Guide for Approvers
As an Approver in Clerked, your job is to review invoices routed to you and either approve or reject them. Invoices cannot move forward to ERP sync until you approve, so quick turnaround matters.
What you can do with Clerked
Everything you need to make a decision is in one place: the original document, extracted data, GL coding, and any flagged issues. Approving an invoice takes seconds.
- Review and approve from anywhere. Clerked runs in any modern browser, including mobile.
- See everything in one view. The original document, the extracted data, and GL coding sit side by side.
- Approve or reject with a single click. Add a reason when rejecting so the AP team knows what to fix.
- Delegate when you are away. Set up a delegate so invoices keep moving while you are out.
- Reject a misassigned or incorrect invoice with a clear reason so the AP team can correct its routing.
Restricted approver mode
If your company enables restricted approver mode and your effective permissions are approval-scoped, Clerked shows a focused workspace for assigned approval work. The rule uses permissions, not only the role name.
If you also hold another role, you see the full app and the approval queue is one of many sections.
Your responsibilities
- Review invoices in your queue to confirm they are accurate and properly coded.
- Approve invoices that are correct and ready to move forward.
- Reject invoices with a clear reason when something is wrong, so clerks can fix and resubmit.
- Delegate when you will be unavailable.
Your role in Clerked
Approvers have the Approver company role.
| Permission | Access |
|---|---|
| View assigned invoices | Yes |
| Approve or reject invoices | Yes |
| Edit, validate, hold, resume, or cancel assigned invoices | Yes |
| Upload invoices | No |
| Delete or reroute invoices | No |
| Manage vendors or policies | No |
| Manage users or settings | No |
For the full breakdown, see User Roles.
Key features you use
- Approving and Rejecting. Review, approve, or reject invoices from your queue.
- How Approvals Work. Understand how invoices reach you.
- Delegating Approvals. Assign a delegate so invoices keep moving while you are away.
- Invoice Reviewing. View extracted data alongside the original document.
- Restricted approver mode. The focused approver-only view.
Daily workflow
- Select Tasks in the left navigation.
- Select the Invoices task tab when it appears.
- Open each invoice and compare the original document with the configured fields, line items, and notices.
- Approve or reject the invoice. If something is wrong, enter a clear rejection reason.
- Check delegated items, which appear in your queue alongside your own when a delegation is active.
Common tasks
Review and approve an invoice
Open the invoice from your queue. Confirm vendor, amounts, line items, and GL coding against the original document if needed. If everything is right, click Approve. See Approving and Rejecting.
Reject with a reason
If the invoice has issues (wrong amount, wrong coding, missing information), click Reject and enter a reason. The reason is visible to the AP team so they can fix the right thing on the first try. See Approving and Rejecting.
Delegate before vacation
Before you leave, go to Delegating Approvals and assign a delegate with start and end dates. Invoices route to the delegate during that window.
View your approval history
The activity log on every invoice records who approved or rejected, with timestamps and reasons. You can also filter the invoices list by your own past actions to see your history.
Tips
- Review promptly. Invoices waiting on approval block the AP process. Quick turnaround keeps things moving.
- Write clear rejection reasons. Specifics let the clerk fix the right thing the first time.
- Set up delegation a day before you leave. Last-minute delegation sometimes catches invoices that have already routed.
- Compare against the original document when in doubt. The reviewing view shows extraction next to the source PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know I have pending approvals?
Open Tasks and select the Invoices task tab when it appears. You also receive approval notifications based on your notification settings.
Can I approve from my phone?
Clerked runs in any modern mobile browser. The desktop experience is better for detailed reviews, but quick approvals work on a phone.
What happens after I reject?
The invoice goes back to the AP team for correction. Your reason is shown on the invoice. Once corrected, the invoice goes through approvals again and may route back to you.
Can I reroute an invoice to someone else?
Not with the built-in Approver role. Reject it with a clear reason or ask an AP Specialist, Controller, or Administrator to apply a routing override.