---
title: Purchase Orders
description: Create and manage Purchase Orders, route them for approval, receive items to update quantities, and manage vendors. For Ultra, Premium, and Enterprise.
---
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# Purchase Orders
Keep track of everything you buy, from the first draft to the day it arrives, with Purchase Orders. Route each order for approval, receive items straight into the right folders, and let Sortly update your quantities for you. Start a PO from scratch, add items through the Restock flow, or kick one off from a saved Product Link on any item. This article walks you through creating and managing Purchase Orders, approvals, receiving and closing, QuickBooks Online, vendors, and what you can do on mobile.
Ultra
Premium
Enterprise
In this article
1. [Overview and permissions](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#overview)
2. [Create a Purchase Order](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#create)
3. [Add multiple items at once](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#add-multiple)
4. [Edit or delete a Purchase Order](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#edit-delete)
5. [Approvals, receiving, and closing](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#lifecycle)
6. [QuickBooks Online](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#qbo)
7. [Vendor management](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#vendors)
8. [Purchase Orders on mobile](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#mobile)
9. [Frequently asked questions](https://help.sortly.com/purchase-orders#faq)
### Overview and permissions
To see all your Purchase Orders, select Workflows in the left menu, then select Purchase Orders. The list shows each PO's PO #, Vendor, Order Total, Status, Last Updated, Date Ordered, Date Expected, Date Received, Ship To, Created By, and Submitted By.
A PO moves through these statuses: Draft, Ready for Review, Approved, Ordered, Partially Received, and Received. You can then mark it Closed.
Before you create a new PO, you can check whether an item is already on order. Items with an active order show a shopping cart icon with a checkmark in Grid view, List view, [Advanced Search](https://help.sortly.com/advanced-search?hsLang=en), and the [Low Stock Report](https://help.sortly.com/low-stock-report?hsLang=en). Hover over the icon to see the Ordered label.
You can see the full PO history for any item on its detail page, in the Workflow tab, or from the Restock window. On the item's detail page, the Orders section lists its POs under Open and Closed.
#### Permissions
Owners and Admins have full access to Purchase Orders by default. To give Team Members access, go to Settings, then User Access Control, and give them the Purchase Orders permission.
Role
Full access
Notes
Owner
Yes
Can delete POs in any status
Admin
Yes
Team Member
If given access
Limited, see the FAQ for details
Limited Access
No
---
### Create a Purchase Order
1
Select Workflows in the left menu, then select Purchase Orders.
2
Select New Purchase Order.
3
Enter the PO number and choose a status from the status menu next to it.
4
Under Dates, fill in Submitted By, Date Expected, and Approved By.
5
Search for items by name in Search and add items, or select Bulk Add Items to add many at once. You can add up to 100 items per PO.
6
Under Vendor, select Select Vendor to choose a saved vendor, or enter the vendor's details yourself.
7
Fill in Ship To and Bill To. Use Select Address to choose a saved address.
8
Select Save.
You can also add a single item to a PO from its item card. Select the three-dot menu on the item, then select Add to....
💡 You can also start a Purchase Order from an item's saved Product Link. [Learn more about Product Link](https://help.sortly.com/product-link?hsLang=en).
---
### Add multiple items at once
#### Use Bulk Add Items
Already building a PO and need to add a lot of items? Use Bulk Add Items on the PO page.
1
On the PO page, select Bulk Add Items instead of searching.
2
Select your items and set the Order Quantity for each one.
3
Select Add to Purchase Order.
#### From Advanced Search
Prefer to find items with filters first? Start from Advanced Search on the web.
1
Apply your filters, then select the items you want.
2
Select Add to..., then select Add to Purchase Order.
3
Set the quantity for each item, then select Next.
4
Choose an existing PO and select Add, or select Create New.
#### From a folder
Need to order items that are stored together? Start from the folder they're in.
1
Open the folder and select the items you want.
2
Follow the same steps as Advanced Search: select Add to..., then Add to Purchase Order, set quantities, and choose a PO.
---
### Edit or delete a Purchase Order
1
Select Workflows, then Purchase Orders, and select the PO you want to update.
2
Select the three-dot menu, then select Edit.
3
Make your changes, then select Save.
🗑️ Only Owners can delete Purchase Orders, and deleting one is permanent. Owners can delete a PO in any status.
