---
title: How to Set Up a Substitute for a Deactivated User
description: When you deactivate a user, it is prudent to set up a substitute to assign revision and matching processes for the inactive user’s documents and activities within the Precoro system. 
---

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# How to Set Up a Substitute for a Deactivated User

## Learn how to delegate documents in Precoro by assigning substitute users when deactivating or updating roles.

#### TABLE OF CONTENTS

- [How to Choose Substitutes When Deactivating a User](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-set-up-a-substitute-when-deactivating-a-user#how-to-deactivate) 
    - [Who Can Be Selected as a Substitute](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-set-up-a-substitute-when-deactivating-a-user#who-can-be-selected)
    - [Actions the Assigned Substitutes Can Perform](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-set-up-a-substitute-when-deactivating-a-user#actions-to-perform)
- [How to Assign a Substitute When Taking Away User Roles](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-set-up-a-substitute-when-deactivating-a-user#Assign-Substitute-When-Taking-Away-User-Roles)
- [Set Your Email Preferences for Substitute User Letters](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-set-up-a-substitute-when-deactivating-a-user#emails)

### How to Choose Substitutes When Deactivating a User

When you deactivate a user who has documents, reports, budgets, contracts, or approval steps to hand off, you can choose who takes over each of these processes.

1. Go to **Configuration** → **User Management** and click **Edit** next to the user.
2. Turn off the **User is Active** toggle. If the user has work to hand off, the deactivation dialog opens.
3. Select who takes over each process.
4. Once the substitutes are selected, click **Deactivate User**.
5. Then click **Update** to save the changes.

See [How to Deactivate a User in Precoro](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-delete-/-disable-a-user-in-precoro?hsLang=en) for more information on deactivation, such as multi-company accounts.

<iframe data-hsv-src="https://play.hubspotvideo.com/v/1903299/id/223801914719" referrerpolicy="origin" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" allow="autoplay; fullscreen;" style="position: absolute !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; left: 0; top: 0; border: 0 none; pointer-events: initial" title="HubSpot Video" loading="lazy" data-hsv-id="223801914719" data-hsv-style="" data-hsv-width="1920" data-hsv-height="1048" data-hsv-autoplay="false" data-hsv-loop="false" data-hsv-muted="false" data-hsv-hidden-controls="false" data-hsv-full-width="false"></iframe>

#### Who Can Be Selected as a Substitute

Each selector lists only the users who can take over that process.

[![dialog-transfer-work](https://help.precoro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dialog-transfer-work.jpg?width=670&height=333&name=dialog-transfer-work.jpg)](https://help.precoro.com/hubfs/dialog-transfer-work.jpg?hsLang=en)

For suppliers, budgets, custom reports, webhooks, AP Inbox, and billing notifications, Precoro checks only the role and doesn’t check access to locations or custom document fields.

Legal entity access is checked only when **Set Up Access by Legal Entity** is enabled.

| **What you transfer** | **Who can be selected** |
| --- | --- |
| Documents (**one selector per document type:** warehouse requests, purchase requisitions, requests for proposal, purchase orders, invoices, receipts, and expenses) | A user with the **Create** role for that document type and access to the same locations, custom document fields, and legal entities (if enabled) as the deactivated user, or wider |
| Suppliers, supplier registration forms, and contracts | A user with the **Suppliers** role (**View Only** or **Create**) |
| Budgets | A user with the **Budgets** role |
| Custom reports | A user with the **Reports** role |
| Webhooks | A user with the **Configuration** role |
| AP Inbox | A user with the **AP Inbox** role |
| Billing notifications | A user with the **Configuration** role |
| Approval steps | A user with approval rights for that step and access to the locations and custom document fields the step requires |
| Substitute rights | If the deactivated user was someone’s substitute (for example, while that person is in **vacation mode**), Precoro checks both roles and access when you choose a replacement |

If the user has documents in a disabled module, the selector for that document type shows the **Inactive** label. For this selector:

- The substitute doesn’t need the Create role for that document type. If they don’t have it, Precoro assigns it to them.
- The substitute needs the same access to locations, custom document fields, and legal entities as the deactivated user, or wider.

#### Actions the Assigned Substitutes Can Perform

Each selected user takes over only the process you chose them for. A user selected for purchase orders, for example, gets the deactivated user’s purchase orders.

##### Documents

One user can take over one or several document types, depending on how many selectors you assign them to. For each document type, they:

- Become the creator of the deactivated user’s documents of that type, such as purchase orders or invoices. 
    - The transfer includes **Completed** and **Recurring** documents, since they can still be revised or repeated.
    - **Draft** documents are deleted, and **Cancelled** and **Rejected** documents stay with the original creator.
- Take future actions available to the document creator, such as revisions, or confirming changes to documents in **Matching** status.
- Get Precoro and email notifications about required actions on these documents.
- Become the default purchaser, for purchase orders, or the default PunchOut invoice creator, for invoices.

**✍️ Note**: Document attachments aren’t transferred. Anyone with access to a document can edit its attachments.

Transferred documents get the **Delegated status**. Hover over the Delegated tag to see the original creator.

[![doc-delegated](https://help.precoro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/doc-delegated.jpg?width=670&height=291&name=doc-delegated.jpg)](https://help.precoro.com/hubfs/doc-delegated.jpg?hsLang=en)

**✍️ Note:** If you reactivate the user and they gain the **Create** role for that document type, the delegated documents return to them.

##### Suppliers and Contracts

The substitute selected for **Supplier Management** takes over the deactivated user's suppliers, contracts, and unfinished supplier questionnaires, and gets contract notifications.

Completed questionnaires stay as they are.

