Pre-approval review view that shows provisional payroll results so issues can be fixed before the run is finalized.
A payroll preview is a pre-release view of payroll results used to review the run before it is approved and finalized.
It gives payroll a chance to inspect totals, exceptions, and unusual employee results before the run becomes the committed payroll outcome. It is a review surface, not the final payroll event itself.
Payroll preview matters because it affects:
It is often one of the most practical operational tools in payroll software because it lets payroll see the consequences of the current inputs before moving forward. Many payroll issues are easiest to fix during preview because payment has not been finalized yet.
Payroll preview appears after payroll has enough inputs to produce provisional results but before final approval. In practice, payroll may:
That makes the preview a review stage between data collection and final payroll approval. Teams often compare it against prior payroll results, batch totals, or expected exceptions before deciding the run is ready.
| Term | What payroll uses it for |
|---|---|
| Payroll preview | Review current provisional results before approval |
| Payroll approval | Decide the run is ready to move forward |
| Payroll register | See summarized run totals and employee results |
| Payroll close | Confirm the finished run is complete and documented |
| Review item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Unusual gross or net pay | May indicate wrong hours, wrong rates, or bad deductions |
| Missing employees or duplicate employees | Prevents incomplete or duplicated payment |
| Exceptions and warnings | Signals records that need cleanup before approval |
| Large deduction or tax changes | Helps payroll catch setup or import issues early |
Payroll generates a preview for the current biweekly run and notices one employee’s net pay is far lower than in the prior cycle.
Because the issue appears in the preview, payroll can investigate the deduction or time-entry problem before the run is approved and released.