have already approved. |
| Min no. of approvals required | Shown while a MINIMUM stage is waiting. |
| Paperclip | Add attachments to that log. Existing files can be downloaded or deleted. |
Buttons on the panel
These are the actions on the multi-stage approval view. They are separate from the document toolbar Approve button, which is hidden whenever a template is assigned.
| **Button** | **Who sees it** | **When it appears** | **What it does** |
|------------|-----------------|---------------------|------------------|
| Send Request | Employees listed as allowed requestors for that stage | Stage is Not Requested, Cancelled Request, or Requested for Revision, and the previous stage is already Approved (or this is Stage 1) | Opens Request Approval. After confirm, document status becomes Multi Level Approval and approvers are notified. |
| Approve | Assigned approvers, or a Super User | Stage is Approval Requested | Opens Approve Request. Completes the stage when the approval rule is met. On the last stage, the document is approved. |
| Reject | Assigned approvers, or a Super User | Stage is Approval Requested | Opens Reject Request. Document status becomes Multi Level Approval Rejected. |
| Cancel | The employee who sent that request | Stage is Approval Requested | Opens Cancel Request. Approvers are notified. On Stage 1, the document returns to Draft. On a later stage it stays Multi Level Approval so the requestor can send again. |
| Send For Revise | Assigned approvers, or a Super User | Stage is Approval Requested | Opens Send For Revisal. Stage becomes Requested for Revision. The original requestor can send the stage again. |
| Edit | The original requestor | Stage is Requested for Revision and the stage has Allow Document Editing on Revision | Opens the document edit form. |
Who can send each stage
| **Stage** | **Who can click Send Request** |
|-----------|--------------------------------|
| First stage | Template Originators (until a request exists). After a cancel or revise on Stage 1, only the person who sent that request. |
| Later stages | The employees who approved the previous stage. |
Approval dialogs
| **Dialog** | **Fields** | **Opened by** |
|------------|------------|---------------|
| Request Approval | Notes, Approver * (multi-select from the stage's approvers) | Send Request |
| Approve Request | Notes, Request Next Stage, Next Stage Approver | Approve |
| Reject Request | Notes | Reject |
| Send For Revisal | Notes | Send For Revise |
| Cancel Request | Notes | Cancel |
Request Next Stage appears on Approve only when another stage remains and the current stage can finish with this approval (ANY, or ALL/MINIMUM when this is the last required approval). Tick it and choose Next Stage Approver to send the next stage in the same step. If you leave it unchecked, someone who approved this stage later uses Send Request on the next stage.
Approvers must be mapped to a user login. If a selected employee has no user map, the request fails with Employee not mapped to user.
Statuses
Document status
| **Status** | **Meaning** |
|------------|-------------|
| Draft | Saved with a template attached, but Stage 1 has not been sent (or Stage 1 was cancelled). |
| Multi Level Approval | At least one stage has been requested. Also used after Send For Revise. |
| Multi Level Approval Rejected | An approver rejected the current stage. |
| Approved | The last stage is complete. Normal posting has run. |
Lists such as Sale Invoice include a Multi Level Approval quick filter for documents waiting in the chain.
Stage status on the panel
| **Status** | **Meaning** |
|------------|-------------|
| Not Requested | This stage has not been sent yet. |
| Approval Requested | Waiting for an assigned approver. |
| Approved | Stage is complete. |
| Rejected | An approver rejected. |
| Cancelled Request | The requestor cancelled while it was waiting. |
| Requested for Revision | An approver sent it back. |
Example — Sale Invoice with three stages
A typical credit-control chain: Sales Manager → Finance → Director. Every invoice from the sales team must go through all three stages before it posts.
1. Create stages
| **Stage Name** | **Approval Rule** | **Approvers** | **Allow Document Editing on Revision** |
|----------------|-------------------|---------------|----------------------------------------|
| Sales Manager Approval | ANY | Sales managers | Yes |
| Finance Approval | ALL | Finance executives | No |
| Director Approval | ANY | Directors | No |
2. Create the template
| **Field** | **Value** |
|-----------|-----------|
| Name | Sale Invoice — Standard |
| Originators | Sales executives (the people who create invoices) |
| Documents | Sale Invoice |
| Stages | 1 Sales Manager Approval → 2 Finance Approval → 3 Director Approval |
| Launch Approval | Always launch |
3. Run the flow
- A sales executive creates Sale Invoice SI-1042 (Credit, customer Acme, total 18,000) with Employee set to themselves, then saves. The template attaches. The toolbar Approve button is hidden.
- On the invoice view they click Send Request on Sales Manager Approval, select a manager, and add a note. Status becomes Multi Level Approval. The manager is notified.
- The manager opens SI-1042, reviews lines and customer balance, and clicks Approve. They tick Request Next Stage and select both finance executives (rule is ALL).
- Each finance executive clicks Approve. The panel shows Pending Approval By until the second one approves.
- The last finance approver ticks Request Next Stage and selects a director.
- The director clicks Approve. There is no further stage, so SI-1042 becomes Approved and posts.
If Finance finds a wrong rate, they click Send For Revise instead. The executive sees Requested for Revision, clicks Edit (allowed on the first stage), corrects the invoice, then Send Request again to the manager.
Example — Extra approval when customer balance is over a limit
You want executives to approve small credit invoices themselves. When the customer's outstanding plus this invoice exceeds 50,000, a credit-control stage is required.
