---
title: "Creating, archiving, and searching for suppliers"
slug: "creating-archiving-and-searching-for-suppliers"
description: "Manage suppliers in the Payhawk spend management platform: create or add suppliers from expenses or requests, archive inactive suppliers and search the list."
updated: 2026-10-27T14:16:55Z
published: 2026-10-27T14:16:55Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/creating-archiving-and-searching-for-suppliers"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payhawk.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating, archiving, and searching for suppliers

Apart from [manually importing suppliers to Payhawk](/help/manually-importing-and-exporting-suppliers) or populating them automatically by [syncing the supplier data with the ERP system](/help/syncing-suppliers-between-payhawk-and-erp-systems), you can also create a supplier from the **Suppliers** app, search for it in the supplier database, archive it if it's no longer needed, and then restore it if your company needs it again.

## Notes on creating Danish suppliers

For suppliers paid in DKK within Denmark, you can now select the **Inside Denmark (Account Number)** option and add an account number (instead of an IBAN).

![The Add supplier panel for a Danish supplier, with DKK currency and the Inside Denmark (Account Number) payment type selected, and registration and account numbers filled in.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261009_ai/creating-archiving-and-searching-for-suppliers-01_20261009_ai.jpg)

## Creating new suppliers

To create a new supplier in Payhawk:

1. Log in to the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com).
2. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Suppliers** > **Company suppliers**.
3. Click on the **+ New** button.
4. In the dialog that opens, fill in the available data and click on **Save**. As a result, your supplier is listed under the **Suppliers** > **Active** tab.

To create a new entry, you are required to fill in the supplier name only. The other supplier details can be added later on.

![The Company suppliers list in Suppliers with the + New button, and the Add supplier panel open on the right with the Supplier name, address and optional details fields and the Save button.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261009_ai/creating-archiving-and-searching-for-suppliers-02_20261009_ai.png)

## Adding new suppliers when uploading expenses

The Payhawk [optical character recognition (OCR) tool](/help/managing-receipts-and-invoices-in-the-app) automatically detects the name of the supplier when an employee uploads an expense. When a Payhawk accountant or administrator opens the expense, the system will prompt them to add this supplier to the account if it's a new supplier.

> [!TIP]
> - If the [**Supplier** expense field has been set to **Everyone**](/help/overview-of-expense-fields), employees can either select an existing supplier or mark a supplier as new.
> - If the **Supplier** expense field has been set to **Accountants and Administrators**, the **Supplier** field will be removed from the expense and employees won't be able to see or input any supplier information.

To add a new supplier from the **Spend** app in Payhawk:

1. Go to **Spend** and open the desired expense.
2. In the **Details** section, under **Supplier**, click on the **Add supplier to your account** link.
3. In the dialog that opens, Payhawk displays the automatically extracted information about the expense and as a result, some of the supplier fields are already populated.
4. Fill in any details you need. Click on **Save**.

![Add supplier form opened on a bill in the Spend app, with the supplier name and tax number extracted from the attached invoice.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261002_ai/sup_03_v2.png)

## Adding new suppliers from purchases

When an employee has submitted a purchase and marked its supplier as new, the system will prompt the Payhawk accountants and administrators to add this supplier to the company's account.

To add a new supplier from a submitted purchase in the **Requests** app:

1. In the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com), go to the desired purchase.
2. In the **Details** section, under **Supplier**, click on the **Add supplier to your account** link.
3. In the panel that opens, fill in the supplier details.
4. Click on **Save**.

![Supplier field on a request flagged with This looks like a new supplier and an Add supplier to your account link.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261001b_ai/sw_09_v2.png)

Payhawk accountants and administrators can also add new suppliers when they submit a purchase themselves:

1. Click on the **Add "[supplier]" to your account** option.
2. In the panel that opens, fill in the supplier details.
3. Click on **Save**.

![A draft request with Northwind Office Furniture typed in the Supplier field and the Add "Northwind Office Furniture" to your account option, and the Add supplier panel that opens with the supplier name already filled in and the Save button.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261009_ai/creating-archiving-and-searching-for-suppliers-05_20261009_ai.png)

## Archiving suppliers

If a wrong supplier has been added to the list with active suppliers, an existing supplier has become outdated, or the supplier details are inaccurate and you prefer to keep them out of use instead of deleting them, you can move the supplier under the **Suppliers** > **Archived** tab. ​To archive a supplier:

1. Go to **Suppliers** > **Active** tab.
2. Select the desired supplier by clicking on it.
3. Click on its three dots menu and select the **Archive** option. As a result, the supplier will move under the **Archived** tab.

![Supplier record with its three-dot menu open, showing the Archive option.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261002_ai/sup_06.png)

## Restoring archived suppliers

You can still restore a supplier as active, thus enabling edits in its details and expense categorization:

1. Go to **Suppliers** > **Archived** tab.
2. Select the desired supplier by clicking on it.
3. Click on the **Restore** button.
4. In the dialog that opens, click on **Confirm** to confirm your changes. As a result, the supplier has moved from the **Suppliers** > **Archived** to the **Active** tab.

![The Archived tab in Company suppliers with an archived supplier open, its Restore button at the top, and the Restore supplier dialog asking to confirm with Confirm and Cancel buttons.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261009_ai/creating-archiving-and-searching-for-suppliers-07_20261009_ai.png)

## Searching for suppliers ​

If your supplier list becomes too large but you need to quickly narrow it down to find a specific supplier, you can utilize the search option and filter out the desired company.

To search for a supplier both in the **Suppliers** > **Active** and **Archived** lists:

1. Log in to the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com).
2. Go to **Suppliers.**
3. Click in the search (magnifying glass) bar and type in part of or the whole supplier name. As a result, the system will display a list of related results if any.
4. To exit the search option and return to the main **Suppliers** screen, click on the **x** in the search bar.

![Company suppliers list with the search bar open and the filtered results below it.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/navigation-redesign-didi_20261002_ai/sup_08.png)

## Useful resources

- [Editing, viewing, and applying supplier details](/help/editing-viewing-and-applying-supplier-details)
- [Editing the supplier expense categorization](/help/editing-the-supplier-expense-categorization)