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Create a Workflow

This article walks through the high-level end-to-end process of creating a workflow in Gatekeeper, with instructions on creating a workflow from scratch, or using our best practice templates.

 Take Control

   Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

Sections in this article:

Note: For an interactive introduction to workflows in Gatekeeper, take our Introduction to Workflows course. You must be logged into Gatekeeper to access this course.

Before You Begin

Workflows are best suited to processes that involve multiple people or teams, several steps with different stakeholders. They involve users submitting forms to capture data, and creating or updating records in the Vault. You can either build workflows from scratch, or leverage our Best Practice templates to simplify and speed up the build process. Common use cases include:

  • Contract Requests
  • Contract Renewal
  • Vendor Onboarding
  • File Expiration 

Before building, it's recommended to create a process flow diagram. At a minimum, this should cover:

  • The required phases and who will be assigned as an owner
  • The transitions between phases, including any conditional logic
  • Approval checkpoints and who is responsible for them
  • Any actions required to create or update records

For an in-depth guide to creating a Process Flow Diagram, refer to Create a Workflow Diagram 📐.

Create a Workflow

Note: Users require the Workflow Administrator additional permission to create workflows. See Workflow Authorisation Overview to learn more.

When creating a new workflow, you can either set one up from scratch, or use the best practice templates.

Create a Workflow From Scratch

To create a blank workflow:

  1. From the navigation menu, click Workflows.
  2. Click Add, then select Workflow.
  3. Enter the title, then select the workflow type from the dropdown list. 
    1. If required, add a label, description, and select an icon and colour. 

 The workflow will then open with two default phases already added: 

  • Start Form
  • Workflow End

workflow from scratch


Create a Workflow Using a Template

The best practice workflows are designed to help streamline workflow creation by providing you with pre-built templates. To create a workflow from a template: 

  1. From the navigation menu, click Workflows.
  2. Click Add, then select Workflow Template.
  3. Click Create on the relevant template.
    create workflow template
  4. Update the title as required, then click Create. 

Build the Workflow

Once the workflow has been created, complete the following steps in order:

Step Details Further Details
Add Phases

Within your workflow, click Add to create all phases in the process. 

  Add Phases to a Workflow
Create the Form Click the first phase of the workflow to edit it, then click Form.

Form sections and fields need to be added, then form visibility (for example mandatory, hidden, etc) can be configured separately in each phase.		 Set up a Workflow Form
Configure Approvals Click on the phases that require approval to edit them, then click Approval and select the Enabled radio button. Workflow Phase Approvals
Assign Owners Assign the users/teams that are responsible for each phase from the Form Access section of each phase configuration.

Workflow Owners Overview


Create a Workflow Group
Configure Transitions

Configure the transition rules in each phase from the Transitions section.


You can select the Simple or Conditional radio button, then define the logic for the transition.

 Configure Workflow Transitions
Configure Workflow Actions On the required phases, navigate to Actions and select the appropriate checkboxes to enable the relevant actions. Configure Workflow Actions
Configure Notifications To manage notifications and reminders for each phase, click Notifications and enable the relevant toggles.

Configure Workflow Notifications


Configure Markdown and Dynamic Notifications
Configure SLA Timers If required, add SLA timers from the SLA section of each phase configuration. Add Workflow SLA Timers
Configure the Initiation Method When the rest of your workflow is built, configure the relevant initiation method. Workflow Initiation Overview

Test the Workflow

Once your workflow build is complete, it's recommended to test it. Verify that:

  • Cards progress correctly through all workflow paths.
  • Approvers and owners are assigned correctly.
  • Each team can see the required information at each phase.
  • Email notifications are delivered to the correct recipients.
  • Records are created or updated accurately.

It's recommended to involve the stakeholders who will be using the workflow in testing. This allows each team to help surface any gaps before go-live. For more details on testing Gatekeeper, see Test Gatekeeper.

Minor changes (such as adding fields or adjusting ownership) can be made immediately. For major changes to logic or flow, it's recommended to return to the process diagram before reconfiguring.

Deploy the Workflow

Once all testing has passed, the workflow can be signed off in preparation for Go-Live. Gatekeeper recommends choosing one of the following approaches for deployment:

  • Soft Rollout: Use the workflow in a live environment with a small group of key users or a limited number of cards. This allows you to monitor performance and make adjustments before wider adoption.
  • Full Launch: Deploy the workflow across the full user base and all applicable cards, using it in its complete, intended capacity.

Monitor Changes

Workflow administrators can track edits that have been made to workflows using the History feature. To access this: 

  1. Navigate to the relevant workflow. 
  2. Click the settings cog.
    sig lite config
  3. Click the History tab.
    WF history

Use the filters to narrow the results, and click the arrow to view further details for each configuration change.