Overview of the Approvals page
This guide is for approvers and admins who review their team’s timesheets in Toggl. It explains each part of the Approvals page: the four status tabs, the period picker and filters, the timesheet list, and the review screen for a single member’s timesheet. By the end you will know what each status means, which actions you can take on a timesheet in each status, and where to find setup and submission instructions.
The Approvals page is where approvers review timesheets that team members submit, then approve them or send them back with requested changes. Open Approvals in the sidebar, under Manage. Timesheet approvals are part of the Premium and Enterprise plans. You can use the page in the web app and the desktop app, but not in the mobile app.
Only people who review timesheets see the page. These are workspace admins, who manage the approval setups, and anyone an admin has named as an Approver on a timesheet setup. Members who only submit timesheets don’t see Approvals in the sidebar. They submit from the Timesheet view on the Timer page instead. On lower plans, workspace admins see Approvals with an upgrade star, and clicking it opens an upgrade prompt.
Each timesheet covers one period for one member: a week or a full calendar month, depending on the setup. When a member submits it, their time logs for that period lock. (In Toggl Track, time logs are called time entries.) Toggl 2.0 is now called Toggl, and this page hasn’t changed. To create or change approval setups, see Setting up timesheet approvals. To learn how members submit, see Submitting your timesheet for approval.
The status tabs
The tabs at the top of the page split timesheets by status. Each tab shows how many timesheets it holds for the selected period. The page opens on Pending review.
| Tab | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Pending review | The member has submitted the timesheet and is waiting for you. The period is locked. | Approve or Request changes |
| Changes requested | An approver sent the timesheet back with a note. The member can edit and resubmit. | Approve or Edit request |
| Approved | The timesheet is signed off and the period stays locked. | Withdraw approval |
| Not submitted | The member hasn’t submitted yet. This includes timesheets that were withdrawn. | Approve directly, without waiting for a submission |
What’s on the page
| Element | What it shows or does | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Pending review banner | Shows “N timesheets are waiting for your review” when submitted timesheets from roughly the last 90 days are waiting for you. Click Review now to open them. | — |
| Period picker | Sets the date range the list covers. The default is the current week. Shortcuts: This week, Last week, This month and Last month. You can also choose a custom range of up to about 90 days. | — |
| Filters | Narrow the list by Members, Approvers or Teams. The filters stay in place when you switch tabs. | — |
| Timesheet list | One row per member and period. Columns: Member; Period, with a Weekly or Monthly badge; Hours, shown as logged hours “of” expected hours in your duration format; Approver; and Submitted, the submission time, which the Not submitted tab doesn’t show. | — |
| Row actions (⋯) | The actions allowed for that row’s status, plus View in reports, which opens the member’s time logs for that period. When you hover a row on Pending review, an Approve button also appears. | Time logs report |
| Bulk actions | Select rows to approve, request changes on or withdraw approval for several timesheets at once. The available actions depend on the tab. | — |
| New timesheet setup and the gear icon | Admins only. Create a setup, or open Manage timesheet setups to edit, discontinue or delete one. | Setting up timesheet approvals |
Reviewing a single timesheet
Click a member’s name to open [Name]'s timesheet. The header shows the timesheet’s status and period (for example W12 · Jun 22 – 28). It also shows the member’s timezone, and all times on the review screen use that timezone.
- Summary: shows Total logged against expected hours, the Billable share, and Planned vs logged if the member planned time. Click Edit expected hours, or Set expected hours, to open the member’s page on Members.
- Time logs table: shows one row per time log, with a column for each day. Group it by Time logs, Task or Project, sort it, and expand or collapse groups. Monthly timesheets have Week 1 to Week 4 or Week 5 tabs that jump through the month. The member still submits the month as one timesheet.
- Flag for review: flags a single time log with a note that tells the member what needs to change. Flagged items appear in the Request timesheet changes dialog. You can’t add flags to an approved timesheet.
- Actions: Approve, Request changes or Withdraw approval. Which ones you see depends on the status, as in the tabs table above.
What you can do here
- Approve a timesheet: on Pending review, hover the row and click Approve, or open the timesheet and click Approve.
- Request changes: click Request changes, review the flagged items, and optionally add Additional notes. The member is notified so they can fix the timesheet and resubmit.
- Approve before a member submits: on Not submitted, choose Approve from the row menu once you’ve checked the hours.
- Undo an approval: on Approved, choose Withdraw approval. The timesheet returns to Not submitted and unlocks, and the member is notified so they can edit and resubmit.
- Review in bulk: select several rows and use the bulk bar.
- Check the details: choose View in reports to see the member’s time logs for the period in the Time logs report.
- Focus on part of your team: filter by member, approver or team, or change the period.
More: Setting up timesheet approvals, Submitting your timesheet for approval, Using the Timesheet view.
Who can do what
| Action | Who can do it |
|---|---|
| See Approvals in the sidebar | Workspace admins and approvers named on a timesheet setup |
| See timesheets on the page | Admins see every setup in the workspace. Approvers see the setups they approve for. |
| Approve, request changes or withdraw approval | The approvers on that member’s setup, and admins |
| Withdraw an approval | Admins, or the approver who gave the approval |
| Create, edit, discontinue or delete setups | Admins |
| Use View in reports | Approvers whose role lets them see team members’ data in reports. For everyone else, the option is greyed out with “Requires access to team reports”. |
| Submit a timesheet | Members on a setup, from the Timesheet view on the Timer page |
Approval rights come from the setup, not from your role. A team lead or project manager can review timesheets only if an admin adds them as an approver on a setup. A setup can have more than one approver, and any of them can act on a timesheet. See User roles in Toggl.
Common questions
Why can’t I see the Approvals page?
You see Approvals only if you’re a workspace admin or an approver on a timesheet setup. If you only submit timesheets, use the Timesheet view on the Timer page instead. If you’re an admin and see an upgrade star, your plan doesn’t include timesheet approvals. They’re part of the Premium and Enterprise plans.
How do I reject a timesheet?
Click Request changes. Flag the time logs that need fixing and add a note. The timesheet moves to Changes requested and the member gets an email asking them to fix it and resubmit. The Approvals page has no separate Decline or Reject button.
Can I approve a timesheet that hasn’t been submitted?
Yes. On the Not submitted tab, choose Approve from the row menu. Toggl records the timesheet as submitted and approved in one step, and the period locks.
What happens when I withdraw an approval?
The timesheet returns to Not submitted and its period unlocks. The member gets an email saying they need to resubmit. Only an admin or the approver who gave the approval can withdraw it.
Which emails do approvers and members get?
Approvers get an email when a member submits a timesheet for their setup. Members get an email when an approver requests changes or withdraws an approval. Members also get reminder emails to submit, if the admin turned reminders on for the setup. Members don’t get an email when a timesheet is approved. See Emails and notifications from Toggl.
Can I correct a time log in a locked timesheet?
Members can’t add, edit or delete time logs in a submitted or approved period. The approvers on the member’s setup can still correct them.
Next step: Overview of the Time Off page