Using the workflow on a page
When a workflow is added and applied to a page or blog post the workflow automatically defines the page or blog post in the initial workflow state.
The workflow status breadcrumb is added to the page and is used by editors to open the workflow popup to interact with the workflow.
Editors can view the workflow and progress, including any expiry due dates for the current state. The workflow popup is used to make approval decisions and manage reviewers.
Workflow status
The workflow state status byline is added to the page indicating the current workflow state.
Workflow popup
Interaction by the user - the page editor(s), and the reviewer(s) - is through the workflow popup accessed using this breadcrumb.
Viewing the workflow
The workflow app icon breadcrumb is also added to the page with an applied workflow.
Selecting this workflow icon opens a dialog box displaying details of the currently applied workflow.
Viewing expiry due date
The workflow popup also displays details of any expiry due date set for the workflow state.
Reviewers
One or more users can be assigned as reviewers to an approval, either automatically by the workflow on a transition to the workflow state with the approval, or manually using the workflow popup.
In some cases when more than one reviewer decision is required for the approval to be completed, reviewer decisions are displayed in the workflow popup.
Workflow transitions and document process milestones
Each milestone in your process is set as a workflow state in an applied workflow. Each state can be configured for specific document process steps, for example, team approvals, final sign-off, triage tasks or final published document. approvals. Content is moved from the current workflow state to a destination state using the workflow popup - a transition.
The transition available from the current state is displayed in the workflow popup.
Not all the possible transitions are displayed in the workflow popup. Some transitions can be set to occur in the background, for example, if a page is updated.
The transition can be based on one or more user approval decisions (approve/reject) in a content review. This lets your reviewer(s) focus on the approval decision itself as the state change is configured in, and managed by the workflow.
You can create a workflow that includes a state transition requiring the user to manually select the destination state using the workflow popup.
Other types of transition from one state to another state can be actioned automatically by the workflow, for example, state content changes
on updating the page or blog post
on the expiry of the set due date for the page or blog post whilst in a specific workflow state
Transitions can also occur automatically based on the occurrence of specific workflow event. This automation in your document workflow is achieved by the customization of the applied workflow with the addition of a workflow trigger to listen for a workflow event and automatically action the change of the workflow state.
Workflow final state
A single state in a workflow can be set as the final state for the content. The page or blog post in this state is usually your final approved content for wider audience consumption.
If a page has been previously approved (transitioned to the final workflow state), but the current state is another state in the workflow (a state for draft content), the workflow displays a link to the last approved version of the page.
Workflow integration with some third party apps use the final workflow state, for example different state publishing using Comala Publishing.
Tracking activity
In the workflow popup, using the ellipsis menu Activity report option, page editors can view the workflow changes for each page.
This displays the Document Activity Report for the current page.
The report is accessible by using Document Activity option in the page tools menu when a workflow is active on the page.
In addition to the document activity report for the page, a space administrator can track the workflow activity on pages and blog posts across the space using the Document Report option in the Confluence sidebar menu.
Settings dropdown menu is used by user with space administrator permission to configure the workflow displayed in the report.