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Create workflows from workflow templates

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On the Workflow page, you create a workflow by creating a series of workflow steps on the lines. Each step consists of a workflow event (When Event), moderated by event conditions (On Condition), and a workflow response (Then Response), moderated by response options. The fields on workflow lines provide fixed lists of event and response values that represent the scenarios that Business Central supports. Learn more at Create Workflows.

To save you time when you create approval workflows, Business Central provides workflow templates. The templates are available on the Workflow Templates page. You can use the templates as they are, or customise them to meet your needs. The codes for the workflow templates from Microsoft are prefixed with MS-.

Important

When you change the when event for a workflow step, the then responses also changes. Sometimes, then responses of other when events refer to these then responses as the next step in the workflow. After you change a when event, verify that the next steps for its then events are correct.

For example, the Vendor Approval Workflow workflow template has a primary when event Approval of a vendor is requested. This when event has a Send approval request for the record and create a notification then response, which other then responses reference. If you change the primary Approval of a vendor is requested when event to, for example, A vendor record is changed, the then response is cleared along with the references.

The then responses for the An approval request is delegated and An approval request is approved (with the On Condition of Pending Approvals >0) when events are examples of where changing a primary when event can cause problems. Their then responses have a next step that refers to the Send approval request for the record and create a notification then response of the Approval of a vendor is requested when event. Because the then response for the Approval of a vendor is requested when event is no longer available, the indented when events won't work as expected.

You'll need to specify the next steps for the then responses for when events that referred to the changed when event.

If you change a workflow template, but later regret the change, use the Reset Microsoft Templates action to revert to the original setting for the workflow.

Caution

The Reset Microsoft Templates action resets all of the Microsoft workflow templates. You can't reset a single template.

Another way to quickly create a workflow is to import it, for example, if you exported it from another instance of Business Central. Learn more at Export and Import Workflows.

To create a workflow from a workflow template

  1. Choose the Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature. icon, enter Workflows, then choose the related link.

  2. Choose the New Workflow from Template action. The Workflow Templates page opens.

  3. Select a workflow template, then choose OK.

    The Workflow page opens for a new workflow containing all the information of the selected template. The value in the Code field is extended with, for example, "-01" to indicate this is the first workflow created from the workflow template.

  4. To customise the workflow, edit the workflow steps or add new steps. Learn more at Create Workflows.

See also

Create Approval Workflows
Export and Import Approval Workflows
View Archived Workflow Step Instances
Delete Approval Workflows
Walkthrough: Setting Up and Using a Purchase Approval Workflow
Setting Up Approval Workflows
Use Approval Workflows
Workflow

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