---
### Approvals, receiving, and closing
#### Submit for approval
1
Open the PO, select the three-dot menu, then select Edit.
2
Change the status to Ready for Review and select Save.
3
The approver opens the PO, reviews it, and changes the status to Approved.
#### Receive items
1
On the Purchase Order, select Receive Items.
2
In Choose Receiving Action, select Update quantity or Do not update quantity. Updating quantity is recommended.
3
Select Next.
4
Choose a Receiving Folder and enter the Qty Receiving for each item.
5
Select Receive. If you receive only some items, the PO moves to Partially Received. Repeat these steps when the rest arrive.
6
Once everything is received, select the arrow next to Export, select PDF, choose the fields to include, and select Export. Share the PDF with your supplier or keep it for your records.
#### Close a Purchase Order
Once a PO is fully or partially received, you can mark it Closed to show no further updates are needed.
🗑️ Once a Purchase Order is marked Closed, it can't be reopened.
If the PO is Ordered or Partially Received, select the three-dot menu in the upper right and select Mark Closed.
If the PO is already Received, select the red Mark Closed button on the PO page.
---
### QuickBooks Online
Sending Purchase Orders to QuickBooks Online (QBO) is available on Premium and Enterprise plans.
#### Connect your QBO account
You only need to do this once.
1
Open a Purchase Order and select the three-dot menu.
2
Select Connect QuickBooks Online and follow the prompts to connect your QBO account.
Once connected, Send to QuickBooks Online appears in each PO's three-dot menu, with a Manage link under it.
#### Send a Purchase Order to QBO
1
Open the PO, select the three-dot menu, and select Send to QuickBooks Online.
2
Check that the fields match your QBO account, then select Send to QBO.
3
A confirmation appears with an Open in QBO link. The last-synced time on the PO in Sortly updates.
💡 To update a PO you already sent to QBO, edit it in Sortly and select Send to QuickBooks Online again. Your changes sync to QBO.
---
### Vendor management
Save your vendors in Sortly so you can pull their details into any Purchase Order without typing them in each time.
#### Add a vendor
1
Select Settings, then Vendors, and select New Vendor.
2
Enter the vendor's contact and company details, then select Save.
#### Add a vendor to a PO
1
Open the PO and select Select Vendor.
2
Choose your vendor and select Save. The vendor shows on the PO and in the Purchase Orders list.
---
### Purchase Orders on mobile
In the Sortly mobile app, tap Workflows, then Purchase Orders. From there you can add items to an existing PO, create a new PO (saved as Draft), and receive items. Editing, approvals, vendor details, and QBO export are available on the web.
---
### Frequently Asked Questions
How many items can I add to a Purchase Order?
Up to 100 items per Purchase Order.
What can Team Members do with Purchase Orders?
If an Owner or Admin gives them access, Team Members can:
- View all items in a PO, even without View or Edit access to those items
- Remove items from a PO
- Receive items into folders they have Edit or Move permissions for
- Clone a PO (visible items only)
- Export a PO
Team Members can't receive items into folders they don't have Move permissions for, delete locked POs, edit or create vendors, use QuickBooks Online, or give PO access to custom roles.
Can I search for items to add to a PO by scanning a barcode?
Yes. When adding items to a PO, tap the barcode icon on the right side of the search bar and scan the item's barcode or QR code.
Can I scan items to receive them on the mobile app?
Scanning to receive items isn't available on mobile. You can receive items manually in the mobile app: tap Workflows, then Purchase Orders, open the PO, and tap Receive Items.
Why isn't my Purchase Order syncing with QuickBooks Online?
Only expense account types can be selected when sending a PO to QBO. Check that the account in QuickBooks is set up as an expense account. Income and liability account types aren't supported.
Is QuickBooks Online export available on the Ultra plan?
No. QBO export is available on Premium and Enterprise plans. You can [upgrade your plan](https://app.sortly.com/change-plan) to get it. For help finding the right plan, contact our [Support Team](https://help.sortly.com/how-do-i-contact-the-sortly-support-team?hsLang=en).
How many vendors can I add?
Ultra and Premium plans support up to 100 vendors. Enterprise plans support up to 1,000 vendors.
Can I create a new item directly from a Purchase Order?
No. Items need to already exist in your inventory before you can add them to a PO.
Can I stop Purchase Order email notifications?
Yes. Go to Company Preferences and change the Purchase Order notification setting so those emails stop.
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