Create an auto-approval rule

Auto-approval rules let invoices matching defined conditions skip processing steps automatically. Use them for predictable recurring spend where manual review adds no value.

What does an auto-approval rule do?

Each rule has a WHEN clause (conditions that must match) and a THEN clause (which steps to skip). When an incoming invoice satisfies all the conditions in the rule, Nordflow automatically skips the configured steps and moves the document forward. Auto-approved documents are fully logged in the activity history — auto-approval is not silent.

Where: Approval flow → Auto approval

1. In the left sidebar, click Approval flow, then click Auto approval.

2. Click Create new rule in the top-right corner.

3. Enter a descriptive Rule name.

4. In the WHEN section, choose a match mode:

   Mode	Meaning
   All of these conditions	Every condition must match (AND logic)
   Any of these conditions	At least one condition must match (OR logic)

5. Add one or more conditions. For each condition, select a field, an operator, and a value:

   Field examples	Operator examples
   Supplier	is one of
   Total amount	is less than / is greater than
   Document date	equals
   Document type	is one of
   Department	is one of
   Project	is one of
   Keyword	contains
   Submitter	is one of

6. In the THEN section, choose what to skip:

   Option	What happens
   Skip bookkeeper	Document goes straight to the first-approver group; the rest of the flow runs as normal
   Skip entire flow	Document skips the bookkeeper and every approval step; posted directly to your accounting system

7. Click Save.

Example

To auto-approve small invoices from a trusted office-supplies supplier: set WHEN Supplier is one of [your supplier] AND Total amount is less than 5 000.00, THEN Skip entire flow. Invoices from that supplier under the threshold go straight to posting with no manual steps.

Caution

Skip entire flow bypasses every human check. Use it only for suppliers and amounts you are fully confident in. For high-value or infrequent invoices, consider Skip bookkeeper instead so the approver still sees the document.

How this works in the background

Nordflow evaluates auto-approval rules when a document arrives in the system. If a matching rule is found, the configured steps are skipped and the action is recorded in the document’s activity log as “Auto-approved by rule [Rule name]”. The document then appears in the Archive just like any manually approved document. You can review which rules fired on which documents through the activity history.

Related: Use amount-range conditions in an auto-approval rule · Disable or delete an auto-approval rule · How auto-approval works