--- title: "How order approvals work in LUSID" slug: "how-order-approvals-work-in-lusid" updated: 2026-07-08T09:13:26Z published: 2026-07-08T09:13:26Z canonical: "support.lusid.com/how-order-approvals-work-in-lusid" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.lusid.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How order approvals work in LUSID LUSID's order management system has a built-in approval workflow that lets you gate orders before they reach the market. Whether you require a single or dual sign-off on every trade, the approval process gives front-office teams a structured, auditable way to review orders without leaving the [Order Blotter](/v1/docs/using-the-order-blotter). > [!NOTE] > Note > > The approval workflow is a domain-wide configuration. [Contact your FINBOURNE representative](/v1/docs/how-do-i-use-the-support-centre) to enable this feature for your environment. ## How it works Every [order](/v1/docs/what-is-an-order-in-lusid) in LUSID has an approval state and a compliance state, that together control whether an order can be placed in the market. Orders can only be placed in the market once they have passed [compliance](/v1/docs/what-is-compliance-in-lusid) and [your domain's configured approval process](/v1/docs/how-order-approvals-work-in-lusid#approval-modes). An order block shows a derived approval state based on the approval status of the orders within it. ### Approval modes You can configure your domain to use one of the following approval modes: | Mode | Description | | --- | --- | | No approval | LUSID places orders in an `Approved` state once compliance passes. No manual approval required. | | Single-stage approval | One approver must approve the order before it can be placed. | | Dual-stage approval | Two approvers must each approve the order before it can be placed. | ### Order approval states An order moves through the following states: - `Pending`: The order has passed compliance and is awaiting approval. It cannot be placed while in this state. - `FirstStageApproved`: One approver has approved the order in a dual-stage process. A second approver must still act. - `Approved`: All required approvals have been granted. The order can now be placed in the market. - `Rejected`: An approver has rejected the order. It cannot be placed. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-53H84CIU.png) ## How do I set up order approvals? ### Step 1: Configure the approval mode in the Configuration Store You can set the domain-wide approval mode in the Configuration Store. The default value is `No Approval`, so LUSID automatically approves all new orders. To enable single-stage or dual-stage approval, you must update the relevant configuration set with the appropriate value: 1. Navigate to **System Settings > Configuration Store**. 2. Select the **Shared keys** tab. 3. Click **Edit** on the following set**:** ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-QT62Z7W0.png) - **Scope**: `system` - **Code**: `LUSID-OrderManagement` 4. Set the `OrderApproval` value to one of the following: ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-KTJQFCRN.png) - `no-approval`: No approval - `single-stage`: Single-stage approval - `two-stage`: Dual-stage approval 5. Save the configuration set. ### Step 2: Assign approval permissions to users Only users with the appropriate permissions can approve orders; you must assign roles accordingly. In a typical setup: - **Traders / junior staff**: Can create and submit orders for approval, but cannot approve. - **Lead Portfolio Managers / Investment Team**: Can approve orders. - **Compliance**: Cannot create or approve orders, but may have the ability to override hard compliance rules. [See how to create roles and policies in LUSID.](/v1/docs/how-do-i-assign-policies-roles-and-users-to-each-other-using-the-api) ## How do I approve an order? ### Viewing orders pending approval Orders awaiting approval are visible in the Order Blotter. You can filter or sort by the **Approval State** column to identify orders in a `Pending` state. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-V1112CE5.png) ### Approving an order block 1. Locate the individual order or order block you want to approve in the Order Blotter. - For order blocks: Select **Options** on the order block row. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-49PDP78P.png) - For individual orders: Select the block containing the order, then select **Options** on the order row in the lower grid. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-Z6QYKPDM.png) 2. Select **Approve / Reject** from the menu. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-0PCZDV05.png) 3. Choose **Approve** or **Reject** and provide a supporting comment. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-OF8AUTIP.png) ## How do I track approvals and order history? ### Who created the order In the Order Blotter, you can add the **Created By**, **Modified By**, and more columns to identify who initiated an order. You can add these columns via the column **Configuration** icon: ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-RIM4NS7Q.png) ### Viewing approval history To view the full approval history of an order, including who acted at each stage: 1. Click on the **Order code** via the lower grid to open the order detail view. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-QO5WWCT6.png) 2. Select **View audit history**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-F5TXSG3X.png) For example: ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image-L293P1KE.png) --- ### FAQs #### Can an approver approve their own order? No, a user cannot approve an order they created. Similarly in a dual-stage setup, the same user cannot act as both approver 1 and approver 2. #### What happens if an order is rejected? The order moves to a `Rejected` state and cannot be placed in the market. The order remains visible in the blotter. #### Can the approval mode be changed? Yes, you can update the set in the Configuration Store. Note that changing the mode will impact existing open orders and all new orders from that point forward.