Overview
When a new value, such as a vendor, inventory item, account, or custom field, is added to your system, it may not yet be reflected in the approval matrix for a particular step. As a result, a request could go unmatched and be automatically approved, which could bypass proper review.
To prevent this, you can specify a Default Approver. If no Approver is selected based on the approval matrix conditions, the request will instead be routed to the designated Default Approver for manual review and approval.
This article applies to:
- Stand-alone workflows
- Xero workflows
- QuickBooks Online workflows
- NetSuite workflows
How to set a Default Approver
To set a Default Approver:
- Either open the approval workflow settings and click in the respective step underneath “Default Approver” on Add Approver.
- You can also add a Default Approver within the matrix itself, click Add the Default Approver and select a user.
- After adding your Default Approver, don’t forget to click the Update the workflow button in the top right corner to save your changes.

Please note: The Default Approver option is only available if there are no Approvers in the matrix with any rules applied to all fields (i.e. Approvers who would otherwise be able to approve any request).