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Update Report-Approvals with FAQ about admins unable to delete employee expenses #60665

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188 changes: 111 additions & 77 deletions docs/articles/expensify-classic/reports/Report-Approvals.md
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---
title: Report Approvals
description: Learn how to set up and enforce expense report approval workflows in Expensify, including multi-level approvals and over-limit expense reviews.
keywords: [Expensify Classic, report approvals, approval workflow, approver]
description: Learn how to set up and manage report approval workflows in Expensify, including approval modes, over-limit rules, and automated audits.
keywords: [report approval, approval workflow, over-limit expenses, advanced approval, concierge audit, receipt audit, expense rules, category approver, tag approver, enforce workflow]
---

Expensify allows Workspace Admins to create automated workflows for expense report approvals. You can choose from three approval modes:
- **Submit and Close**: Automatically approves reports unless they contain violations.
- **Submit and Approve**: Sends reports to a single designated approver.
- **Advanced Approval**: Enables multi-level approvals for complex workflows.
Report approvals in Expensify allow Workspace Admins to create automated workflows that streamline expense review and approval. This article explains the available approval modes, how to configure them, and how to manage additional controls like over-limit rules and random audits.

# Report approval modes

Choose from three types of approval workflows based on your workspace needs:

- **Submit and Close**: Reports are auto-approved unless they contain violations.
- **Submit and Approve**: Reports are sent to a single designated approver.
- **Advanced Approval**: Enables multi-level, conditional approval chains.

---

# Set an Approval Workflow
# How to set an approval workflow

To configure your workspace’s approval mode:

1. Navigate to **Settings** > **Workspaces**.
2. Select the desired workspace.
1. Go to `Settings > Workspaces`.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Click the **Members** tab.
4. Scroll to the **Approval Mode** section.
5. Choose an approval mode:
- **Submit and Close**: Reports are auto-approved unless they have violations.
- **Submit and Approve**: Reports go to a single approver.
- **Advanced Approval**: Allows multiple approvers and conditional rules.
4. Scroll to the **Approval mode** section.
5. Choose one of the following:
- **Submit and Close**: Auto-approves all reports unless they have violations.
- **Submit and Approve**: Sends reports to a single designated approver.
- **Advanced Approval**: Allows multiple approvers and conditional workflows.

**Note:** You can also set rules for specific **categories** and **tags** to fine-tune your workflow.

---

You can also set approval rules for specific **categories** and **tags** to enhance your workflow.
# Enforce workflow rules

## Enforce Workflow
To prevent employees from overriding approval rules, enable **workflow enforcement** in the **Members** tab. Admins can still manually override workflows when needed.
To prevent employees from bypassing assigned approval paths:

1. Go to `Settings > Workspaces`.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Click the **Members** tab.
4. Enable **Enforce workflow**.

Admins will still be able to manually override workflows if needed.

---

# Require Review for Over-Limit Expenses
# Manually review over-limit expenses

You can enforce manual review for expenses that exceed a specific limit.
You can require manual review for expenses that exceed a specific dollar amount.

## Set a Manual Approval Rule
1. Go to **Settings** > **Workspaces**.
2. Select the workspace.
## Set a manual approval rule

1. Go to `Settings > Workspaces`.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Click **Members**.
4. Scroll to **Expense Approvals**.
5. Enter a limit in **Manually approve all expenses over:**
4. Scroll to **Expense approvals**.
5. Under **Manually approve all expenses over**, enter your desired limit.

## Assign an Over-Limit Approver
For Advanced Approval workspaces, you can assign a secondary approver for large expenses.
## Assign an over-limit approver (Advanced Approval only)

1. Go to **Settings** > **Workspaces**.
2. Select the workspace.
1. Go to `Settings > Workspaces`.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Click **Members**.
4. Click **Settings** next to the member.
5. In **If report total is over**, enter the limit.
6. In **Then approves to**, select the secondary approver.
4. Click **Settings** next to a member’s name.
5. Enter a limit in **If report total is over**.
6. Under **Then approves to**, select the secondary approver.
7. Click **Save**.

---

# Assign Tag and Category Approvers
# Route reports using category and tag approvers

Approvers can be assigned to specific categories and tags to route expenses accordingly.

Approvers can be assigned to specific **categories** or **tags** to route expenses accordingly.
## Assign a category approver

## Assign a Category Approver
1. Go to **Settings** > **Workspaces**.
2. Select the workspace.
1. Go to `Settings > Workspaces`.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Click **Categories**.
4. Locate the category and click **Edit**.
5. Assign an approver.
6. Click **Save**.
5. Assign an approver and click **Save**.

## Assign a Tag Approver
_Tag approvers are supported only for single-level tags._
## Assign a tag approver

1. Go to **Settings** > **Workspaces**.
2. Select the workspace.
*Only supported for single-level tags.*

1. Go to `Settings > Workspaces`.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Click **Tags**.
4. Locate the tag and assign an approver.

