Workflows
A workflow is a set of tasks: for example, ask a manager to approve an invoice, update a field, or send information to another system. A trigger decides when it starts. Lines and conditions decide which tasks follow.
Open Workspace Settings → Workflows to manage workflows. Start with one clear outcome, choose how it starts, then build and check its steps. Save keeps a draft; Publish makes a valid version available for new runs. The lessons below let you inspect real controls with local example values without running a workflow.
What a workflow is
Name
A workflow does work around a document, such as an approval. Name says the outcome.
- It can also send the document on
- For example, Manager review
How It Starts
How It Starts sets the workflow's own trigger, or a lifecycle move runs it. Saving a draft never runs it.
- Manual: started from a document, the list, a move or the API
- On a Schedule: at set times
- When a Document Matches a Condition: once for each matching document
- When an HTTP Request Is Received: another system calls it
- When Fields Change: a save changes a watched field
- When Read by AI: each time AI reads a matching document
Runs For
Runs For picks the entities a clock or an incoming call belongs to. Each entity gets its own run.
Steps
Creating the workflow opens its Steps diagram, where the actions are added. Nothing runs until you publish.
Start from a document's data
When a Document Matches a Condition lets a workflow react to documents by itself.
- It starts once per matching document
Start on a schedule
On a Schedule
On a Schedule runs regular work by itself, such as a nightly sync.
- It starts the workflow at set times, over no document
- Times are UTC
Runs for
Runs for names the entities a schedule belongs to. Each entity gets its own run.
Repeat
Repeat sets the pattern, and the settings below change with it.
- Every … minutes: a set gap in minutes between runs
- Every … hours: a set gap in hours between runs
- Every day: at the times you set
- Every week: on chosen days at chosen times
- In detail…: minute, hour, day, month and weekday yourself
On these days
On these days picks the days it runs. Each time below applies to every picked day.
At these times
At these times are UTC, not your own clock. Next Runs shows them in your time.
In detail…
In detail… sets minute, hour, day of month, month and weekday yourself. Next Runs shows the result.
Start from another system
When an HTTP Request Is Received
When an HTTP Request Is Received lets another system start work the moment something happens there.
- It starts when called at its address
Runs for
Runs for names the entities a call belongs to. Each entity gets its own run.
Address
Address is where the other system sends its calls. It is made when the workflow is saved.
Hook key
Hook key travels with every call in an X-Hook-Key header. A call without it is refused.
Request body
Request body is an example of what the other system sends. Its fields become available to the steps below.
Arrange workflow steps
Workflow diagram
The diagram shows the whole workflow at a glance, and lines from Starts decide what runs and when.
- A box's place on the screen changes nothing
Add Action
A + after a box adds an action there. A + on a line inserts one before the line’s destination.
Action card
A box such as Approval opens its card here, with that action’s settings. Each type has its own controls.
Which result
Which result picks which outcome of the step before this line follows.
- Any result: the line follows whatever the step reports
- A named result: the line follows only that outcome
- And only when: adds a condition on the next step
Continue with an existing action
At the end of a chain, + offers Continue with an existing action instead of a new one.
- Joins here: the step waits for this path as well
- Another round: the path goes back to an earlier step
Finished when
A group runs steps side by side, and Finished when decides when it counts as done.
- All of them: every step in the group has finished
- Any one: the first step to finish is enough
- A number of them: the count set in How many of them
Use values from the run
One message fits every document, because @ inserts run values into What To Say.
- Plain text stays as typed
- Document fields: the document's own values
- Earlier steps: results of the steps that come before this one
Publish and maintain a workflow
Unpublished changes
A workflow changes only on Publish, so runs never pick up half-made edits.
- Save: keeps your draft
- Publish: checks it and makes it the version new runs use
- Unpublished changes: a saved draft that is not live yet
- Could not publish: lists why the draft was refused
Discard Draft
Discard Draft removes the unpublished changes and returns to the published version.
