> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useglimps.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How approvals work

> Who has to approve an invoice, how Glimps decides that, and where you watch it.

An approval answers one question: does somebody with authority agree that this money should go out? Glimps routes the invoice to that person and waits.

## The three pieces

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Flows" icon="list-ordered">
    An ordered set of steps. Each step names a person or a group.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Groups" icon="users">
    A pool of approvers. Any member can approve the step.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rules" icon="filter">
    They decide which flow an invoice gets, based on ledger account, supplier, or amount.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Set all three up under **Settings > Approvals**. See [Flows, groups, and rules](/approvals/flows-and-rules).

## What happens to an invoice

<Steps>
  <Step title="A rule picks the flow">
    Rules are applied in priority order, lowest number first. The first rule that fits decides the flow.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The first step is assigned">
    The approver gets a mail, at the rhythm they chose in their profile.
  </Step>

  <Step title="They decide">
    Approve, or decline with a comment. They can also ask a colleague a question first, without leaving the invoice.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The next step, or the booking">
    An approved step hands over to the next one. After the last step, the payment block in Exact is lifted, or, if your company books after approval, Glimps books the invoice now.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Booking first, or after approval

By default Glimps books an invoice with an approver right away, with a payment block, and lifts the block after the last approval. You can also have it wait: the invoice stays in Glimps and is booked after the last approval, so a decline or a change never needs a correction in Exact. See [Booking before or after approval](/approvals/book-after-approval).

## Assigning by hand

Not everything fits a rule. On an invoice you can assign an approval yourself: pick a flow, or name the approvers in the order you want them.

## Watching it

Open **Authorizations** in the sidebar. Three tabs:

| Tab | What it holds |
| - | - |
| Active | Everything waiting, with the step it is on and how long it has waited |
| Rejected | Declined invoices, until you mark them as handled |
| Archive | Completed approvals with their full history |

The summary cards show how many are waiting, what they are worth together, and the average waiting time. An approval that has waited eleven days is a process problem, not a people problem.

Every invoice in the overview has **Ask a question**. Use it to ask a colleague about the invoice without leaving the list. See [Questions](/invoices/questions).

## Changing the route

An open approval can move to a different person, a group, or another flow. Use **Reassign** on the invoice. See [Reassigning](/approvals/rejections#reassigning).

## Approving from a mail

An approver does not have to sign in to Glimps. The mail carries the invoice and the buttons. The decision lands in Glimps with the same audit trail as a decision taken in the app.

An approver who puts the invoice on hold from the mail can approve or decline it later from that same mail.

<Note>
  A button in the mail opens a short confirmation page in Glimps. Nothing changes until the approver presses the button there. The link is personal and works for 3 days.
</Note>

## Working without approvals

Some companies do not approve invoices in advance. That is a setting, not a workaround. See [Working without approvals](/approvals/without-approval).


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