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Bulk Workflow Operations

When you need to act on multiple workflow instances at the same time — for example, cancelling all draft workflows before a project restructure, or recalling a batch of submissions after a design change — bulk operations let you select and act on many instances in a single step.

Who can use bulk operations​

OperationRequired permission
Bulk CancelProject Admin or Org Admin
Bulk RecallProject Admin, Org Admin, or Initiator (if template permits recall)

Regular project members (Reviewer, Initiator, Viewer) cannot perform bulk operations.

Selecting instances​

  1. Go to the Workflows tab in your project.
  2. Use filters to narrow the list to the instances you want to act on (for example, filter by Status = Active and Template = "Document For Approval").
  3. Check the checkbox at the top-left of the list to select all visible rows, or check individual rows to select specific instances.
tip

Filters apply before bulk selection. Filter first, then select all — this prevents accidentally selecting instances you didn't intend to include.

The bulk action toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen when one or more instances are selected. It shows the count of selected instances and the available actions.

Bulk Cancel​

Cancelling an instance permanently stops it. All open steps are closed and all assignees receive a cancellation notification.

When to use:

  • A design revision makes all in-progress reviews invalid
  • A project phase has ended and outstanding approvals are no longer needed
  • Workflows were started against the wrong template

To bulk cancel:

  1. Select the instances to cancel.
  2. Click Cancel Selected in the bulk action toolbar.
  3. In the confirmation dialog, enter an optional cancellation reason — this appears in the workflow timeline of each cancelled instance.
  4. Click Confirm Cancel.

The selected instances immediately transition to Cancelled status. All assignees are notified. The cancellation and reason are logged against each instance.

warning

Cancellation cannot be undone. Cancelled workflows cannot be restarted — you must create new instances if the review needs to proceed.

Bulk Recall​

Recalling an instance returns it to the initiator without cancelling it. Steps are paused and the workflow enters Returned status. The initiator can review the feedback, make corrections, and re-submit.

When to use:

  • A document batch needs corrections before reviews can continue
  • New information has come to light that the initiator needs to incorporate before the review proceeds
  • A reviewer requests clarification that requires the initiator to update the submission package

To bulk recall:

  1. Select the instances to recall.
  2. Click Recall Selected in the bulk action toolbar.
  3. Enter a recall reason (required) — this message is sent to all initiators of the selected instances.
  4. Click Confirm Recall.

The selected instances transition to Returned status. Initiators receive a notification containing the recall reason. Active step assignments are suspended until the initiator re-submits.

After a bulk operation​

After bulk cancellation or recall, the instances are removed from the Active filter. Switch the Status filter to Cancelled or Returned to see them.

For recalled instances:

  • The initiator receives the recall notification and can open the instance to view the reason.
  • The initiator re-submits by clicking Re-submit on the instance detail page.
  • Re-submission restarts the workflow from step 1 (or from the configuration defined in the template's re-submission settings).

Audit trail​

Every bulk operation is individually recorded in the timeline of each affected instance, showing:

  • The user who performed the bulk action
  • The timestamp
  • The cancellation or recall reason

Bulk operations produce the same audit record as single-instance operations — they are not grouped or summarised differently in the audit log.

What's next​