ApproveThis manages your FreeAgent Integration approvals.

When Approvals Meet Accounting, Magic Happens

Let's be real - nobody starts a business to spend their days chasing invoice approvals or reconciling expense reports. Yet here we are. If your team's using FreeAgent, you already know it's like having a grumpy-but-efficient accountant living in your computer. It does the job, but man, could it use some people skills.

Enter ApproveThis. We're the whiskey to FreeAgent's coffee - smooth where it needs to be, kicks in exactly when required. Together through Zapier, we automate the approval crap that's been clogging up your accounting team's workflow. Think: invoices that approve themselves when under budget, expense reports that route to the right manager without 12 reminder emails, and vendor approvals that don't require playing phone tag with your CMO.

Why This Combo Works Better Than Your Last Hiring Spree

FreeAgent keeps your books clean. ApproveThis keeps your decisions moving. Put them together through Zapier, and you've basically built a self-driving accounting department. Here's the breakdown:

FreeAgent's Wheelhouse

- Tracks every penny like it owes them money
- Generates invoices that actually get paid
- Manages projects without the micromanaging

Where ApproveThis Takes Over

- Automates who approves what (and when)
- Escalates stuck decisions before they become your problem
- Lets approvers say yes/no from their inbox (no new logins required)

The kicker? Approvers don't need FreeAgent licenses. Client needs to approve an invoice? Forward it to their Gmail. Vendor waiting on PO approval? CC them. We handle the tracking so you're not playing 20 questions with external contacts.

Real-World Use Cases That Don't Suck

1. The "Why Is This Vendor Calling Me?" Fix

Zap: New FreeAgent invoice → ApproveThis request
Who cares: Construction firms, marketing agencies, anyone with more subcontractors than employees

Picture this: Your project manager submits a $15K development invoice in FreeAgent. Instead of it getting lost in Slack purgatory, ApproveThis automatically:
- Routes it to the CTO (under budget? auto-approves)
- CC's the client via email (they click approve without logging in)
- Updates FreeAgent when everyone's signed off

Actual result: Your AP team stops playing operator between departments.

2. The "We're Drowning in Paperwork" Special

Zap: Approved expense report → FreeAgent task
Who needs it: Consulting firms, field service companies, remote teams

Your sales team just racked up $2K in client dinners. Old way: Email the receipts, wait for approval, manually enter into FreeAgent. New way:
- ApproveThis pings the sales director via SMS
- Approved? FreeAgent auto-creates a reconciliation task
- Denied? Finance gets an alert before payroll runs

Bonus: Vacation delegation means approvals never wait on someone's PTO.

3. The "Client From Hell" Neutralizer

Zap: New client request → FreeAgent contact + approval chain
Perfect for: Agencies, SaaS companies, anyone with custom client contracts

New lead comes in wanting a $50K custom project. Instead of back-and-forth emails:
- Sales creates an ApproveThis request with specs
- Legal approves NDAs via email
- Engineering vets timelines in Slack
- Once greenlit, FreeAgent auto-generates the client account

Money move: Approval thresholds auto-approve repeat clients under $10K.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

1. Grab an ApproveThis account (takes 3 minutes)
2. Connect both apps through Zapier (we've got pre-built templates)
3. Set your rules:
  - "Any invoice over $5K needs CFO approval"
  - "Client projects auto-approve if under contract scope"
4. Let the system nag people so you don't have to

Pro tip: Use calculated fields to auto-flag invoices that exceed project budgets. Your PMs will hate it (in a good way).

Who Actually Benefits From This Mashup?

Finance Teams

Stop being the approval police. Set thresholds so routine expenses auto-approve, and only escalate what matters. Real-time tracking means you can actually answer "Where's that invoice?" questions without digging through inboxes.

Operations Managers

Custom workflows adapt to your chaos. New office lease? Route through legal. Software subscription? IT checks it first. All while keeping a clean audit trail in FreeAgent.

External Partners

Clients and vendors approve directly from their email. No portals, no passwords, no "I didn't see the notification" excuses. You maintain control without being that annoying micromanager.

The Unsexy Benefits You'll Learn to Love

- Approval groups prevent "I thought Bob was handling it" meltdowns
- Vacation coverage means no more approving invoices from the beach
- Email audit trails that actually make sense during tax season
- Conditional logic that routes $10K decisions differently than $100K ones

It's not flashy, but neither is not getting sued over a missed approval.

Bottom Line: This Isn't About Software

It's about fixing that moment when everyone's waiting on a decision that's stuck in someone's inbox. The ApproveThis + FreeAgent combo through Zapier turns "Where are we on this?" into "It's already handled."

Best part? You're not replacing FreeAgent - you're making it work smarter. All the accounting muscle, none of the approval migraines.

See how it works (demo takes 12 minutes - we timed it)