# What is a purchase approval workflow?

> A purchase approval workflow is the set of steps a purchase request goes through before money is spent. Definition and a worked example.

Updated 2026-11-06. Source: https://atta.sh/glossary/purchase-approval-workflow

A purchase approval workflow is the defined route a purchase request takes from submission to a yes or no. It states who approves, in what order, at which amounts, and what happens next, such as placing the order or notifying the requester.

## Example

Tomas requests a $3,400 label printer. The workflow:

- Submitted: the amount is $3,400, so the rules require his team lead and the finance manager.
- The lead approves within a day.
- The finance manager checks the budget, which has $5,000 left, and approves.
- The request becomes an order. The budget now shows $3,400 committed.
- If anyone rejects it, the requester is told why and nothing is spent.

## In Atta

The workflow is a status table plus the approval chain. Who may move a request to each status is enforced on the server: an answer, the checkout capability, or the requester with an admin's override. Hiding a button in the UI is courtesy only.

The agent's approvals happen in the conversation. Buttons in a chat send messages or answer the paused run and never call a Server Action, so the transcript is the record. Slack and WhatsApp request buttons call the page's own answer function. Approvers are notified through the inbox, and by email according to each person's settings. See [purchase approvals](https://atta.sh/purchase-approvals).

## Designing one

Write down, per amount band, who answers and what happens if they reject. Then test it with a recent purchase. If it takes longer than the purchase was worth to approve, the workflow is too heavy for that band.

## Questions

### What if an approver is away?

Any person who satisfies the step can answer it, so a rule can name a role rather than one person. Until someone answers, the request waits.