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
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
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
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
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
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.

Make the changes the approver asked for

Check the reason in the Approval Log tab, then update the contract. See View and Edit a Contract Record.

Click Send for 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
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.

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📌 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.