How ApproveThis + Botkeeper Automate Approvals Without the Headaches

When Bookkeeping Meets Approval Automation

Let’s get real – nobody starts a business to drown in paperwork. Yet here we are: 68% of finance teams waste 5+ hours weekly chasing approvals for invoices, expenses, and reports. Botkeeper solves half this problem by automating bookkeeping tasks. ApproveThis handles the other half by streamlining approvals. Connect them through Zapier, and you’ve got a self-running system where financial data flows where it needs to go, and decisions happen without endless Slack pings.

Why This Combo Works (When Others Don’t)

Botkeeper’s machine learning categorizes transactions and generates reports faster than your coffee order. But when those reports need human sign-off? That’s where most accounting tools drop the ball. ApproveThis picks it up with:

• Role-based approval chains (CFO sees big spends, managers handle department budgets)
• Automatic delegation when approvers are OOO
• Real-time audit trails that even your grumpiest auditor will love

Best part? External clients or department heads can approve directly via email without needing Botkeeper logins. No more “I forgot my password” delays.

Three Ways This Integration Actually Saves Time

1. Auto-Flag Unusual Expenses Before They Become Problems

Botkeeper detects that $5,000 vendor payment that’s 300% higher than usual. Instead of your controller manually flagging it, Zapier triggers an ApproveThis workflow requiring CFO + department head approval. The kicker? ApproveThis’ calculated fields auto-populate comparison data from past transactions right in the approval request.

Who needs this: Scaling startups where department budgets are growing faster than accounting can track. Lets finance teams enforce guardrails without micromanaging.

2. Client Invoice Approvals That Don’t Require 17 Emails

Botkeeper generates client invoices. Zapier creates an ApproveThis request sent to the client’s project manager via email. They click “Approve,” and Botkeeper automatically marks it as ready for payment. If they ghost you? ApproveThis sends automated reminders and escalates to their VP after 48 hours.

Real-world example: A marketing agency uses this to cut invoice approval time from 11 days to 2. Clients get a clear audit trail, accounting stops playing detective.

3. Audit-Ready Without the Panic

Every time Botkeeper reconciles accounts, ApproveThis requires a manager’s sign-off. All approvals get logged with timestamps, comments, and version history. Come audit season, export the entire chain with two clicks. Even better – set approval thresholds so small recurring payments auto-approve, while big anomalies get extra scrutiny.

Bonus: Vacation delegation means approvals never bottleneck when someone’s skiing in Aspen.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

If you can order DoorDash, you can connect these tools:

1. Create a Zapier account (they have a free tier)
2. Choose your trigger in Botkeeper (new document, transaction alert, etc.)
3. Select ApproveThis as the action app
4. Map Botkeeper data to ApproveThis fields (takes 90 seconds)

Pro tip: Start with one workflow – like client invoice approvals. Expand once you’ve got the hang of it.

Who Actually Benefits From This?

Finance Teams

Stop being the approval police. Set rules in ApproveThis so routine expenses under $1k auto-approve, while larger spends route to the right stakeholders. Botkeeper’s data ensures requests include context like budget vs actuals.

Professional Services Firms

Law firms, consultancies, and agencies use this combo to get client approvals on deliverables faster. Botkeeper tracks billable hours/expenses; ApproveThis sends clients a clean summary to approve via email. No more “I didn’t see that invoice” excuses.

Scaleups With Complex Approval Chains

Companies moving from “everyone does everything” to proper financial controls. Example: A 200-person SaaS company uses approval thresholds – team leads approve department tool purchases under $5k, CFO handles anything above. All logged in ApproveThis, all data synced to Botkeeper.

The Quiet Perks You’ll Only Appreciate Later

Beyond the obvious time saves:

• No more approval guesswork: New hire tries to approve a $20k spend? ApproveThis blocks it based on role permissions
• Client-friendly without being client-reliant: External approvers get a clean email interface – no logins, no training needed
• Compliance that’s actually doable: SOC 2 requirements? ApproveThis’ audit trails + Botkeeper’s records have you covered

When You Might Need a Different Tool

This combo isn’t magic. If you need 50+ approval layers or custom legal workflows, consider enterprise solutions. But for 95% of mid-sized companies, this handles purchase orders, expense reports, client approvals, and month-end sign-offs without the bloat.

Ready to Stop Chasing Approvals?

ApproveThis isn’t another app that complicates your stack – it’s the missing layer that makes Botkeeper even more powerful. Start with a free workflow setup today, or book a 15-minute demo to see how it works with your existing Botkeeper account.

P.S. If your accounting team currently uses “Reply All” email chains for approvals, we’ll send you a virtual stress ball. You’ve earned it.