<iframe data-hsv-src="https://play.hubspotvideo.com/v/1903299/id/223814478126" referrerpolicy="origin" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" allow="autoplay; fullscreen;" style="position: absolute !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; left: 0; top: 0; border: 0 none; pointer-events: initial" title="HubSpot Video" loading="lazy" data-hsv-id="223814478126" data-hsv-style="" data-hsv-width="1920" data-hsv-height="1040" data-hsv-autoplay="false" data-hsv-loop="false" data-hsv-muted="false" data-hsv-hidden-controls="false" data-hsv-full-width="false"></iframe>

##### Budgets

The substitute selected for **Budgets** gets full access to the deactivated user's budgets, including editing and deleting them. The budget shows the substitute when the deactivated user was its **Budget Holder**.

###### Custom Reports

The substitute selected for **Custom Reports** becomes the owner of the deactivated user's custom reports, with full access to edit and delete them.

##### Other Processes

- **Webhooks:** the selected user takes over the deactivated user’s webhooks.
- **AP Inbox:** the selected user takes over AP Inbox documents and becomes the default initiator of auto-created invoices.
- **Billing notifications:** the selected user takes the deactivated user’s place among billing notification recipients.
- **Vacation Mode:** the selected user takes over the deactivated user’s role as someone’s substitute user. Backup approver roles aren’t transferred, and Precoro removes the deactivated user from them.

##### Approval Steps

The user selected for an approval step replaces the deactivated user in the approval workflow.

<iframe data-hsv-src="https://play.hubspotvideo.com/v/1903299/id/223814477408" referrerpolicy="origin" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" allow="autoplay; fullscreen;" style="position: absolute !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; left: 0; top: 0; border: 0 none; pointer-events: initial" title="HubSpot Video" loading="lazy" data-hsv-id="223814477408" data-hsv-style="" data-hsv-width="1920" data-hsv-height="1056" data-hsv-autoplay="false" data-hsv-loop="false" data-hsv-muted="false" data-hsv-hidden-controls="false" data-hsv-full-width="false"></iframe>

The selected user:

- Permanently replaces the deactivated user on that step, in every approval workflow where the step appears. If you reactivate the user, they don’t return to the approval steps.
- Approves, rejects, or sends documents for revision on that step, the same way the deactivated user did.

See [What Happens to Approval Steps](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-delete-/-disable-a-user-in-precoro#approval-steps) to learn what happens to pending documents when no one is selected for a step.

### How to Assign a Substitute When Taking Away User Roles

When you remove a role from a user who has work tied to it, Precoro asks you to choose a substitute for that role.

| **Role you remove** | **Precoro asks for a substitute when the user** | **What happens after you assign a substitute** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Create** role for a document type | Has documents of that type in any status except **Draft**, **Cancelled**, and **Rejected** | The substitute becomes the creator of these documents and can take all actions available to the creator. The **Requestor**, **Purchaser**, or **Issuer** field changes to the substitute, and the document gets the **Delegated** status. The substitute gets notifications about these documents by email and in Slack, if connected. Documents in **Draft, Cancelled,** and **Rejected** statuses stay with the user. Only if you give the Create role back, the delegated documents return to the user. |
| **Create** role for Suppliers (the user has no other Suppliers role) | Owns suppliers or receives contract notifications | The substitute takes over the user’s suppliers, contract notifications, and unfinished supplier questionnaires. |
| **Create** role for Suppliers (the user still has the **View Only** role) | Precoro doesn’t ask for a substitute | The user keeps their suppliers and still gets contract notifications. |
| **View Only** role for Suppliers (the user doesn’t have the Create role) | Owns suppliers | The substitute takes over the user’s suppliers, contract notifications, and unfinished supplier questionnaires. |
| Reports | Owns custom reports | The substitute becomes the owner of the custom reports, with full access to edit and delete them. |
| Budgets | Is a budget holder | The substitute becomes the budget holder, with full access to edit and delete the budgets. |

To assign a substitute:

1. Go to **Configuration** → **User Management** and click **Edit** next to the user.
2. Open the **Roles** tab and clear the roles you want to remove.
3. In the **Please choose a Substitute for this User** dialog, select a user for each role you removed.
4. Click **Update**.

### Set Your Email Preferences for Substitute User Letters

When a company administrator deactivates a user and appoints a substitute, that person receives an email notification.

You can easily manage those notifications by going to Email Preferences → **Misc** → **Notification about being selected as a Substitute** checkbox.

If the checkbox is activated, a substitute user will receive an email notification. If it is disabled, they will not.

<iframe data-hsv-src="https://play.hubspotvideo.com/v/1903299/id/224181890665" referrerpolicy="origin" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" allow="autoplay; fullscreen;" style="position: absolute !important; width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; left: 0; top: 0; border: 0 none; pointer-events: initial" title="HubSpot Video" loading="lazy" data-hsv-id="224181890665" data-hsv-style="" data-hsv-width="1920" data-hsv-height="1048" data-hsv-autoplay="false" data-hsv-loop="false" data-hsv-muted="false" data-hsv-hidden-controls="false" data-hsv-full-width="false"></iframe>

### FAQs

**Why don't I see the user I need in the list?**

Each selector shows only the users who have the role and access that process requires. Check that the user has:

- The role for that process, such as the Create role for a document type or the Budgets role
- For documents, access to the same locations, custom document fields, and legal entities as the deactivated user, or wider. Legal entity access is checked only when **Set Up Access by Legal Entity** is enabled.

For documents in a disabled module, the user doesn't need the Create role, but the same access is still required. Once you update the user's roles or access, repeat the steps to select them.

See [Who Can Be Selected as a Substitute](https://help.precoro.com/how-to-set-up-a-substitute-when-deactivating-a-user#who-can-be-selected-as-a-substitute) for the full rules.

 

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