1. Stages
| **Stage Name** | **Approval Rule** | **Approvers** |
|----------------|-------------------|---------------|
| Credit Control | ANY | Credit controller, Finance manager |
2. Template
| **Field** | **Value** |
|-----------|-----------|
| Name | Sale Invoice — High outstanding |
| Originators | Sales executives |
| Documents | Sale Invoice |
| Stages | 1 Credit Control |
| Launch Approval | Based on terms |
| **Sl Num** | **Field** | **Operation** | **Value** |
|------------|-----------|---------------|-----------|
| 1 | Customer Balance | Greater than | 50000 |
Do not also create an Always launch Sale Invoice template for the same originators, or this terms template will never attach.
3. What happens
Customer Acme already owes 42,000.
| **Invoice** | **Total** | **Balance used for the term** | **Template attaches?** |
|-------------|-----------|-------------------------------|------------------------|
| Credit SI-2001 | 5,000 | 42,000 + 5,000 = 47,000 | No — executive can use Approve |
| Credit SI-2002 | 12,000 | 42,000 + 12,000 = 54,000 | Yes — executive must Send Request to Credit Control |
| Bank SI-2003 | 80,000 | Not evaluated (not Credit) | No — Customer Balance terms apply only to Credit |
After Credit Control approves SI-2002, the invoice is approved and posted.
You can add a second term on the same template if both must be true — for example Customer Balance Greater than 50000 and Customer Group Equal to Wholesale.
Example — Executives cannot approve Bank invoices
Bank collections need a supervisor to confirm the account and reference. Cash invoices can still be approved by the executive.
1. Stages
| **Stage Name** | **Approval Rule** | **Approvers** |
|----------------|-------------------|---------------|
| Manager Bank Review | ANY | Branch managers |
2. Template
| **Field** | **Value** |
|-----------|-----------|
| Name | Sale Invoice — Bank |
| Originators | Sales executives |
| Documents | Sale Invoice |
| Stages | 1 Manager Bank Review |
| Launch Approval | Based on terms |
| **Sl Num** | **Field** | **Operation** | **Value** |
|------------|-----------|---------------|-----------|
| 1 | Payment mode | Equal to | Bank |
3. What happens
| **Invoice** | **Payment Mode** | **Template attaches?** | **How it is approved** |
|-------------|------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
| SI-3101 | Cash | No | Executive uses toolbar Approve |
| SI-3102 | Bank | Yes | Executive uses Send Request → manager Approve → invoice Approved |
| SI-3103 | Credit | No | Payment mode terms do not include Credit. Use a Customer Balance or Always launch template if credit also needs review. |
The same pattern works on Payment Voucher, Receipt Voucher, Expense, Purchase Invoice, Credit Note, Sale Debit Note, and Debit Note.
To require both a Bank payment and a high total, add a Total term on the same template. To require Bank or high customer balance, use two templates.
Best Practices
- Put originators and approvers on different lists. An originator who is also the only approver can send and approve their own document.
- Keep one Always launch template or several terms-based templates per document type and originator group — not both.
- Use short stage names that match job titles so the panel is easy to read.
- Turn on Allow Document Editing on Revision on the first stage if approvers often send invoices back for rate or quantity changes.
- Ensure every approver has a user login mapped to their employee. Otherwise notifications and requests fail.
- Set Employee on every sale document that should enter a chain. A blank Employee skips template matching.
- Use Approval Requests Report to watch pending, rejected, and cancelled requests across modules.
Compared with WorkFlow Request
After you understand document sign-off, note that WorkFlow Request is a different feature. Use it to run a company process around a document (purchase, site visit, stock in, delivery, invoice). Completing that process does not approve or post the origin document.
| | Multi Stage Approval (this page) | WorkFlow Request |
|--|----------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| Purpose | Sign off the document before it posts | Coordinate later work steps around a document |
| Setup | Settings → Multi Stage Approval | HRMS → Settings → WorkFlow Approval Stage / Template |
| How it starts | Template attaches when the document is saved | Created from the document more menu, or from HRMS → Workflow Request |
| Effect on the document | Last stage complete → document becomes Approved | Origin document status does not change |
| Stage buttons | Send Request, Approve, Reject, Cancel, Send For Revise, Edit | Same, plus optional Create Delivery Note / Create Sale Invoice (and similar) |
Do not configure a WorkFlow Request when you need the invoice itself held until managers sign it. Do not configure Multi Stage Approval when you only need a delivery or purchase process after the order already exists.
FAQ
Why is Approve hidden on my Sale Invoice?
A matching approval template is assigned. Use Send Request on the first stage. Direct approve is blocked until the last stage is complete.
Why did no template attach?
Confirm the template is Active, the document type is selected, Employee on the document is an Originator, and the company plan includes Multi Level Approval. For terms-based templates every term must match. Customer Balance only matches Credit invoices.
Can I skip a stage?
No. Stages run in serial order. A Super User can act as an approver on the current stage, but they cannot jump over a stage that has not been requested.
What if two templates match?
Always launch is chosen over Based on terms. If two Always launch templates both match, one of them is used. Keep a single Always launch template per originator group and document type.
Does Reject let the executive edit and send again?
Reject sets the document status to Multi Level Approval Rejected. Use Send For Revise to return the stage to the requestor for another Send Request (and Edit when the stage allows it).
Who is notified?
Approvers are notified when a request is sent or cancelled. The requestor is notified when someone approves, rejects, or sends for revision.
Is this the same as WorkFlow Request?
No. This feature signs off the document itself. A WorkFlow Request is a separate process you start from a transaction (or from HRMS) to coordinate later steps such as purchase, delivery, or invoicing. Completing that process does not approve the origin document. See WorkFlow Request.
Where do I see all pending document approvals?
Use the Multi Level Approval quick filter on the document list (Sale Invoice, Purchase Order, and others). HRMS → Reports → Approval Requests also lists pending requests across modules.