Pause Workflow
Pause Workflow stops any new run from starting, and runs already going finish. Resume Workflow lets new runs start again.
History
Every published version is listed with what changed. An older one offers Restore Version, which makes it your draft.
Workflow runs
Run timeline
Every run is recorded, so you see what is Completed and what is Upcoming.
- A document's Activity tab shows the same timeline, newest step first
- Upcoming: the step running now and the steps still waiting
- Completed: the steps that have finished
- Workflow started: who began the run, and when
Failure reason
A failed run shows its reason under the step that failed, before Retry Run.
Retry Run
Retry Run sends a failed run again from the step that failed.
Cancel Run
Cancel Run stops a running run and closes its open approvals.
Step: Change Access
Change Access
Change Access lets access follow the process, such as opening an approved document to accounting.
- It gives people, groups or roles a level of access
- It can also take access back
People
People names who gets or loses the access. A group or role stays itself, so later joiners get it too.
Access
Access is the level the people get. The levels are the ones your workspace defines, such as View.
No access
No access takes back the access that sharing or a Change Access step gave these people on the document.
Step: Change Rows
Change Rows
Change Rows makes routine row corrections happen by themselves.
- It adds, edits, duplicates, deletes, merges or splits table rows
- Each change can follow a condition
Rows from
Rows from is the table whose rows change.
Which rows
Which rows decides which rows each change touches.
- All of them: every row of the table
- Only rows I pick: the rows that match a condition
Change: Add
Add puts new lines at the end of the table.
- New Lines lists them
- A column a line leaves out stays empty
Change: Edit
Edit writes new values into the picked rows. Set lists the columns that change, each with its new value.
Change: Delete
Delete removes the picked rows. With All of them every row goes, so the scope matters.
Duplicate, merge or split rows
Change: Duplicate
Duplicate reshapes rows for the next system with no manual work.
- It copies each picked row, keeping its values except those you change
On the Copy
On the Copy lists the columns whose values the copy gets instead.
Change: Merge
Merge combines the picked rows into one row per group.
Group by
Group by names the columns whose equal values put rows in one group, and each group becomes one row.
- Column Rules: can set one column's rule for this merge
Change: Split
Split turns each picked row into two or more parts. Split by sets how the parts divide it.
- Share: each part takes a share of the row
- A column: each part gets an amount of one dividing column
Parts
Parts lists the parts each row becomes.
- Each has a share or amount
- Each can set its own column values
Step: Delay
Delay
Delay lets a workflow wait for the right moment, such as days before a reminder.
- It pauses the run for a time or until a date
- The run then carries on, and waiting is not failing
Wait
Wait is a length of time. Days, hours and minutes add up: 1 day and 6 hours is thirty hours.
or until
or until waits for a date the run knows, such as the due date. A past date carries straight on.
Step: Read with AI
Read with AI reads a document again whenever your process needs it.
- It reads the file and fills the document
- Reading can use credits
Step: Read Record
Read Record
Read Record lets later steps use details kept elsewhere, such as a partner's data.
- It finds one record, and later steps use its fields
Record
Record is the kind of record to look up.
- Document: a document
- Dimension Value: a value of a dimension, such as a partner
- Entity: an entity
Which one
Which one says which record is read.
- Found by: the field that identifies it, per kind of record
- Value: what to look for
- It is fixed text, or a run value inserted with @
Dimension
Dimension is where a dimension value is looked for. The same code can exist in different dimensions.
Step: Update Field
Update Field
Update Field lets the process fill values instead of a person.
- It writes field values on the document or a related record
On
On is the kind of record whose fields change. The kinds offered are the destinations allowed here.
Which one
Which one picks the record to change.
- The one this run is about: the document the run started for
- The one where…: another record, found by a field and a value
Found by and Value
Found by is the field that identifies the record, such as its reference.
- Value: what to look for
- It is fixed text, or a run value inserted with @
Dimension
Dimension is where a dimension value is looked for. The same code can exist in different dimensions.
