Put approval or review on hold

Park an invoice on an approval or review step without approving or rejecting it. The document status becomes On hold and moves to the dedicated Hold list tab until someone Approves, Marks reviewed, or Rejects, which clears the hold and continues the workflow.

1. Turn on Hold for a workflow step

Hold is opt-in per approval or review node.

1. Open Settings → Workflow for the workspace (payables, expenses, or accounts receivable).
2. Select an Approval or Review step.
3. Enable Allow hold.
4. Optionally enable Require comment for hold when assignees must explain why the document is parked.
5. Publish the workflow when you are ready.

Until at least one human step has Allow hold enabled, the Hold list tab stays hidden.

Click to enlarge

2. Put a document on hold from the strip

1. Open the invoice (or expense / receivable) that is waiting on that approval or review step.
2. On the workflow strip, click Hold (between Approve / Mark reviewed and Reject when reject is available).
3. In the Put on hold dialog, optionally (or mandatorily) add a comment with the same rich editor as Activity.
4. Confirm with Put on hold, or press ⌘/Ctrl+Enter.

Cortena:

• Keeps the workflow parked on the same step (hold does not advance the flow).
• Sets status to On hold.
• Shows a disabled Held control on the strip (hover to see the hold comment when one was entered).
• Writes an Activity line such as “put the review on hold” / “put the approval on hold” (and posts the comment to Activity on payables and expenses when you provided one).

3. Find held documents — Hold tab

Held items appear only on the Hold list tab (not under Review or Approval).

• Payables and Expenses — tab Hold (after Approval when that tab exists).
• Accounts Receivable — same Hold tab when hold is enabled on the AR workflow.

Use the tab to work the parked queue without mixing it into day-to-day review or approval counts. The status badge on each row still reads On hold.

4. Leave hold — Approve, Mark reviewed, or Reject

There is no separate Resume action.

• Approve / Mark reviewed — clears the hold and completes the step as usual.
• Reject — clears the hold and follows the reject path (reason rules unchanged).

After a successful approve/review/reject, the document leaves On hold and follows the next workflow status.

Related: Payables list status tabs, Bulk approve and mark reviewed, Comment on invoice Activity.

Tips and limitations

• Hold is available only when the node has Allow hold and you can complete the step (same assignee / permission rules as Approve).
• Bulk list Approve / Mark reviewed still works on held invoices when you are eligible. Completing the step clears the hold; there is no bulk Put on hold yet.
• Bank reconciliation strips are out of scope for this hold UX.
• Accounts receivable stores the hold reason on the workflow and Activity narrative; payables and expenses also post an Activity chat comment when you enter one.

Quick reference