When a business reviews an invoice and has concerns — whether about specific line items, costs, or the invoice as a whole — they can submit a query directly through Apperio. The query pauses the approval process and gives you the opportunity to review their concerns, add context, and respond before the invoice progresses.
This article explains how to find queried invoices, understand what has been raised, and submit your response.
What happens when an invoice is queried?
When a business queries an invoice, you will receive a notification and the invoice status will change to reflect that a response is required. The business may raise:
- A global comment applying to the invoice as a whole
- Line item queries on specific entries — flagged or unflagged — including an optional suggested revised value
The invoice cannot be approved or processed until the query has been resolved
Reviewing the query
Global comment
Any overall comment left by the business appears at the top of the query view. This may explain their concerns at a high level before getting into individual line items.
Line item queries
The Line Items tab lists all line items with the queried line item at the top . Each queried line item will show:
- The line item description and original value
- The business's comment explaining their concern
- A suggested value, if the business has proposed one
- The full comment history for that item, showing the thread of any previous back-and-forth
Comment threads are expanded by default so you can see the full context immediately.
Editing or replacing the invoice
Once you have reviewed the query comments, you can either respond directly to the query or if you think the comments are valid and the invoice requires replacing or editing, you can do that instead.
For instructions on how to do this, see How to Edit or Replace an Invoice.
Responding to a query
Step 1: Add a top-level response
Before you can submit, you must add a global comment at the top of the query page. Use this to respond to the business's overall concerns or provide context that applies across multiple line items.
Step 2: Respond to individual line items (if applicable)
For each queried line item, click the Resolve button. A dialog will open where you can:
- Add a comment responding to the business's specific concern
- Optionally enter a suggested value if you agree a revised amount is appropriate
- View any prior comments in the thread for that item
If a query was raised directly from a line item in the fees or disbursements table, you can also click Resolve query from that row to open the same dialog.
Step 3: Save or submit your response
At the bottom of the query page you have two options:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Save for later | Saves your response as a draft so you can return to it before sending |
| Resolve and submit | Sends your response to the business and updates the invoice status |
Note: The Resolve and submit button is disabled until you have added a top-level comment. You do not need to respond to every individual line item before submitting.
Once submitted, the invoice status updates and the business is notified of your response.
After you submit
The business will review your response. If they have further questions, they may send another query and the process repeats. The full comment history for each line item is preserved throughout, so both sides can follow the thread at any point.
If both sides reach agreement, the business can approve the invoice and it will proceed through the normal approval workflow.
Editing or replacing the invoice
In some cases, the most appropriate response to a query is to update the invoice itself — for example, if a line item was billed in error or an amount needs correcting. Apperio allows you to edit or replace an invoice directly.
For instructions on how to do this, see How to Edit or Replace an Invoice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I respond to some line items but not others?
Yes. You are only required to add a top-level comment before submitting. Responding to individual line items is optional — focus on the ones where you have specific context to add.
Can I save my response and come back to it?
Yes. Use Save for later to save a draft at any point. Your draft will be waiting for you when you return to the invoice.
What if I submit my response and then need to change it?
Once submitted, your response cannot be edited. If you need to provide additional information, wait for the business to send a follow-up query or contact them outside the platform.
Can I see who left each comment?
Yes. Each comment in the thread is labelled to show whether it came from you or the business, along with the commenter's name and the time it was submitted.
What happens if I edit the invoice instead of responding to the query?
Editing or replacing the invoice is an alternative path to resolving a query. See How to Edit or Replace an Invoice for details on that workflow.
Will the invoice timeout or expire while I'm drafting a response?
No. The invoice remains in a queried state until you submit a response. There is no automatic timeout.