⚠️ Feature currently in pre-release. Please contact our team to have it enabled for your store.
This feature introduces a flexible and granular way to enforce Purchase Order (PO) requirements in order workflows. It enables organizations to require a PO number only during the approval step, rather than when the order is first placed — helping balance operational control with user convenience.
What Problem Does This Solve?
In some approval workflows, companies want to allow requesters to submit an order without a PO number, but require approvers to enter a PO before finalizing the order.
Previously, PO enforcement could only be configured at the user or account level during order placement, which didn’t support this type of conditional logic. Now, the system can distinguish when and by whom the PO must be provided.
Use cases include:
Requesters submitting incomplete orders that approvers must review and complete.
Enforcing financial controls only at the approval stage.
How to Enable the Feature
To activate PO enforcement at the approval level:
Navigate to Admin > Accounts > Users > Edit.
Go to the Approver Settings section.
Enable the toggle: “PO reference”.
This toggle is off by default.
Save.
⚠️ This feature must be enabled before it can be activated and used.
🔗 For additional configuration details, see PO Required, Formats and Default Values
Storefront Notifications for Approvers
Once the feature is enabled for an approver, they will be notified when action is required:
1. Global Toaster Notification
Appears at the top of the page in the storefront when the approver logs in.
Displays the number of Orders Pending Approval.
Clicking the toaster opens the Orders page.
2. Tooltip Notification in the Orders Grid
The orders grid highlights which orders are pending approval.
A tooltip indicates that an action is required for each pending item.
Approving Orders
Approvers can approve orders through three main interfaces:
1. From the Orders List
Click on the Orders Pending Approval notification or go to the Orders page.
Select the order and choose Approve.
If the PO is required, a message will appear indicating that a PO is required.
2. From the Order View Page
View detailed order information.
If the PO is required, an editable PO Reference field will be available.
The order cannot be approved until a valid PO is entered.
3. From the Approval Email
If the approver receives an email to approve an order and their “Require a PO reference” setting is enabled:
The approval link will redirect the user to the approver page.
If the PO is required, the button to approver will be disabled and the order cannot be approved until a valid PO is entered.
Conflicting PO Rules
When combining Require PO at Approval Level with other PO validation rules, note the following:
1. User PO Requirement
If a user is set to require PO when placing an order, they must enter the PO during checkout regardless of approver settings.
2. Account PO Mask
If an account has a PO Mask (e.g.
^([a-zA-Z0-9]+.*)$), all orders must include a PO matching that format.This validation happens at order placement unless overridden.
3. New Settings
Validate PO Settings Only When Placing the Approved Order
A new account-level toggle allows changing when PO rules are enforced:
False (default): PO validation happens during checkout.
True: PO validation happens at the approval step.
Inherited: Child accounts inherit from their parent. If no parent setting exists, defaults to false.
How to Enable the Feature
To activate Validate PO Settings Only When Placing the Approved Order:
Navigate to Admin > Accounts > Edit.
Go to the Account Options section.
Enable the toggle: “Validate PO settings only when placing the approved order”.
This toggle is off by default.
Save.
