How to Create Your First Workflow
Follow these steps to set up your first workflow.
Step 1: Access the Workflow Creation Interface
Log in to your Willow360 account.
From the dashboard, click the cog icon in the top right corner to open Admin Settings. From here, select Workflows.
Note: you will only see the cog icon if you are an administrator, a workflow creator, or have been given Can Edit permission on an existing workflow. If you cannot see it, speak to your Willow360 administrator.
Step 2: Start a New Workflow
Click the Create Workflow button. This will open the workflow creation interface.
Enter a unique and descriptive name for your workflow. Workflow names must be unique within your organisation, so choose something that clearly reflects the workflow's purpose.
Step 3: Add Actions to Your Workflow
Click the + icon to add actions to your workflow. Actions are the building blocks of a workflow and define what happens to the documents you process. They are grouped into categories to help you find what you need.
Some examples of commonly used actions:
- Convert to PDF: automatically converts uploaded documents into PDF format for consistent processing.
- AI Data: reads information from the document content automatically, such as invoice totals, names, dates, or whether a document has been signed.
- Approve: pauses the workflow and sends the document to a designated approver.
- Stamp: applies a text or image stamp to the document, for example "Approved" or a reference number.
- Merge: combines multiple documents into a single file.
- Split: separates a document into multiple files based on a specified page count.
You do not need to use all available actions. Start with only the actions your process genuinely requires.
Step 4: Configure Each Action
For each action you add, configure its settings by clicking on it. Every action is different, but common configuration tasks include specifying who should approve a document, what text to apply in a stamp, or which fields to extract using AI Data.
Actions can be reordered at any time by dragging them into the sequence you need. The order matters: actions are executed from top to bottom, and each action only has access to data produced by the actions before it.
Remember to click Apply after configuring each action to confirm your settings.
Step 5: Add an Export or Distribution Action
Willow360 does not permanently store processed documents within the platform. Once a file has been processed you should ensure it is delivered somewhere. Add one or more of the following actions towards the end of your workflow:
- Upload to SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox: stores the processed document in your chosen cloud folder.
- Secure Email: sends the recipient a secure access link to the document.
- System Email: sends the document as an email attachment.
You can use more than one export action if you need to deliver the document to multiple destinations.
Step 6: Set Workflow Permissions
Click the Who can use the workflow tab to control who can access your workflow.
There are three permission levels:
- Can use workflow: the user can see the workflow on their dashboard and add files to it.
- Can see all files: in addition to the above, the user can view files submitted by other users.
- Can edit workflow: in addition to the above, the user can modify the workflow configuration.
Permissions can be assigned to individual users, teams, or everyone in the organisation. Individual permissions take priority over team permissions, which take priority over permissions set for everyone.
At least one person must always hold Can Edit permission on a workflow.
Step 7: Add a Workflow Description (Optional)
Click the Workflow Settings tab to add a description for your workflow. This text appears on the workflow tile on the dashboard and helps users understand what the workflow is for and when to use it. It is especially useful when your organisation has multiple workflows.
You can also assign the workflow to one or more categories here, which makes it easier for users to filter and find relevant workflows on the dashboard.
Step 8: Save Your Workflow
Click the Save button at the top of the screen to save all your changes. Nothing is applied until you save.
Workflows are enabled by default when saved. If you want to keep the workflow inactive while you continue testing, you can set its status to Off in the Workflow Settings tab before saving.
Step 9: Test Your Workflow
Before sharing your workflow with others, test it yourself.
Add a test file to the workflow by dragging it onto the workflow tile or clicking the upload button. Monitor how the file progresses through each action and check the file history to see what happened at each step.
If something does not work as expected, return to the workflow editor to adjust the configuration and save again. If the workflow already has files in it when you save a change, you will be asked whether to restart or delete those files.
Tips for Creating Effective Workflows
Start simple. Build the minimum workflow that achieves your goal. You can always add more actions later.
Think about what data your workflow needs. Willow360 uses metadata, which is information about or extracted from your documents, to drive actions like file naming, routing, email addresses, and storage paths. Actions like AI Data and Supply Information are how you collect that data at the right point in the workflow.
Test with realistic documents. Use a real example of the file type your workflow will process so you can see how each action behaves with actual content.
Write a workflow description. Even a single sentence explaining what the workflow does and who should use it will save confusion later, especially as your organisation builds more workflows over time.
Review periodically. As your processes change, revisit your workflows to make sure they still reflect how your team works.
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