1. Review
2. Approval
3. Review and Approval

Note: Only the team admin or super admin can create and automate Workflows in WorkDrive.

Feature availability: 

Customized workflows: Available only for WorkDrive Business plan and Zoho One users.

Default workflows (Review, Approval, Review and Approval): Available for all team plans.

To create and enable a custom workflow in WorkDrive

1. Provide basic information about the Workflow: Start by defining your workflow's details, such as its name, description, and workflow type (file/folder-based).
   
   
2. Design the Workflow: Use the intuitive Workflow builder to configure the steps, define conditions, and assign responsibilities to team members.
   
   
3. Review and activate the Workflow: Once designed, review and activate your workflow to automate tasks and improve efficiency in your team.

Provide basic information about the Workflow (name, description, and type)

1. Sign into your WorkDrive account as an admin or super admin.
2. Click Admin Console in the bottom-left corner.
   This will open the Admin Console window, and the Dashboard tab will be selected by default.
3. Navigate to the Workflow tab by clicking on it from the left pane. The Workflow tab will appear on the right side of your screen.
4. Click + New workflow in the top-right corner. This will open the Create Workflow window.
5. Select the Workflow you need, whether automatic or manual, the name of the workflow, the description if needed, and its type (file or folder-based workflow).
6. Click Create once you've filled the required fields in the Create Workflow window. This will create a new workflow and opens a workflow builder where you can design and automate the workflow based on your need.

Design the workflow (Create states, define transitions, set up trigger and transition conditions)

The next step is to design the workflow. Start by navigating to the Design Workflow tab in WorkDrive to set up states, transitions, triggers, and actions tailored to your automation needs.

Create states

1. Click Create state on the design window to create your first state. This will open the Create a new state dialog box on the right side of your screen.
2. Enter a state name and provide a description if required.
3. Click Create. This will create a new state.
4. Click the (+) icon in the lower right of the design window to create the next set of states required for your workflow.
5. Once the state is defined, you can choose to:
1. Get response from every assignee: Enable this option to require input from all assigned users before moving to the next state, regardless of transition conditions. This ensures comprehensive feedback at each stage.
2. Set deadline: Define a timeframe for task completion to keep the workflow on schedule.
3. Allocate instant action events for the defined state: For example, whenever a file is created/uploaded, move the file to a designated folder.
   Here, File created/uploaded is the trigger event, and move the file to a designated folder is the response action event.

Define transitions

1. Hover over the border of any state to see a green-colored pointer.
2. Click and drag the green pointer from the current state to the next state (indicated by a red pointer) to establish a link.
3. Provide a transition name and description as required.
4. Choose the appropriate trigger event (only for automatic workflow) and click Create. Learn more about the available trigger events in WorkDrive

1. Right-click on the file or folder and select Workflows.
2. Choose the required manual workflow from the available list.
   
   

1. Click on the created initial transition name to open the transition pane on the right. You'll see two tabs: During and After.
   Info: You can collect assignees/approvers data directly from users via the email address field and use them anywhere in the workflow transitions.
   
   
   
   
2. In the During tab, select + Add Workflow Field and choose Create a workflow field. This will open the Configure Fields window.
   
   
3. In the Configure Fields window:
1. Drag and drop the Email Address field from the left pane to the right, or click the + icon next to it. This will open the Email Address field configuration on the right.
2. Provide a name for the field and, optionally, a description to clarify its purpose.
3. Specify whether the field should accept a single email address or multiple email addresses, based on your requirement.
4. If it's essential for users to fill in this information before starting the workflow, mark the field as Mandatory by checking the Mandatory field option.
5. Click Create to save the field.
   
   
4. You can then associate the created workflow field to gather participants' information at the start of the workflow.
   
   
5. In the After tab, you can define up to five file/folder-based instant actions that will be taken based on the configured trigger.

Transitions in this step are categorized into three sections: Before, During, and After.

1. In the During tab, select + Add Workflow Field and choose Create a workflow field. Alternatively, switch to the Configure fields tab at the top to open the Configure Fields window.
2. Here, you will be provided with the list of custom field options in the left pane.
3. Drag and drop the required custom field to the right pane or click the + icon next to it.
   Available custom field options:
1. Single line text
2. Multi line text
3. Number
4. Date and Time
5. Date
6. Yes/No
7. Choice
8. Email address
4. Customize the field to suit your feedback collection requirements and click Create to save the field.
   Learn more about creating and managing Workflow fields
   
   

Review and activate the Workflow

Notes: 

1. A workflow must have at least one state and a starting trigger connected to it.
   
2. It is recommended to test the entire workflow with a sample file after enabling it. This will prevent configuration issues and ensure seamless usage for your organization users.
   

Permission Settings for Manual Workflows

To configure permission settings for manual workflows, go to the Admin Console, open the Settings tab, and navigate to Workflows. Here, you’ll find two options:

1. Workflow Starter: The workflow runs using the permissions of the user who initiates it.
   Note: If the starter does not have sufficient permissions, certain actions—such as sharing a file—may fail. For example, a user with only Editor access cannot perform actions that require Admin or Organizer-level permissions.
   
   
2. Workflow Creator: The workflow runs using the permissions of the person who created the workflow—usually an admin—ensuring all actions can be executed without permission-related issues.