The quick answer
Use the approval email’s generated response, send the reason in the format expected by your configured processor, then check the saved purchase order. In this demonstration, the saved PO becomes Approved by Supervisor/Pending Receipt, and the configured custom approver list records Jordan Lee, the decision time and the matching note.
This walkthrough uses an existing Advanced Approvals configuration and a sandbox test mailbox. It does not configure email approvals or establish that the implementation is Oracle SuiteApprovals. The field names, email format, routing and custom sublist reflect a May 2020 demonstration and may differ after configuration changes or in another account. Alex Morgan, Jordan Lee and Example Supply Co. are fictional example identities.
Before you start
The purchase order, employee hierarchy, approver role, limit, email template and response processor must already be configured. You need permission to inspect the PO and employee records, plus access to the designated test mailbox. Confirm the test-mail arrangement before sending a response.
The example uses PO7240 for Harbor Point Audit Services, total USD 15,000, and approver Jordan Lee, whose displayed approval limit is USD 20,000. The custom Advanced Approvals - Approver List is part of this configuration. If your account does not have that sublist or uses a different mechanism, these exact controls and verification steps may not apply.
01. Submit the pending PO
Open the existing saved PO7240. Confirm the vendor, total and Pending Approval status. Read the warning that it has not been submitted for approval, then click Submit.
The confirmation says the PO has been submitted for approval. It remains pending while the decision is outstanding; submission alone does not demonstrate approval.
02. Inspect the approver
Open requester Alex Morgan from the PO and follow Supervisor: Jordan Lee. In this configuration, Alex Morgan’s Supervisor is Jordan Lee, and the demonstrated approval route uses that relationship. Other approval systems can select a different approver.
On Jordan Lee’s Access subtab, observe Give Access unchecked and the existing Department Approver - NonSSO role row. Leave both unchanged.
The unchecked box and an existing role row do not establish active login access, anonymous approval, licensing terms or which sender identities the email processor accepts.
03. Review the email
Open the generated approval email in the configured test mailbox. In this test arrangement, the message addressed to Jordan Lee is delivered to Alex Morgan’s sandbox mailbox. That delivery path does not establish who the processor recognizes as the approving identity.
Check the vendor, USD 15,000 total and transaction lines. The subject uses PURCHORD7244, while the body and PDF attachment identify PO7240. Those references differ in this demonstrated configuration. Treat the subject as an implementation-specific processor reference; verify the transaction using the PO details rather than the subject alone. Preserve the generated subject token instead of editing or manually reconciling it.
The email also contains a previous-approver table and an item table. The PDF attachment is present, but this walkthrough does not open or verify its contents. Scroll below the line details to Approve.
04. Send the response
Click Approve. It prepares a response addressed to the configured processor with an APPROVED subject. Keep the generated recipient and subject intact; their format belongs to this implementation.
Enter Reviewed for quarterly audit. after Reason:, then click Send through the designated test-mail arrangement.
A prepared or sent response is not the final verification. Return to the same PO after the configured processor has handled it.
05. Verify the saved result
Reload PO7240 and confirm Approved by Supervisor/Pending Receipt. Read PO Approval Status: Approved in Approval Process. Pending Receipt means receiving remains open for the PO. It does not prove that inventory has been received, and it does not mean the PO has been billed or paid.
Open Approver List, the custom Advanced Approvals - Approver List sublist shown in this example. Check Jordan Lee, the decision date/time and the displayed 20,000.00 purchase approval limit recorded on the custom row.
Confirm Approval Status: Approved and the exact note Reviewed for quarterly audit. Together, the saved PO and custom row corroborate the demonstrated approval result.
If that custom sublist is absent in another account, this particular check is not applicable. A generic approval history is not equivalent to the custom row shown here. The walkthrough stops before receipt, billing and payment.
Common questions
Does clicking Approve in the email complete approval?
In this configuration, it prepares a response. The demonstrated sequence sends that response and then verifies the saved PO and custom approver row. A draft by itself is not proof of processing.
Does this demonstration prove that Give Access is required for email approval?
No. It shows Give Access unchecked while the configured response was processed through the redirected test-mail arrangement. It does not establish the implementation’s login, permission, sender-validation or licensing requirements. Check the approval mechanism installed in your account.
Why is the approval email in someone else’s mailbox?
This example uses a sandbox test arrangement that redirects the email intended for Jordan Lee to Alex Morgan. Confirm the target mailbox with your administrator before testing; this does not demonstrate forwarding or approval by an unrelated sender.
Is this Oracle SuiteApprovals?
The demonstrated custom sublist is labeled Advanced Approvals - Approver List. The source does not establish Oracle SuiteApprovals as the implementation. Do not apply its email format or custom history instructions to another approval system without checking that system.
Where can I verify the approval reason?
Here, it appears in Notes on the custom approver row. Compare it with the reason sent in the response, alongside the approver, date/time and Approved decision. That sublist must exist for this exact verification to apply.
What if the response is sent but the PO remains pending?
First confirm the same PO and refresh after your configured processor has had time to run. Check the configured recipient, expected subject and reason format, then ask the administrator to inspect the implementation’s processing records. This walkthrough does not diagnose delivery failures, rejection, duplicate replies, delegation or multi-level routing.
Which identifier should I use when the email subject and PO number differ?
Verify the PO number and transaction details in the message body and saved record. The attachment name can help cross-check the reference; its contents were not verified here. The generated subject token is implementation-specific and should not be edited.
What if the custom Approver List is missing?
Verify the saved PO approval status using the controls available in that account. Do not claim that the custom approver, date/time or note was recorded unless the configured audit mechanism actually shows those values.
Does Pending Receipt mean the PO was not approved?
No. In this demonstration, the PO is approved while receiving remains open. Approval, receiving, billing and payment are separate stages.