Skip to main content

Handle a Rejected Document and Upload a Revision

Role: Initiator / Document Controller (responding to rejection), Reviewer (re-approving)
Time: 15–30 minutes
Prerequisites: A workflow instance exists that has been rejected; you have Initiator role on the project

When a reviewer rejects a document in a workflow, the workflow enters Returned or Rejected status depending on the template's rejection handling setting. This tutorial covers both cases and walks through the full revision-and-resubmission cycle.

Step 1: Understand the rejection notification​

When a document is rejected, you receive an in-app notification and email. The notification includes:

  • Which document was rejected
  • Which workflow step rejected it
  • The rejection reason (comments left by the reviewer)

Open the notification to go directly to the workflow instance.

Step 2: Review the rejection reason​

  1. Open the workflow instance from the notification or Workflows tab.
  2. Click on the rejected step (shown with a red indicator).
  3. Read the Rejection Comments carefully:
    • What specific issue did the reviewer identify?
    • Is it a drawing error, missing information, wrong revision code, or a coordination issue?
    • Does the reviewer request a specific revision or a full redo?
  4. Open the document to understand the scope of the correction needed.

Step 3: Prepare the corrected document​

Work offline to prepare the corrected file:

  1. Download the current revision from the document record (open document → Revisions → download the current file).
  2. Make the required corrections in your authoring tool (CAD, BIM, Word, etc.).
  3. Apply the next revision code:
    • If the current revision is P01, the corrected revision is P02
    • If the current revision is A, the corrected revision is B
    • Follow your project's revision code convention

Keep the correction targeted to what was flagged in the rejection. Avoid making unreviewed scope changes at the same time.

Step 4: Upload the corrected revision​

  1. Open the document record in Documents.
  2. Click Upload New Revision.
  3. In the revision upload dialog:
FieldValue
Revision CodeNew revision code (e.g. P02)
Revision DateToday's date
Change DescriptionBrief description of what was corrected (e.g. "Revised per reviewer comments — updated reinforcement layout at Grid B3")
FileUpload the corrected file
  1. Click Upload.
  2. The new revision appears in the Revisions list. The document's current revision updates to the new code.

Step 5: Recall or re-submit the workflow​

Depending on the template's rejection handling setting:

If the workflow status is "Returned" (return-to-previous mode)​

The workflow is paused and waiting for you to re-submit:

  1. Open the workflow instance.
  2. Click Re-submit (or Continue).
  3. The workflow resumes from the step it was returned to.
  4. The updated document revision is automatically included — reviewers see the new revision when they open their task.

If the workflow status is "Cancelled" (stop mode)​

The workflow ended. You need to start a new workflow:

  1. Open the document record.
  2. Click Start Workflow → select the same template.
  3. In the workflow creation wizard, set:
    • Due dates appropriate for the revision timeline
    • Participants — same reviewers unless the rejection warrants escalation
  4. Add a note in the Description field: "Re-submission following rejection of Rev P01. Changes: [summary]."
  5. Submit the new workflow.

If the workflow continues despite rejection (continue mode)​

The workflow moves to the next step regardless of rejection. In this case:

  • Check whether the downstream steps still need to act
  • If the workflow completes with rejected steps, the outcome is recorded as rejected
  • You may need to start a new workflow on the corrected revision separately

When re-submitting, add a note to the workflow or send correspondence to the reviewer:

"We have addressed your review comments on [document number] Rev P01. The corrected revision P02 has been uploaded. Key changes: [brief summary]. Please review at your earliest convenience."

This avoids confusion about which revision is under review.

Step 7: Reviewer re-approves​

The reviewer receives a new task notification. They:

  1. Open the revised step.
  2. Click View Document — they see the new revision.
  3. Review the corrections against their original comments.
  4. Click Approve if satisfied, or Reject again with updated comments if further work is needed.

Verification​

After the workflow completes successfully:

  • The document status changes to Approved (or the outcome status your template defines)
  • The Revisions list shows both the original rejected revision (P01) and the approved revision (P02)
  • The workflow Audit Log shows: created → submitted → rejected (P01) → re-submitted → approved (P02)
  • The rejection comments from P01 are preserved in the audit trail for quality records

What's next​