You can view, manage, and modify all your workflows via your Workflows screen. This is your home page for all your Relay activities.
Note
You can view only those workflows you have created. You cannot see a workflow created by anyone else, even if you have been assigned a task in someone else’s workflow. Box Admins, however, can view every workflow created throughout your organization.
To access your workflows, from the left-hand navigation click Relay. Your workflows display in alphabetical order. If you do not see Relay in your left-hand navigation, contact your Box Administrator.
From the Workflows page, you can:
Create a new workflow
Depending on your business processes, creating a workflow could range from a few simple steps to many steps with simultaneous flows.
Activate and deactivate a workflow
At any time you can activate a workflow that you have saved but not activated. As soon as you do this the workflow launches the instant it is triggered. If on the other hand you identify an active workflow you no longer want – for example, if a business process changes and it’s no longer needed – you can deactivate it at any time.
To activate an inactive workflow
- From the Workflows screen, next to the workflow you want, click the ellipsis (…).
- From the menu that displays, click Activate.
The workflow is now active, and the next time your trigger occurs, the workflow executes.
Tips
- Try using different folders to store content at different stages of a workflow – for example, create one folder for “In Review Contracts” and another folder for “Fully Executed Contracts.”
- Also, any content that pre-exists in a folder that’s part of a workflow is not acted upon – that is, if you designate that any document uploaded to Folder A kicks off a workflow, any files that may exist in Folder A before you incorporated it into a workflow are not acted upon. Only files uploaded to Folder A after you have created and activated a workflow will be part of that workflow.
To deactivate an active workflow
- From the Workflows screen, next to the workflow you want, click the ellipsis (…).
- From the menu that displays, click Deactivate.
Your workflow stops executing when you deactivate it. This includes any workflow that has launched but not completed.
Tip
Move or rename any folders that are part of a deactivated workflow, to avoid the possibility of someone uploading new content into the folder expecting a workflow to kick off.
Modify an existing workflow
It is not uncommon for you to decide to edit an active workflow. For example, you may need to
- add an approver you may have inadvertently omitted the first time
- modify a destination in an on-boarding process
- re-assign an approval task because the original approver is out of the office
- insert a newly-arrived contract into the approval process
Editing a workflow is much the same as creating a new workflow.
To modify an active workflow
- From the Workflows screen, next to the workflow you want, click the ellipsis (…).
- From the menu that displays, click Edit. The Workflow screen displays, and you can make any changes you want.
- Click Update.
Any content that is in-progress but precedes your changes continues according to your new instructions.
Note You can only modify workflows you have created.
Duplicate a workflow
From time to time you may want to repeat a workflow but in a different context or on a separate set of content. Instead of re-creating the same workflow from scratch, you can duplicate it in its entirety, change just one or two parameters if you need (such as a task assignee or folder), and then apply it discretely.
To duplicate an active workflow
- From the Workflows screen, next to the workflow you want, click the ellipsis (…).
- From the menu that displays, click Duplicate.
- A second version of this workflow displays in your Workflows page, with exactly the same name but with + ("copy") appended. Re-name the workflow to distinguish it from the original version.
Tip
If you have a complex workflow with multiple flows and multiple outcomes that you want to repeat across multiple folders, start by duplicating a similar existing workflow. You can then quickly modify the configuration within the step or steps you want (for example, the selected folder) and re-name the workflow.
Rename a workflow
At any time you can rename an existing workflow. This is much the same as naming a workflow for the first time.
To rename an existing workflow:
- From the Workflows screen, click the name of the workflow you want.
- When the workflow displays, in the top-lefthand portion of the screen, hover over the workflow name.
- Type in the new workflow name and then click Update in the top right portion of the screen.
- The Workflows screen displays again.
Any workflows that may be in progress when you rename the workflow continue uninterrupted.
Delete a workflow
If you do not need an existing workflow and you do not even want it to display in your Workflows page, you can delete it.
To delete an active workflow
- From the Workflows screen, next to the workflow you want, click the ellipsis (…).
- From the menu that displays, click Delete.