Budget-based approval workflows

Overview

Available on Ramp Plus. See Ramp Plus overview for plan details.

Ramp Budgets allows admins to integrate budget controls directly into approval workflows. This ensures every spending decision is made with real-time visibility into the available budget.

Budget-based workflows use the active budget hierarchy you set up in Ramp Budgets. If you need to adjust dimensions, roll-up categories, or reupload behavior, see Budgets overview and setup.

Features

• Budget-aware conditions : Trigger approvals based on remaining budget (e.g., "If a purchase exceeds 80% of remaining budget")
• Route to budget owners : Automatically involve budget owners in the approval chain
• Dynamic approvals : Adjust approval paths based on real-time budget data
• Informed decisions : Display current budget status at the time of approval request

How to set up budget-based workflows

1. Access Settings: Go to Budgets > Settings in Ramp.
2. Edit an existing workflow: Navigate to your list of approval workflows. Select an existing one to edit.
3. Define your budget conditions

• Click Add Step
• Choose Budget as the condition type
• Set your threshold (e.g., "exceeds 85% of monthly department budget")

4. Assign approvers: Select the individuals or roles (e.g., budget owners, finance managers) who should review when the condition is met.
5. Set notification preferences: Choose how approvers and requesters are notified about approvals.
6. Save and activate: Assign the workflow to relevant teams or departments and activate it.

Example scenarios

Best practices

• Start with simple workflows and expand over time
• Train approvers and budget owners on how budget workflows function
• Display remaining budget during the approval process to increase visibility
• Regularly review and adjust thresholds based on usage patterns
• Document edge cases or exceptions in your internal approval policy