Automation Settings
The Automation settings page lets you configure rules that Shaari executes automatically, reducing manual housekeeping work. Currently, the primary automation feature is auto-archive for purchase invoices.
Auto-Archive Policy Configuration
Auto-archive automatically moves old purchase invoices from active status to archived status after a specified period. This keeps your active invoice list focused on recent and relevant records while preserving older invoices in the archive for reference and audit purposes.
How Auto-Archive Works
- You define a retention period in days.
- Shaari periodically checks for invoices that have been in a terminal status (Paid or Confirmed) for longer than the retention period.
- Qualifying invoices are automatically moved to Archived status.
- Archived invoices are still accessible via the archive filter --- they are not deleted.
Retention Period
The retention period determines how many days an invoice remains in active view before being auto-archived. For example:
| Retention Period | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 30 days | Invoices paid or confirmed more than 30 days ago are archived |
| 90 days | Invoices paid or confirmed more than 90 days ago are archived |
| 365 days | Invoices paid or confirmed more than a year ago are archived |
Choose a retention period that matches your business needs:
- Shorter periods (30-60 days) keep your active list lean and focused on current invoices.
- Longer periods (180-365 days) are suitable if you frequently reference older invoices in day-to-day operations.
A retention period of 90 days works well for most businesses. It keeps the last quarter's invoices visible while archiving older records. You can always adjust this later.
What Gets Auto-Archived
Auto-archive only applies to purchase invoices that meet both of these criteria:
- Status is terminal --- The invoice is in a Paid or Confirmed status. Invoices in Draft, Needs Review, or other active statuses are never auto-archived.
- Age exceeds the retention period --- The time since the invoice reached its terminal status exceeds the configured retention period.
Invoices that are still in progress, under review, or unpaid are never affected by auto-archive.
Archived invoices are not deleted. They remain fully accessible by filtering for archived records. All attachments, extracted data, and payment history are preserved. Archiving only changes the invoice's visibility in the default list view.
Enabling and Disabling Automation
Enabling Auto-Archive
- Navigate to Settings > Automation.
- Toggle the auto-archive switch to on.
- Set your preferred retention period in days.
- Save the configuration.
Auto-archive begins running on its next scheduled check after you enable it.
Disabling Auto-Archive
- Navigate to Settings > Automation.
- Toggle the auto-archive switch to off.
- Save the configuration.
When disabled, no invoices will be automatically archived. Invoices that were already archived remain archived --- disabling the feature does not un-archive previously archived records.
If you enable auto-archive with a short retention period, a large number of older invoices may be archived on the next run. This is not harmful (all data is preserved), but it can be surprising if you are used to seeing all invoices in the active list. Review your retention period carefully before enabling.