Template Settings
The Settings section of a workflow template controls workflow-level behaviour: how the final outcome is determined, what happens when a step is rejected, what the initiator is permitted to modify, and who is notified when the workflow completes.
Access template settings from the template builder: Templates → select a template → Settings tab.
Outcome determination mode
Controls how the workflow's final outcome is calculated from individual step results.
| Mode | How outcome is determined |
|---|---|
| Final step decides | The outcome equals the last step's result. Earlier rejections are noted but do not determine the final outcome. |
| Lowest of all | The outcome is the most restrictive result across all Approve/Sign steps. Any single rejection results in a Rejected outcome, even if all other steps approved. |
When to use Final step decides: Hierarchical approval chains where senior authority can override junior rejections. The Director's approval on the last step is what matters.
When to use Lowest of all: Multi-stakeholder approvals where all parties must agree. A single rejection by any approver blocks the document — useful for safety-critical or contract-milestone approvals.
See Workflow Outcomes for how outcomes update document status.
Rejection handling
Controls what happens when an Approve step is rejected.
| Setting | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Continue | The workflow advances to the next step despite the rejection. The rejection is recorded but does not stop the process. The final outcome is determined by the Outcome determination mode. |
| Stop workflow | The workflow is immediately cancelled when any Approve step is rejected. All open steps are closed. The initiator is notified. |
| Return to previous step | The workflow is returned to the preceding step. If the rejection is on Step 3, the workflow goes back to Step 2 (which becomes active again). If rejected on Step 1, the workflow returns to the initiator. |
When to use Continue: When you want a complete record of all reviewer decisions, even if some reject — useful for committee reviews where majority rules.
When to use Stop workflow: When a rejection is final and no further review is meaningful. Common for binary compliance checks.
When to use Return to previous step: When a rejection means the previous reviewer's assessment must be revisited (e.g. the Project Manager rejects because the technical reviewer missed something).
Parallel step completion rule (default)
Sets the default completion rule for any parallel step group in this template.
| Rule | When the parallel group completes |
|---|---|
| All must approve | Every parallel assignee must act |
| Any one | First assignee to act completes the group |
| Majority | More than half of assignees must act |
Individual parallel step groups can override this default — the template default applies to any group that doesn't specify its own rule.
Initiator permissions
Controls what the workflow initiator can modify after the workflow has been submitted and is active.
| Permission | If enabled |
|---|---|
| Change step durations | Initiator can adjust the SLA duration of any step while the workflow is running |
| Change step participants | Initiator can reassign open-assignment or role-based steps |
| Skip optional steps | Initiator can mark certain steps (flagged as optional in the step settings) as skipped |
Recommendation: Enable "change participants" cautiously. It gives initiators significant power to influence who reviews their submissions — appropriate for experienced document controllers, but not for general team members.
Completion notifications
When the workflow completes, notification emails are sent to the configured list of recipients. This is separate from step-level notifications — it is a single "workflow complete" notification sent when the workflow reaches a terminal state (Completed, Cancelled, or Returned).
| Option | Who receives the completion notification |
|---|---|
| Initiator only | The person who started the workflow |
| All step participants | Every member who acted on a step |
| Initiator + specific members | Initiator plus any additional members you add by name |
| Custom list | Manually selected list of members |
Add members to the notification list by searching their name in the Completion notification recipients field.
Template notes
The Notes field (General tab of the template settings) provides a description displayed to initiators when they browse available templates. Use this to explain:
- When to use this template (vs similar templates)
- What documents are appropriate for this route
- Any prerequisites the initiator should check before starting
Good template notes reduce incorrect template selection and support tickets.
What's next
- Template Versioning — activate, deactivate, and manage template history
- Step Types — review vs approve vs acknowledge vs sign
- Workflow Outcomes — how outcomes affect document status