Guide
How do you set up a purchase order approval workflow for Xero?
In WorkApproved, switch on approval for purchase orders and build a workflow of one or more steps. When a purchase order is submitted for approval in Xero, your rules choose the approvers by amount, supplier, account code or tracking category. On final approval it is authorised in Xero with a certificate attached.
Last updated 22 October 2026.
Set it up in four steps
- Connect Xero with Xero's sign-in, then choose which document types are controlled. Purchase orders have their own workflow, separate from bills and sales invoices.
- Add steps in order. Each step has one or more approvers, and you choose whether any one of them or all of them must approve.
- Add branches. Route by supplier, Xero contact group, amount, account code, tracking category, line details or risk level. Set amount thresholds, and name a catch-all person so nothing is stranded.
- Check it before you switch it on. The rules are shown back in plain words, versions are kept, and you can run a trial before they go live.
What happens to a purchase order
A purchase order enters its workflow when it is submitted for approval in Xero. The approvers get a personal link by email. They do not need a Xero login. They can approve, reject with a reason, or ask a question. A rejected purchase order goes back to draft with the reason written on it.
On final approval WorkApproved sets the purchase order to authorised in Xero and attaches a certificate PDF. The certificate shows the document and its lines, the approval path including skipped steps, who approved and when. Its link opens a public page that says whether it matches our records. The PDF is not digitally signed; the page checks the recorded evidence.
Keeping it moving
- Reminders go out, and an approval that stalls can escalate to a fallback person.
- Dated stand-ins cover holidays.
- Self-approval can be blocked.
- If someone authorises a purchase order in Xero by hand, or it changes after approval, your organisation's administrators are alerted for the document types you have switched on.
What to know
- The 19 risk checks run on bills; purchase orders get the workflow, the certificate and the alerts.
- WorkApproved is about approval, not purchase-order matching or budgets.
- Notifications arrive by email, and approvers decide from the link.
Cost
Standard is NZ$39 + GST per Xero organisation per month. Unlimited users, no cap on documents or approvals. See the pricing page for your market. Prices exclude tax.