---
title: "Managing workflows on the group level"
slug: "managing-workflows-on-a-group-level"
description: "Configure and manage approval workflows at group level in Payhawk: standardize workflows across entities on the Payhawk spend management platform."
updated: 2026-10-27T15:50:17Z
published: 2026-10-27T15:50:17Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/managing-workflows-on-a-group-level"
---

> ## 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.

# Managing workflows on the group level

The Group Dashboard and multi-entity management capabilities in Payhawk allow you, as a group Payhawk Administrator, to manage your workflows on a group level. Thus, you avoid the need to manually specify identical workflow settings for each entity.

## Setting default workflows for the group

To apply default workflow settings for your group of entities:

1. In the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com), open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Workflows**.
2. Depending on the desired type of workflow, follow the same steps to define it as the ones you'd use for a single entity:
  - [Setting workflows for bill payments](/help/setting-approval-workflows-for-expense-types)
  - [Setting workflows for other types of expenses](/help/setting-approval-workflows-for-expense-types)
  - [Setting workflows for requests and purchase orders](https://help.payhawk.com/en/articles/8537324-setting-approval-workflows-for-purchase-requests)

For example, to set the default workflow for bill payments on a group level, switch to the edit mode of the workflow and define the conditions (approvers, amounts, custom fields, managers, teams).
3. Click on **Publish workflow** to activate the workflow.

![Group Settings, Workflows, Spend types tab with Edit workflow on a workflow; the workflow editor with Step details open, an approver and an Amount condition set; and the Publish workflow button.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/workflows_mem_2_20261009_ai.png)

If you have unsaved changes, the system will prompt you upon exiting the screen.

![Discard changes dialog: All unpublished changes will be lost, with the Discard changes and Keep editing buttons.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/discard_workflow_changes_20261009_ai.jpg)

## Applying individual workflow settings to specific entities within the group

You can opt out of the default workflow settings and apply individual workflow settings to specific entities within the group.

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Entities**.
  - The grey circles imply that the entity is using the default group settings.
  - The yellow circles imply the entity is using individual settings.
2. Under the **EXPENSE WORKFLOWS** column, click on the circle against the desired entity.
3. On the next screen, check the **ENTITY SPECIFIC** radio button.
4. Click on **Save changes**.
5. In the dialog that opens, check the checkbox and click on **Save** to confirm your choice.

![Group Settings, Entities: grey and yellow circles under Expense workflows and Spend types, the entity page with ENTITY SPECIFIC selected for Expense workflows, and the Save changes confirmation dialog.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/individual_workflow_settings_2_20261009_ai.png)

> [!TIP]
> Similarly, you can apply the default group settings for an entity that has individual workflows set.

## Pulling workflow settings from an entity

You can copy approval workflows from an entity and apply them to the group by pulling the relevant settings.

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Workflows**.
2. Click on the three-dot menu and select **Pull spend type workflows from entity**.
3. In the dialog that opens, select the desired entity from the drop-down list and click on **Apply**.
4. Click on **Overwrite** to confirm your choice.

![Group Settings, Workflows: the three-dot menu with Pull spend type workflows from entity, the Pull workflows settings from entity panel with an entity selected and Apply, and the Overwrite confirmation dialog.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/pulling_workflow_settings_2_20261009_ai.png)

## Notes on managing workflows

- If an entity inherits its workflows from the group workflow settings, only group Payhawk Administrators will be able to modify them. Local Payhawk Administrators will be able to see the workflows in their read-only mode.
- The **Supplier** condition is not available for group-level workflows. Because each entity manages its own supplier list, the **Supplier** condition can only be used in entity-level workflows.
- Each entity has its own teams, even when teams in different entities share the same name. A **Team** condition in a group workflow matches only the teams you select, so if you select the team of one entity, expenses from another entity's team with the same name do not match the condition and skip that step. Select the team of every entity the step must apply to. If every step is skipped, the expense is approved.

## Useful resources

- [Managing teams on a group level](/help/managing-teams-on-a-group-level)