Using workflow translator for cloud

Translate your server workflow to cloud compatible JSON code

Workflow Translator for Cloud is available in the workflow builder in the global workflows dashboard, the space document management dashboard, and from a page when a page workflow is applied.

A global administrator must enable the workflow translator for your Confluence server or data center instance.

In the space document management dashboard

open the ellipsis menu for a space scope workflow

Choose Edit to open the workflow builder.

Choose the Cloud Translator button.

The Actual Workflow dialog box displays the current server or data center workflow.

Before translating the workflow, you can edit the server workflow markup in the Actual Workflow dialog box. Changes made in this dialog box are retained when you return to the workflow builder and markup editor in your server or data center app.

Choose the Translate button to translate the server workflow to cloud-compatible JSON code.

The Translated Workflow dialog box displays the cloud-compatible JSON code workflow.

The Messages dialog box displays workflow elements and parameters the cloud translator has not translated.

Unsupported elements

Some elements and parameters the workflow translator does not support are available in the cloud but have different features and functionality. Some of these, such as triggers, can be added to the workflow in the cloud app visual builder or code editor.

The workflow translator V6.18.0+ includes the following in a warning message about different functionalities in cloud:

approval user and group condition parameters work slightly differently in the cloud
you must replace confluence usernames used in the workflow with the corresponding userIds in the cloud
e-signature authentication for an approval reviewer is only available through the use of a time-based token

All dialog boxes in the Workflow Translator for Cloud are scrollable if required to view all the content.

Copy the cloud-compatible JSON code to the clipboard using the Translated Workflow copy icon.

Paste the copied workflow template code to the code editor in the Comala Document Management Cloud space document management dashboard and save it as a new workflow in your cloud site space.

Suppose you copy several templates and save them as text files before adding them to the cloud app. In that case, use a code editor rather than a text editor to avoid the creation of unrecognized characters in the JSON code, such as “ (curled) in place of " (straight).

Invalid workflow

A warning message is displayed if the translator cannot translate the server workflow.

Check that the server workflow is valid in the server app.

If the error persists, contact our support team.

Add your cloud compatible JSON code as a workflow schema to your cloud site

After translating a server workflow into cloud-compatible JSON, this can be copied and pasted into the app code editor in the cloud app instead of creating a new workflow from scratch in the cloud. Once added, this workflow can be updated with both the visual and code editor.

Add the workflow template JSON code

Navigate to the space document management dashboard in the cloud app.

cdmc_documentmanagmentdashboard_cloud_bundledworkflows_no_active_wf.png

choose Create New Workflow

select the Code Editor icon

The Workflow schema code for the base two-state workflow is displayed.

highlight all the code in the dialog box and delete it
paste into the empty Workflow schema dialog box the copied cloud-compatible JSON code

choose Save
choose Exit

cdmc_documentmanagmentdashboard_cloud_translated_workflow added as custom_wf.png

The workflow is added to the dashboard and as an option in the workflow picker when adding a page workflow.

The new workflow does not include any workflow elements and parameters listed in the Messages dialog box in the workflow builder Workflow Translator for Cloud server workflow builder.

You need to review your cloud workflow and edit it where appropriate to meet your needs in the cloud. You need to

add any features available in the cloud (with different functionalities) that were not translated by the Workflow Translator for Cloud
review your cloud process where there is a feature difference between server and cloud and the feature is not available

The following elements and parameters in our example workflow were listed in the Messages dialog box in the Workflow Translator for Cloud.

The following elements are not supported:

trigger

The following parameters are not supported:

state

hidefrompath, hideselection, taskable

Triggers are available in Comala Document Management Cloud but with different functionality.

Workflow parameters, although translated in the tool, also have different functionality in the cloud, and these should be reviewed in use and, if required, updated/amended by editing the workflow parameter in the workflow builder visual editor.

The following parameters are not available in the cloud

hidefrompath
hideselection
taskable - tasks are not a feature of Confluence Cloud

There is no equivalent selectedApprovers parameter in our cloud app. However, the approval is translated to settings in the cloud that only allow selected approvers to undertake the approval. The approval can be checked using the options in the approval editor in the visual builder in the cloud, and it can also be checked when the workflow is applied to a page.

The submit transition is not translated directly, but when present in the server workflow, it is created in cloud-compatible JSON code as a select transition with a single destination state.

Atlassian continually updates the capabilities of the Confluence Cloud platform. We are also committed to developing our cloud apps, including translating additional workflow elements and parameters to cloud-compatible JSON code using Workflow Translator for Cloud in our server and data center apps.