7.2.2 Advanced Tutorials — Workflow Customization

This tutorial describes how to customize content and collaboration workflows to reflect real-world review, approval, and publishing processes. It assumes familiarity with content types and permissions.

Step 1: Understand Workflow Scope

Workflows operate at content type or module level. Each workflow defines how an item progresses from creation to completion.

Workflow elements:

States

Transitions

Transition conditions

Workflows do not bypass permission checks.

Step 2: Define States

States represent discrete phases in a workflow.

Common states:

Draft

In review

Approved

Published

States are explicit and mutually exclusive.

Step 3: Configure Transitions

Transitions define allowed movement between states.

Transition rules:

Explicit source and target states

Optional conditions

Permission requirements

Example transition:

Workflow::transition('draft', 'review')->requires('content.review');

Step 4: Assign Permissions

Each transition may require specific permissions. Users without permission cannot execute the transition.

Permission behavior:

Checked at execution time

Role-based

Auditable

Step 5: Automation Hooks

Optional automation can be attached to transitions.

Automation examples:

Send notification on approval

Schedule publish on transition

Trigger webhook

Automation executes after successful transition.

Step 6: Validation and Enforcement

The system validates workflow definitions before activation.

Validation guarantees:

No orphan states

No circular transitions

Reachable end states

Invalid workflows cannot be activated.

Step 7: Monitoring and Iteration

Workflow execution can be monitored through logs and analytics.

Monitored data:

State durations

Transition frequency

Failure rates

Best Practices

Keep workflows simple and explicit. Avoid deeply nested or overly permissive transitions, as they reduce predictability and audit clarity.