Workflow Parameters
- Robert Alexander Marshall
Overview
Workflow parameters allow you to add dynamic information as a parameter value to your workflow – they are placeholders for information located elsewhere.
One or more editable workflow parameters can be added to a custom workflow. Their values can be changed at the space level. Each time the workflow encounters the workflow parameter, for example in a trigger action, the value is retrieved.
Workflow parameters can help manage your reviewers or expiry dates for your approved pages. Your workflow can dynamically adapt to changing situations by using a workflow parameter.
For example, you want to use the same workflow in different spaces, but each space uses different team members as workflow approval reviewers
users or user groups can be added as a value for a workflow parameter
the workflow approval is configured to assign users as reviewers using the parameter value
the parameter value used by the workflow is set in the space document management dashboard in each space
The included Quality Management System Workflow uses a workflow parameter value to assign reviewers to the approval in the In Approval state.
Where can they be used
You can use parameter references in the following situations
in workflow approvals for the values of reviewers
in workflow states as a value for state expiry
trigger actions that support workflow parameters
Types of workflow parameter
Workflow parameters can be created in a workflow to use different data types for the content value.
string workflow parameter value is a string of characters
user workflow parameter value is one or more Confluence usernames
group workflow parameter value is one or more Confluence group names
duration workflow parameter value is a period or set date
list workflow parameter value is a list of values that are options for the value of the workflow parameter
You can create and edit workflow parameters using workflow builder.
A workflow parameter cannot be used as a value for another workflow parameter.
Example
You can use a user workflow parameter to manage the reviewers for your workflow approvals.
In a workflow, we have created the user workflow parameter named Team_Reviewers.
it has been created with a value that is the users Suni and Matilde
In the Approval content review, add the name of the workflow parameter as reviewers.
Here we have configured the approval to use the workflow parameter value to set all the reviewers that must approve.
The added workflow parameter name is enclosed in the @ symbol.
The workflow parameter added to a workflow appears as an option in the dialog box when typing "@Tea…"
When the workflow is applied to the content, the value(s) of the @Team_Reviewers@ workflow parameter is added to the workflow popup. These are the users who must undertake the content review.
In the space settings Document Management dashboard the number of parameters defined in a workflow is displayed when the workflow is enabled for the space.
The values of the workflow parameters used in the current space are edited by choosing the @ Parameters lozenge.
Choose @ Parameters to display all workflow parameters in a dialog box.
The changed value is used when a workflow event next encounters the workflow parameter, for example when the workflow is applied to a new page created in the space.
This allows the use of a workflow in different spaces but with different values for the reviewers in each space; for the project team or the expiration due date.
If the workflow is added as a page-level workflow, the value of the workflow parameter can be edited using the page tools menu option, Manage Workflow Parameters.