What to Change
What to Change lists the fields to write, each with its new value. Document values can be inserted with @.
Step: Write Records
Write Records
Write Records keeps lists such as a dimension's values in step with another system.
- It creates or updates records from the run's data
Write into
Write into is the list the records go into, such as a dimension's values.
Update the existing record when
Update the existing record when names the field that decides update or create. A match updates, no match adds.
What Goes in Each Field
What Goes in Each Field fills each field of the record from a value in the received rows.
Rows come from
Rows come from is the list in the run's data whose rows become the records.
Step: Send Notification
Send Notification
People hear about what matters without having to check. Send Notification sends an in-app notification to selected people.
- It informs and asks for no decision
Who To Tell
Who To Tell lists who gets it. A group or a role tells each of its people, once each.
What To Say
What To Say is what they read. Document values can be inserted with @.
Step: Send Processing Feedback to AI
Send Processing Feedback to AI makes future reading better with your corrections.
- It sends the saved values to the AI
- The AI learns from them
Step: Start Workflow
Start Workflow
Start Workflow lets one workflow hand work to another, such as one approval per group of rows.
- It starts another workflow over this document
- It runs once, or once per group
Start
Start is the workflow to run. It runs for the same entity and document, and it cannot start itself.
Run one for each group
Run one for each group starts one run per value of a field in a list.
- The step always waits
- in: the list to split
- Run one for each: the field that makes the groups
A different workflow per group
A different workflow per group names another workflow for a named group. Every other group runs the one in Start.
On a re-send, ask again
On a re-send, ask again decides who is asked when this runs again over the same document.
- Everyone: every group is asked again
- Only the ones that did not finish: finished ones are left alone
Finished when
Finished when decides when the groups count as done. Groups still running are then stopped.
- All finish: every group must finish
- Any one finishes: the first to finish is enough
- A set number finish: an exact number must finish
Who decides
Approval
Approval makes sure the right people agree before a document goes on.
- It asks people, groups or roles to decide
- Requests reach them in Actions and the daily email summary
Who Approves
Who Approves names the people, groups or roles asked to decide. A group or role asks each of its people.
How many must approve
How many must approve sets how many approvals settle the step.
- All of them: every approver must approve
- Any one: one approval is enough
- Most of them: more than half must approve
- A set number: the exact count given in How many is that
Auto-approve the sender
Auto-approve the sender records the sender's approval automatically when the sender is one of the approvers.
Send data to another system
Send HTTP Request
Send HTTP Request delivers documents straight into another system, such as your accounting.
- It calls the system and keeps the reply for later steps
Send to
Send to names the saved connection that supplies the address and the credentials.
- Entity's Destination: each run goes where its entity points
Method and Address
Method is the kind of request: GET reads and POST sends.
- Address: a path on the connection's address, or a full one
- Document fields go into it with @
Extra details
Extra details are the headers the receiver asks for, each with a Name and a Value.
What to send
What to send is the data the receiver expects, and Preview shows the filled-in result. Numbers stay numbers.
- Leave out empty values: skips empty fields, still sends 0 and false
The document file
The document file sets whether the document's file goes with the request.
- Not sent: the file stays out of the request
- As an attachment: the file travels as an attachment
- Inside the message: the file goes in a field of the data
Start: Manual
Manual starts when someone asks, from a document, the list, a status move or the API.
Start: When Fields Change
When
When Fields Change starts the workflow when a save changes one of the chosen fields.
Fields
Fields names the fields to watch.
- Any save can start it: person, API, assistant or workflow
Which Fields
Which Fields holds conditions that narrow which changes count. One can compare a field with its value before the edit.
Start: When Read by AI
When
When Read by AI starts the workflow each time AI reads a matching document, a re-read included.
Which Documents
Which Documents limits it to documents that match. Documents read before the workflow existed are not touched.
Step: Re-extract
Re-extract reads the document again with AI from the text already read from it, as the type it has now.