How are Automated Workflows set up in QuickBooks?

February 19, 2026 3 min read

QuickBooks Online Advanced automated workflow diagram showing triggers, conditions, and actions process

How are Automated Workflows set up in QuickBooks?

Automated workflows in QuickBooks (primarily QuickBooks Online Advanced) streamline repetitive business tasks such as reminders, approvals, and notifications.

Here’s a breakdown of how they’re set up and what you can do with them.

If you’re exploring automation at a wider accounting level including recurring transactions, reminders, and internal notifications this guide on how to automate QuickBooks accounting provides a solid foundation.

1. Where to Find Automated Workflows

In QuickBooks Online Advanced:

Go to Settings (top right corner).
Select Manage workflows (or Automation under Tools).
Click Create workflow or choose a template from the list.

If you’re using QuickBooks Desktop, automation is more limited features like memorized transactions or recurring invoices manage repetitive tasks, not full workflows. (Use workflows to automate your business processes, 2024)

For businesses that require automation beyond native capabilities such as syncing data with CRM systems, triggering accounting entries based on external events, or creating conditional approval chains API-driven customization becomes important.

You can explore how that works here:

If you’re specifically looking at workflow-based API automation use cases, this resource dives deeper into structured automation scenarios:

2. Types of Workflows You Can Automate

QuickBooks Online Advanced provides templates for:

Invoice reminders: Automatically email customers when invoices are overdue or due soon.
Payment received notifications: Notify customers or internal teams when a payment is received.
Bill approvals: Route bills to managers for approval before payment.
Recurring transactions: Automatically create and send recurring invoices, bills, or journal entries.
Estimate follow-ups: Send automated notifications to customers about pending estimates.

If you want a practical breakdown of real-world workflow implementations (including reminders, approvals, and follow-ups), this detailed workflow guide explains them step-by-step:

3. How to Set Up a Workflow

Here’s an example of setting up an invoice due reminder workflow:

Go to Settings → Manage workflows → Create workflow.
Choose the Invoice due reminder template.
Configure:
- Trigger → When the invoice due date is approaching (e.g., 3 days before due).
- Condition → Apply to invoices over a certain amount or customer type.
- Action → Send an email reminder (customize subject & message).
Click Save and enable.

Once activated, QuickBooks automatically monitors invoices and executes the rule without manual intervention.

For companies managing higher invoice volumes or complex approval hierarchies, combining native workflows with API automation allows conditional triggers like:

Auto-creating sales receipts from CRM updates
Generating invoices from subscription platforms
Posting journal entries based on external transactions

Those advanced use cases are covered in more depth here:

Now QuickBooks will automatically monitor invoices and send reminders per your setup.

4. Common Automation Examples

Workflow Type	Trigger	Action
Payment reminder	Invoice due in 3 days	Send email to customer
Overdue invoice	5 days past due	Notify AR manager
New bill entered	Bill > $1,000	Send approval request
Payment received	Customer payment posted	Send thank-you email
Estimate not approved	7 days after sent	Send follow-up

For more structured examples and implementation insights across industries, refer to this automation workflow breakdown:

5. Tips for Efficient Workflow Setup

Use custom email templates for professional communication.
Combine workflow rules with custom fields to target specific conditions (e.g., certain customers or invoice types).
Consistently audit your workflow logs to ensure automations are running as expected.
Start with one workflow, test it, and increase gradually.

Conclusion

Automated workflows in QuickBooks Online Advanced help businesses eliminate repetitive manual tasks by automating reminders, approvals, and notifications.

From improving cash flow with timely invoice follow-ups to ensuring better control through structured approval processes, these workflows create a more reliable and efficient accounting system.

If you’re looking to implement QuickBooks automation or extend it with custom API-driven workflows tailored to your business processes, Satva Solutions can help.

Our team specializes in designing and implementing scalable accounting automation solutions. Contact us to discuss how we can optimize your QuickBooks environment.