Workflow Designer

Folderit’s Workflow Designer lets you automate document control using a visual, drag-and-drop canvas. You choose what should trigger a workflow, add rules and timing, and then route documents through actions like moving them to another folder or starting a resolution (Approval, Review, Acknowledgement, Folderit eSign, DocuSign, eID).

What you can do with the Workflow Designer

Typical use cases include:

• Start an approval automatically when a new file version is uploaded
• Move documents through lifecycle folders (Draft → Review → Approved)
• React to changes in metadata, tags, and relations
• Control and review external sharing (Share added/updated/deleted)
• Trigger follow-up actions when a resolution finishes or when someone responds

Open the Workflow Designer

1. Go to Manage workflows.
2. Click Define a new workflow.
3. Enter a Name for the workflow.
4. Enable the workflow when you’re ready to use it.

How workflows are structured

A workflow is a set of connected steps on a canvas. Each step performs an action or decision, and the connections determine what happens next.

Available steps include:

• Starting point (Start)
• Conditional
• Delay
• Move
• Create resolution
• Add invites
• Finalize resolution
• Reject resolution
• Cancel resolution

Step 1: Configure the Start step (trigger)

The Start step defines when the workflow runs.

1) Add one or more events

Click Add event and select the trigger(s). You can add multiple events to a single workflow.

Common event types include:

• Entity created, Entity deleted, Entity restored
• Entity moved
• Entity name changed, Entity number changed, Entity note changed, Entity description changed
• Entity date changed, Entity due date changed
• Entity meta added, Entity meta deleted, Entity meta value changed
• Entity tag added, Entity tag deleted
• Entity relation added, Entity relation deleted
• File version new, File version deleted, File version restored
• File signee added, File signee deleted
• Share added, Share updated, Share deleted
• Link address changed, Link embedded changed
• Resolution finished, Resolution response

2) (Optional) Add Start conditions (filters)

Under Conditions, click Add Condition. Available condition types include:

• Entity type (file, folder, link)
• Entity name (operator like contains + optional case sensitivity)
• Source of event (for resolution-based filtering)
• Location (destination + recursion depth)
• Conditional (nested condition groups)Tip: If you leave Conditions empty, the workflow runs for every matching event.

Step 2: Add Conditional logic (route the workflow)

Use Conditional steps to branch your workflow (if/else logic).

1) Add rules

A Conditional step can evaluate multiple conditions, for example:

• Entity type: file / folder / link
• Entity name: contains (with optional case sensitivity)
• Source of event: resolution (with resolution status and optional resolution UID)
• Location: Destination ID and recursion depth (use -1 for all subfolders)

2) Use AND/OR logic (including nesting)

Condition groups can use:

• AND
• ORYou can also nest Conditional groups to build more advanced logic, such as:
• Location is Folder A OR Folder B
• Name contains “NDA” OR “MSA”
• Source is a specific resolution UID OR any resolution

Step 3: Add Delay steps (timing)

Delay pauses the workflow for a defined amount of time.

1. Add a Delay step.
2. Set the delay value and unit:
   • Seconds
   • Minutes
   • Hours
   • Days
   • WeeksCommon uses:

• Give reviewers time before an escalation path runs
• Wait before moving a document to the next lifecycle folder
• Create timed follow-ups when combined with resolution timeouts

Step 4: Move items automatically

Move routes an entity to a selected destination folder.

1. Add a Move step.
2. Click the … button next to Destination ID.
3. Choose the destination folder in the folder picker.This is ideal for folder-based lifecycle states, for example:

• Drafts → In review → Approved → Archived

Step 5: Create a resolution (Approval, Review, Signing, Acknowledgement)

Create resolution starts a formal workflow (“resolution”) on the current entity.

1) Choose the resolution Type

• Parallel
• Serial
• Custom

2) Choose the Method

• Approval
• eSign
• Acknowledgement
• Review
• DocuSign
• eID

3) Add details and options

• Note: instructions for participants
• Show meta: include metadata in the resolution view
• Show related entities: include related items during the resolution
• Keep active: keep the resolution active (if enabled)

4) Set a Timeout

Timeout supports:

• Seconds
• Minutes
• Hours
• Days
• Weeks

5) Add invites (participants)

Invite participants as:

• Email address
• User
• GroupYou can add invites directly in Create resolution, or add them later using Add invites.Advanced: use UID input for users and groupsOn an invite row, the pencil icon switches a user/group selector into a UID field. This helps when you want stable targeting even if display names change.

Step 6: Add invites (optional step)

Add invites lets you add participants after a resolution is created.

You can configure:

• Method
• Timeout (Seconds → Weeks)Then add:
• Email address
• User
• GroupInvite rows can also be switched into UID mode using the pencil icon.

Step 7: Finalize, Reject, or Cancel a resolution

Use these steps to control resolution outcomes by method:

• Finalize resolution
• Reject resolution
• Cancel resolutionA common pattern is:
• Finalize resolution → Move to Approved/Issued
• Reject resolution → Move to Rework
• Cancel resolution → Move to Escalation or Pending

Example workflows

Example 1: Contract approval with folder lifecycle routing

Goal: When a new contract version is uploaded, run an approval and route the file based on the outcome.

Start:

• Event: File version new
• Conditions: Entity type = file, Location = Contracts (recursion depth -1)Flow:

1. Conditional: Entity name contains “Contract”
2. Create resolution:
   • Type: Parallel
   • Method: Approval
   • Invites: Legal group + Finance group
   • Timeout: 3 Days
3. On success:
   • Finalize resolution (Approval)
   • Move → Contracts/Approved
4. On failure:
   • Reject resolution (Approval)
   • Move → Contracts/Rework
5. On timeout:
   • Cancel resolution (Approval)
   • Move → Contracts/Escalation

Example 2: Policy acknowledgement after an update

Goal: When a policy is updated, require staff acknowledgement.

Start:

• Event: File version new
• Conditions: Location = Policies (recursion depth -1)Flow:

1. Create resolution:
   • Type: Parallel (or Serial)
   • Method: Acknowledgement
   • Invites: All staff group
   • Timeout: 2 Weeks
2. Optional: Move → Policies/Acknowledged

Example 3: Review new shares in a confidential area

Goal: When a share is added in a sensitive folder, route it for review.

Start:

• Event: Share added
• Conditions: Location = Confidential (recursion depth -1)Flow:

1. Move → Confidential/Shared externally – review
2. Create resolution:
   • Type: Parallel
   • Method: Approval
   • Invites: Security group
   • Timeout: 1 Day
3. Route outcomes:
   • Approved → Finalize resolution → Move to appropriate folder (optional)
   • Not approved → Reject resolution → Move to follow-up folder (optional)

Troubleshooting

• The workflow triggers too often
  • Add Start conditions. Entity type + Location are usually the fastest filters.
• The workflow does not trigger
  • Confirm the workflow is enabled.
  • Confirm the correct Start event is selected.
  • If using Location filtering, confirm Destination ID and recursion depth.
• The wrong people are invited
  • Verify invites are correct (user/group vs UID) and group membership is up to date.

Next steps

Start by automating a single folder lifecycle (for example Drafts → Approved), then add Conditional routing and resolution steps as your process matures.

If you want, share your process goal (trigger + folder + expected outcome) and we can turn it into a ready-to-publish “recipe” workflow in the same format.