# How to set up purchase invoice approval in Business Central

In Business Central, set up approval workflow: choose who can approve and their limits, then test it with a real purchase invoice before you rely on it.

Bill approval means a bill is checked and signed off by the right person before it is paid. A setup says who approves what.

## Before you start

- Approval user setup
- Workflow permissions

## The Business Central way

Where to find it: Approval User Setup and Workflows

1. Open Approval User Setup and give each user an Approver ID and a purchase amount limit.
2. Open Workflows and choose New Workflow from Template.
3. Pick the purchase invoice approval template (codes start with MS-). Copy it and edit the steps.
4. Enable the workflow.
5. Users then choose Send Approval Request on the invoice.

## Limits in Business Central

- Notifications go through the job queue.

## Good to know in Business Central

- The invoice shows Pending Approval and is locked until released.
- Approvers and substitutes can get notes or emails.

## The Pulsify way

1. Connect Business Central to Pulsify. We set up the connection for you where needed.
2. Open Approvals. Every company starts with a default rule: any Admin or Approver can approve.
3. Add steps for amounts, suppliers or accounts. Choose a person, a role or a team as approver at each step.
4. Add a review step if someone should check coding before approval.
5. Use Try an invoice to test the rule on a real bill.
6. Add auto-approve rules for small or trusted bills if you want.

Pulsify connects to Business Central. We set up the connection for you.

What Pulsify does not do here:

- Pulsify does not reassign an approval to someone else.
- Pulsify does not send approval reminders.

## Common mistakes

- Building the workflow and not enabling it.
- Expecting instant emails. Notifications go through the job queue.

## Common questions

### How do I set approval limits?

Open Approval User Setup and give each user an Approver ID and a purchase amount limit.

### Which template do I use?

On Workflows choose New Workflow from Template and pick the purchase invoice approval template (codes start with MS-). Copy it, edit the steps and enable it.

### What does the invoice show while it waits?

It shows Pending Approval and is locked until released.

### Does Pulsify support multi-step approvals?

Yes. You can set steps by amount, supplier or account. Approvers can be people, roles or teams. A review step is available.

## Sources

- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/across-how-use-approval-workflows
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/across-how-to-set-up-approval-users
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/across-how-to-create-workflows-from-workflow-templates
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/walkthrough-setting-up-and-using-a-purchase-approval-workflow

### Also confirmed by

- Microsoft Certified Trainer guide, 2026: https://d365training.com/blog/how-approval-workflows-work-in-business-central/

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/set-up-bill-approval-in-business-central/ (last checked 2026-10-19)