Odoo Approvals Module: Workflow Setup Guide

What Is Odoo Approvals?

Odoo Approvals is a flexible request management module that lets you create custom approval workflows for any business process. From purchase requests to travel authorizations, the module provides a structured way to submit, review, and approve or reject requests with full audit trails.

Installation and Setup

Install the Approvals module from Apps. Once installed, navigate to Approvals → Configuration → Approval Types to define your workflows.

Default Approval Types

Odoo comes with several pre-configured approval types that you can customize or use as templates:

• Purchase Request
• Business Trip
• Equipment Request
• General Approval

Creating Approval Types

Approval types define the rules and structure for each category of request.

Configuration Options

Multi-Level Approval Chains

For complex organizations, configure sequential approval chains:

# Example: Purchase Request over $5,000
# Level 1: Department Manager (auto-assigned)
# Level 2: Finance Manager (manual assignment)
# Level 3: CEO (for amounts over $10,000)

# Minimum approvals: 2 (all assigned approvers must approve)
# If any approver rejects → entire request is rejected

Submitting Requests

1. Go to Approvals → New Request
2. Select the approval type
3. Fill in required fields (description, amount, attachments)
4. Click Submit — approvers are notified via email and Odoo Discuss

Request Lifecycle

# Status flow:
# Draft → Submitted → Approved / Refused
#                   ↓
#               Withdrawn (by requester before decision)

Approver Actions

Approvers see pending requests in their Approvals dashboard. For each request they can:

• Approve — Accept the request (moves to next approver or final approval)
• Refuse — Reject with a reason (requester is notified)
• Add Comment — Ask for clarification without deciding

Custom Fields

Add custom fields to approval types using Odoo Studio or by creating a custom module. Common additions include:

• Project reference (Many2one to project.project)
• Budget code (Selection field)
• Urgency level (Selection: Low, Medium, High, Critical)
• Vendor quotation (Binary field for file upload)

Integration with Other Modules

Purchase Integration

Approved purchase requests can automatically generate Purchase Orders. Configure this in the approval type settings to streamline procurement.

Expense Integration

While Odoo Expenses has its own approval flow, the Approvals module can handle pre-approval for large expenses before they are incurred.

Time Off Integration

Time Off has built-in approvals, but the Approvals module can add an extra layer for extended leave requests requiring HR and management sign-off.

Notifications and Reminders

Odoo Approvals sends automatic notifications at each stage:

• Submission — Email to all assigned approvers
• Approval/Refusal — Email to the requester
• Comments — Threaded in Odoo Discuss on the request

For pending requests, set up scheduled actions to send reminder emails to approvers who have not acted within a defined timeframe.

Reporting

Track approval metrics from the Approvals dashboard:

• Average approval time by type
• Requests by status (pending, approved, refused)
• Approval bottlenecks (which approvers take longest)
• Request volume trends over time

Best Practices

• Keep approval chains short — More than 3 levels slows decisions
• Set clear thresholds — Only require higher-level approval above certain amounts
• Use manager auto-assignment — Reduces manual approver selection
• Document refusal reasons — Require a note when refusing requests
• Review monthly — Check for bottlenecks and adjust approval rules

DeployMonkey + Approvals

DeployMonkey's AI agent configures approval types tailored to your business — setting up the right approval chains, notification rules, and integrations with Purchase, Expense, and HR modules.