⚠ Important:
In email approval does not require a login. Anyone who receives or is forwarded the approval email can click the Approve or Reject actions. Your agency must assess this risk and decide whether in email approval is appropriate for your workflow.
A one time use token is embedded in the timesheet action links. The token expires automatically 7 days after the email is sent, and the Approve, Reject, and View actions will no longer work after that time.
📌 Note: You need access to Time & Attendance maintenance screens and Notification Templates to complete this process.
Understand In Email Timesheet Approval Notifications
Use in email approval when you want approvers to see key timesheet details and complete actions (Approve, Reject, View) directly from their email client.
The email template body uses merge tags to display:
Timesheet header information, such as worker, period, and status.
Timesheet component details, such as days, hours, and totals.
Special merge tags insert Approve, Reject, and View actions into the email. When a recipient clicks one of these actions, the system uses a one time token embedded in the link to process the selected action.
The special action merge tags only work when the email template is assigned to a timesheet notification where:
The notification Type is set to Immediate.
The notification Trigger is set to Submitted.
You can control how much information appears in the email by choosing which header merge tags and timesheet component merge tags you include in the template body.
For information on how to configure notifications and assign templates, refer to your internal article on setting up timesheet notifications.
📌 Note: Where you do not want approvers to act directly from email, use a standard timesheet notification template without the in email Approve, Reject, and View merge tags.
Copy the Default Timesheet Approval Email Template
Use this section if you want to start from the prebuilt FastTrack template and then customise it.
Go to Time & Attendance, then click Maintenance, then click Notification Templates.
In the left-hand Categories pane, click Timesheet, then expand the Email folder.
In the email template list, find and click FT Template Approve-Reject Submitted TS via Email.
Click Action, then click Edit.
In the template body editor toolbar, click Tools, then click Source code.
In the source code pop-up, click once in the code area, then press Ctrl + A on your keyboard.
While the code is highlighted, press Ctrl + C on your keyboard to copy the source code, then confirm the copy is complete.
Close the source code pop-up and, if required, close the template by clicking Cancel or the close control, then return to the Template Maintenance screen.
📌 Note: If you prefer to design your own layout, you can skip copying the default template and instead build a template body using the merge tags described in your Creating Notification Templates article and the timesheet component merge tag reference.
Create a New Email Notification Template
On the Notification Templates screen, confirm that Timesheet and Email are still selected, then click Add Template.
In the Template Name field, enter a clear, descriptive name, then confirm the notification type or category fields (if shown) are set appropriately for timesheet emails.
In the template body editor toolbar, click Tools, then click Source code.
Decide whether you want to keep any existing source code:
To keep it, click at the end of the last line, then press Enter to add a new line.
To replace it, highlight the existing code, then press Delete to clear it.
Click in the source code area where you want to insert the copied content, then press Ctrl + V on your keyboard.
Review the pasted code briefly to confirm it appears complete, then close the source code pop-up using its OK or Save control.
Click Save on the template screen, then confirm that the body now shows the styled layout from the default in email approval template.
📌 Note: At this stage, the template layout is copied but still generic. You can now customise the wording, branding, and merge tags to match your agency requirements.
Update Merge Tags and Timesheet Content
In the new template, review the header area, main timesheet detail sections, and the Approve, Reject, and View action areas, then decide what information your approvers need to see.
Update the static text in the body to match your agency’s tone and policy, then remove any wording that is not required.
Insert or adjust header merge tags so that the email shows the correct timesheet header data, such as worker name, assignment, dates, and status, then confirm the tags match those documented in your Creating Notification Templates article.
Insert or adjust timesheet component merge tags to display the required level of timesheet detail, then confirm these tags match the descriptions in your timesheet component merge tag reference.
Locate the special merge tags that render the Approve, Reject, and View actions, then confirm they are present and positioned clearly in the template, for example near the top and again near the bottom if desired.
If needed, add your organisation’s logo or branding using the editor tools, then ensure these additions do not break the layout when viewed on common email clients.
Click Save, then use the Preview or test features (if available) to generate a sample email and confirm that merge tags and action buttons appear as expected.
🤓 Tip: Keep the email concise by including only the timesheet details that approvers need to make a decision. Excessive detail can make the email harder to read on mobile devices.