Repository navigation
Next step shows "Waiting for you to add expenses", LHN shows GBR for approve-only member #104907
Description
If you haven’t already, check out our contributing guidelines for onboarding. To join our Slack channel, fill out this form.
Version Number: 9.5.20-0
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: N/A - new feature, doesn't exist in prod
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: #102933
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): osdjnoidosjio@gmail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Exploratory - Significant User Experience Deterioration
Device used: Mac 26.5 / Chrome
App Component: Money Requests
Action Performed:
Precondition:
- User A creates a Control workspace.
- User A invites User B to workspace.
- User B creates a workspace and make it default workspace.
- Go to staging.new.expensify.com
- [User B] Create an empty report in the invited workspace chat.
- [User A] Change User B's role to Approve-only in workspace settings > Members.
- [User B] Open the report.
Expected Result:
- Next step will not show "Waiting for you to add expenses" since User B cannot create expense with approve-only rule.
- LHN will not show GBR since there is no required action on the empty report for approve-only member.
Actual Result:
Next step shows "Waiting for you to add expenses" when User B cannot create expense with approve-only rule.
- LHN shows GBR since there is no required action on the empty report for approve-only member.
Workaround:
Unknown
Platforms:
- Android: App
- Android: mWeb Chrome
- iOS: App
- iOS: mWeb Safari
- iOS: mWeb Chrome
- Windows: Chrome
- MacOS: Chrome Safari
Screenshots/Videos
Bug7294631_1792777104637.11.1.mp4
Applause Internal Information
Exported by: Julia Ponikarchuk
Bug ID: 7294631
Issue Owner
Current Issue Owner: @ShridharGoelMetadata
Metadata
Assignees
Type
Projects
- Status
Activity
applause-bot commentedon Oct 23, 2026
While Applause doesn't embed attachments for this bug, here are the links for quick view:
https://platform.applause.com/services/links/v1/external/48abceca49df766da9158a7a60d4e4ab09ca5fc8da395105c4c44fd3cfda8a7a
melvin-bot commentedon Oct 23, 2026
You have been assigned to this deploy blocker because you recently merged this PR: #102933
melvin-bot commentedon Oct 23, 2026
@flodnv @Pujan92 you have been assigned to this deploy blocker because you reviewed the offending PR: #102933
melvin-bot commentedon Oct 23, 2026
@ShridharGoel you have been assigned to this deploy blocker because you authored the offending PR: #102933
github-actions commentedon Oct 23, 2026
👋 Friendly reminder that deploy blockers are time-sensitive ⏱ issues! Check out the open `StagingDeployCash` deploy checklist to see the list of PRs included in this release, then work quickly to do one of the following:
melvin-bot commentedon Oct 23, 2026
💬 A slack conversation has been started in #expensify-open-source
MelvinBot commentedon Oct 23, 2026
Deploy Blocker Investigation
Recommendation: Demote, then fix forward. This is not a regression. [Payment due @Pujan92] Add approve-only workspace role added the Approve-only role, but it never updated the existing next-step and GBR logic. That logic still treats an Approve-only member like a regular member. Production behaves the same way for a regular member with an empty open report.
Why demoting is reasonable:
Quick fix (App only):
getReportNextStep, just after the archived-policy check at NextStepUtils.ts:347, return the "no further action" step for an open, empty report when!canCreateExpensesOnPolicy(policy, reportOwnerLogin).hasOutstandingChildRequestflag on the user's own workspace chat when they can't create expenses. Keep theiouReportActionToApproveOrPaybranch so real Approve/Pay badges still show.Investigation details
Where "Waiting for you to add expenses" comes from
buildOptimisticNextStepalways setsWAITING_TO_ADD_TRANSACTIONSfor an open report. actions/Report/index.ts:4819-4832 stores it when User B creates the report, while User B is still a regular member.getReportNextStepoverrides only for archived policies, violations, self-approval and no-further-action. Otherwise it returns the stored next step, so nothing changes after the role change.Where the GBR comes from
getOutstandingChildRequestsetshasOutstandingChildRequest: trueon the workspace chat for any open report on a manual-submit policy.What the PR changed
It added the
CREATE_EXPENSESpermission andcanCreateExpensesOnPolicy, and applied them only to creation paths (canAddTransaction,canRequestMoney, report creation, workspace pickers, the compose menu). It did not touchNextStepUtils.ts,getOutstandingChildRequest, or the GBR reason logic.Other PRs ruled out
I checked the file lists of every PR on Deploy Checklist: New Expensify 2026-10-23. None of them changes the next-step or GBR logic.
Optional backend follow-up: The backend could recompute the stored next step and
hasOutstandingChildRequestwhen a member becomes Approve-only. The App fix above works without it.Code review rule: Skipped. "A new permission wasn't applied to every older code path" is specific to this feature and can't be detected mechanically.
Next Steps: Assignees
ShridharGoel,Pujan92andflodnv: decide whether to demote. Reply@MelvinBot implement the quick fixto get a draft PR, or@MelvinBot <your feedback>to refine this.view run
m-natarajan commentedon Oct 26, 2026
Not Reproducible
Unable to reproduce the issue because the "Approve-only" role option is no longer available in Workspace Settings > Members.
Mac 26.6/ Chrome
Version: 9.5.20-5
Grabando.177.mp4
melvin-bot commentedon Oct 29, 2026
@ShridharGoel Uh oh! This issue is overdue by 2 days. Don't forget to update your issues!