---

# Understanding Complex Approval Workflows
# Understanding complex workflows

## Lifecycle of an expense report

## Lifecycle of an Expense Report
1. **Submission**: Reports can be submitted manually or via [Scheduled Submit](https://help.expensify.com/articles/expensify-classic/reports/Automatically-submit-employee-reports).
2. **Category & Tag Approvers**: If assigned, reports first go to these approvers.
3. **Approval Mode**: Reports proceed according to the selected workflow:
1. **Submission**: Reports are submitted manually or via Scheduled Submit.
2. **Category/Tag Approvers** (if assigned): Reports are routed here first.
3. **Approval mode**: Reports follow the selected workflow:
- **Submit & Close**: Auto-closes after submission.
- **Submit & Approve**: Goes to a single approver.
- **Advanced Approval**: Travels through a chain of assigned approvers.
4. **Concierge Approval**: If [manual approval](https://help.expensify.com/articles/expensify-classic/reports/Require-review-for-over-limit-expenses) is required, Concierge will approve reports under the limit.
5. **Final Approval & Export**: Once approved, reports can be exported to an [accounting system](https://help.expensify.com/expensify-classic/hubs/connections/).
- **Submit & Approve**: Sent to a single approver.
- **Advanced Approval**: Routed through multi-level approvers.
4. **Concierge Approval**: For workspaces with manual review enabled, Concierge approves reports under the limit.
5. **Final approval & export**: Once approved, reports can be exported to your accounting system.

---

# Example workflows

### Submit & Close

Terry and Dana co-run a business and don’t need formal approvals. Their workspace uses Submit & Close, so all reports are auto-approved.

## Approval Workflow Examples
### Submit & Approve with Category Approvers

- **Submit & Close**: Terry and Dana co-run a business and don’t need approval workflows. They set their workspace to **Submit & Close**, so reports are auto-approved.
Pat manages accounting. Reports are submitted to Pat, but Dale must review all Plant and equipment purchases. These go to Dale first, then to Pat.

- **Submit & Approve with Category Approvers**: Pat handles accounting for an engineering firm. Everyone submits reports to Pat, but Dale must approve all Plant and equipment purchases. Dale reviews these expenses before Pat gives final approval.
### Advanced Approval with Over-Limit Approvers

- **Advanced Approval with Over-Limit Approvers**: Amal submits a report with a $1,200 flight and $950 in accommodations. Jamie, their manager, can approve reports up to $2,000. Since the total exceeds the limit, the report escalates to Lee, who provides final approval before it goes to finance.
Amal submits a report with a $1,200 flight and $950 in accommodations. Jamie (manager) can approve up to $2,000. Since the total exceeds the limit, the report is routed to Lee for final approval before it reaches Finance.

---

# Automate Receipt Audits
# Automate receipt audits

**Concierge Receipt Audit** automatically verifies receipts and flags discrepancies.
**Concierge Receipt Audit** automatically reviews receipts to flag discrepancies.

- Available on all **Control** plan workspaces.
- Cannot be disabled.
- SmartScan verifies receipt details against entered data.
- Flagged expenses require manual review.
- Available on all **Control** plan workspaces
- **Cannot be disabled**
- Uses **SmartScan** to match receipts with entered data
- Expenses flagged for mismatches require manual review

---

# Set a Random Report Audit Schedule
# Set a random audit schedule

While Expensify automatically flags reports that contain inaccurate or non-compliant expenses for review, you can set a percentage of compliant reports to be audited at random.
You can choose to randomly audit a percentage of otherwise compliant reports.

1. Go to **Settings** > **Workspaces**.
2. Select the workspace.
1. Go to `Settings > Workspaces`.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Click **Members**.
4. Scroll to **Expense Approvals**.
4. Scroll to **Expense approvals**.
5. In **Randomly route reports for manual approval**, enter a percentage (default: 5%).
6. Click **Save**.

Expand All @@ -124,18 +151,25 @@ While Expensify automatically flags reports that contain inaccurate or non-compl
# FAQ

## Can I disable Concierge Receipt Audit?
No, this feature is automatically included in Control plan workspaces.

No. Concierge Receipt Audit is automatically enabled for all Control plan workspaces and cannot be turned off.

## Who can access the Reconciliation tab?
Only **Domain Admins** have access.

Only Domain Admins have access to the Reconciliation tab.

## What if company card expenses are missing?
1. Use the **Reconciliation tool** to locate missing expenses.
2. Click **Update** next to the card to pull missing transactions.
3. If expenses are still missing, contact Concierge with:
- Merchant name
- Date
- Amount
- Last four digits of the card number

**Note:** Only posted transactions will be imported.

Use the **Reconciliation tool** to find missing expenses:
- Click **Update** next to the card to pull missing transactions.
- If expenses are still missing, contact Concierge with the following:
- Merchant name
- Date
- Amount
- Last four digits of the card number

**Note:** Only **posted transactions** will be imported.

## Can admins delete expenses on behalf of members?

No, admins cannot delete expenses for other members. Each member is responsible for managing their own expenses.