In oboloo's Contract Management module, you can manage contract record approvals through a structured workflow. This guide details the step-by-step...
When a contract needs sign-off, you can assign an approver as you create it. The approver can then approve or reject it, and the creator can resubmit a rejected contract.
Before you start
Only users whose role has Approve Records for Contract Management, and Administrators, can approve or reject contracts. To check your access, see Viewing Your Access Rights. Contract approvals need the Contract Plus plan.
Request approval when you add a contract
Open the Add Contract drawer
Go to Contract Management > Contracts and click Add New Contract.
Complete the contract details
Fill in at least the required fields. See Add a New Contract for each field.
Turn on approval
Near the bottom of the drawer, switch on Does this contract need to be approved? If your account isn't on Contract Plus, an Upgrade to Contract Plus window opens instead.
The approval toggle in the Add Contract drawer
Choose the approver
Select a user in Approver. This field is required once the toggle is on. The list shows active users whose role has Approve Records for Contract Management. You can't choose yourself.
Click Add Contract
The contract is created with the status Unapproved, and the approver is notified by email and in oboloo.
Approve a contract
Open the contract
Click the link in the approval email, or go to Contract Management > Contracts and open the contract. Unapproved contracts are shown in the table by default. The record shows the banner This record is currently unapproved. Please wait for the approver to review and approve it.
Click Approve Contract
Approve Contract and Reject Contract are on the summary panel on the left. They're shown to the assigned approver and to any Administrator.
The Approve Contract and Reject Contract buttons
Confirm the approval
In the Are you sure you want to approve this contract? dialog, click Yes. The contract becomes Active, and the approval is added to the Approval Log tab.
An approval entry in the Approval Log tab
Reject a contract
Click Reject Contract
Open the contract and click Reject Contract on the summary panel, next to Approve Contract.
Give your reason
In the Please Provide Justification dialog, enter your reason in Justification and click Save. Explain what needs to change so the creator can fix it.
Entering a justification for the rejection
Check the result
The contract's status changes to Rejected, and the rejection and your reason appear in the Approval Log tab.
A rejection entry in the Approval Log tab
Send a rejected contract for approval again
Open the rejected contract
Rejected contracts are hidden from the Contracts table by default. Add Rejected to the Contract State filter to find it. The record shows the banner This record is rejected by the approver. Click Send for approval button to apply for re-approval.
The button is on the summary panel and is shown only to the person who created the contract. The contract goes back to Unapproved, and the original approver is notified again.
The Send for approval button on a rejected contract
What happens next
The approver is notified: they receive an email with a link to the contract and an in-app notification, both when you first request approval and when you resubmit.
The creator hears the outcome: when the contract is approved or rejected, the person who created it receives an email and an in-app notification. The rejection reason is recorded in the Approval Log tab.
Approved contracts become Active: they show as active contracts, and automated reminders for the end date and notice period start to apply. Unapproved and rejected contracts don't get automated reminders.
The Approval Log keeps the history: the tab appears only on contracts that need or have needed approval. It lists approved and rejected decisions (not pending requests) with the User, Rejection Reason, Status and Change Date.
Troubleshooting
I can't see the Approve Contract button
The button is only shown to the contract's assigned approver and to Administrators, and only while the contract is awaiting approval. On demo records it's greyed out.
The person I want isn't in the Approver list
The list only includes active users whose role has Approve Records for Contract Management, and never includes you. Ask an administrator to update that user's role. See User Roles & Access Rights (RBAC).
I can't find a rejected contract in the Contracts table
The Contract State filter shows Active and Unapproved contracts by default. Add Rejected to the filter.
Can I send an existing contract for approval?
No. You can only ask for approval when you create the contract. The only later option is Send for approval on a rejected contract.
📌 Need Further Help? If you need further assistance, please contact your internal platform administrator for support. Otherwise please reach out to oboloo's support team. If you are unable to view the above area in the oboloo platform, please check your user permissions and access rights.