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Respond as an External Reviewer

External reviewer guest portal

External reviewers are people outside your organisation who need to review and respond to specific documents — without a full project account. Kazinex Workflows provides a secure guest portal accessed via a one-time token link. This tutorial covers the complete experience from the external reviewer’s perspective.

Role: External Reviewer (guest)
Prerequisite: You have received an email from Kazinex Workflows containing a review link.

How guest access works​

When a document controller creates a guest share, Workflows generates a unique, time-limited token. The reviewer receives an email with a link that embeds this token. Clicking the link opens the Guest Portal — a stripped-down view showing only the records you have been asked to review.

Guest access is:

  • Scoped — you see only the document(s) or package assigned to you, not the full project register.
  • Token-authenticated — no username or password required; the link is the credential.
  • Time-limited — the link expires on the date set by the document controller (shown in the email).
  • Audited — every action you take (view, comment, submit) is recorded in the project audit trail.

Step 1 — Receive the review invitation email​

You will receive an email with subject [Review Requested] — [Document Number] — [Project Name]. The email contains:

  • The document name, number, and revision.
  • The review step name and instructions from the document controller.
  • Your assigned response options (e.g., Approve, Reject, Acknowledge).
  • The due date for your response.
  • The expiry date of the link.
  • A prominent Open Review button or link.

Save this email. The link is the only way to access the review.

Tip: Check your spam folder if the email does not arrive within 10 minutes. The sender domain is notifications@kazinex.com (or your organisation’s configured sender domain).

Step 2 — Open the guest portal​

  1. Click Open Review in the email.
  2. Your browser opens the Kazinex Guest Portal.
  3. If a disclaimer or access acknowledgement screen appears, read it and click Accept to continue. This confirms you have opened the portal and records your access timestamp.
  4. The portal displays your assigned document(s) in a clean, focused interface.

If the link has expired, you will see a message: This review link has expired. Please contact the document controller to request a new link.

Step 3 — View the document​

  1. In the guest portal, find the document listed under Your Review.
  2. Click View Document to open the document viewer.
  3. The built-in viewer renders PDFs and common image formats directly in the browser. Other file formats show a Download option.
  4. Navigate through the document using the viewer controls (zoom, page navigation, full-screen).
  5. If multiple revisions or supporting documents are attached, they are listed in the Attachments section below the primary document.

Step 4 — Review the instructions​

Below the document viewer, the Review Instructions panel shows:

  • The step name and step type (Review, Approve, Acknowledge, Sign).
  • Instructions from the document controller.
  • The due date for your response.
  • The available response actions for this step.

Read these carefully before responding.

Step 5 — Add comments and attachments​

You can add comments or attach files before submitting your response:

  1. Click Add Comment in the response panel.
  2. Type your comment in the text box. Be specific: reference the document section, issue, and expected correction.
  3. To mark up a drawing or document directly:
    • Click Download to download the original.
    • Add your annotations in your preferred tool (PDF editor, drawing software, etc.).
    • Upload the marked-up file using Attach File in the portal.
  4. Repeat for additional comments or attachments.

Comments and attachments are visible to the document controller and other authorised reviewers on the project. Do not include information that should not be part of the project record.

Step 6 — Select a response action and submit​

  1. In the Your Response section, select the appropriate action:
    • Approve — the document meets requirements.
    • Approve with Comments — approved, but your attached comments require attention.
    • Reject — the document does not meet requirements. A comment is required.
    • Return for Revision — the document needs rework before the review can proceed. A comment is required.
    • Acknowledge — you confirm receipt (for Acknowledge-type steps).
  2. If your response requires a comment (Reject or Return for Revision), the Add Comment field is highlighted as required.
  3. Click Submit Response.
  4. A confirmation message appears: Your response has been recorded. Thank you for your review.
  5. Your response, comments, and attachments are captured in the project audit trail with your name (as provided in the guest share), timestamp, and decision.

Step 7 — After submission​

After submitting:

  • The portal displays a summary of your response.
  • If you need to return and view the record again (within the link’s validity period), you can re-open the portal via the same email link. You cannot change a submitted response; contact the document controller if a correction is needed.
  • When the link expires, you will no longer be able to access the portal via that link.
  • The document controller receives a notification that you have responded.

Saving your evidence​

For your own records:

  • Screenshot or print the confirmation screen.
  • Save the original email with the review link as a reference.
  • Note the submission date and your reference number if you need to chase a response from the project team.

Common issues​

IssueSolution
Link shows “Expired”Contact the document controller to request a new guest share.
Link shows “Access count exceeded”The share was configured with a maximum access count. Contact the document controller.
Document will not open in the viewerTry downloading the file. PDF and image formats render in-browser; other formats require a download.
No response actions availableThe step may already be completed by another reviewer (for parallel steps, only one response is needed per step slot). Contact the document controller.
You need to change your submitted responseResponses cannot be changed after submission. The document controller can return the step for re-review.