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KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - Document Workflow

This document provides a high-level overview of the different workflows you can set up in your KB space based on authoring permissions.

Overview

The KB supports the use of two different document workflows:

  • One that allows an author to create and/or edit a document and immediately publish their changes, and
  • One that requires the author to submit their new or updated document for review and publishing

Which workflow you use depends entirely on whether your authors the Publish permission in your KB group space. A single KB group space may have a number of authors who follow the first workflow outlined above, and others who follow the second. The proportion of authors with Publish rights also affects the processes you need to put in place in your group, e.g.:

  • Having a large number of authors with Publish rights = an open editing environment with low oversight
  • Having a small number of authors with Publish rights = a controlled editing environment with high oversight

Please keep in mind that neither approach is inherently better than the other! What works for one group may not work for another. For example, groups with highly visible public content may need more governance in place to ensure that content meets standards for tone and readability. In contrast, a group that manages an internal KB site for their unit may find that granting publish rights to all of their staff makes it more likely that everyone will contribute.

For a more detailed description of these workflows in practice, including the document statuses that will be used, please see the sections below:

Workflow with Publish Rights

  1. The author creates a new document or opens an existing document to edit. They may periodically use the Save Draft button to save updated versions of their draft as they go.

  2. When they are finished editing and are ready to publish the document, they select the arrow next to the Save Draft button to open the status menu and choose the option to Publish their changes.

    • Note: A user with publish rights can also submit the document as Pending Review if they prefer to have a different user review it prior to publishing, but it is not a requirement.

Workflow without Publish Rights

  1. The author creates a new document or opens an existing document to edit. They may periodically use the Save Draft button to save updated versions of their draft as they go.

  2. When they are finished editing and are ready to have the document published, they select the arrow next to the Save Draft button to open the status menu and choose the option to Request to publish... their document.

    • Note: They can also choose the Pending Review option, though this may increase the time it takes for the document to be published. In most cases, Request to publish... is recommended.

  3. A Publish Request window will open over the edit screen that contains a form, which the author can fill out as appropriate. Once the form is submitted, it will trigger an immediate notification to the group's reviewer(s) letting them know the document is ready to be published. For more information, please see KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - Request Activation / Inactivation.

  4. An author or admin with publish rights will then find the document in the "Pending Review" queue.

    • If further changes are needed, they can follow up to request additional updates before publishing.
    • If the document passes review, they will publish the document on the original author's behalf. The original author will automatically receive a notification letting them know the document was published.

Archiving Documents

Many documents that get published may later need to be taken down when they are no longer needed or relevant. This is called archiving, and it also requires publish rights. In order to archive a document or request that it be archived, the author will need to open the edit screen for the document in question. Then:

  • An author with publish rights can choose the Archive option from the status menu.
  • An author who doesn't have publish rights can choose the Request to archive... option from the status menu. After submitting the Archive Request form, the group reviewer(s) will be notified that the document should be taken down, and they will complete the archive process with the above step.

See Also


Keywords:
kb knowledgebase user guide document flowchart workflow lifecycle life cycle work steps publishing update process 
Doc ID:
8531
Owned by:
Leah S. in KB User's Guide
Created:
2008-11-17
Updated:
2025-09-18
Sites:
KB Demo, KB Demo - Child Demo KB, KB User's Guide