Who this guide is for: System Administrators. Requires 'System Admin' role.
Overview
The Workflow Builder is a powerful tool designed to automate and streamline processes within your system. This guide provides a clear overview of the core building blocks available in the Workflow Builder so you can design precise, policy-aligned automations.
Please note – if you have record-based workflows, the Workflow Builder will not read records submitted via the Admin Panel, “Bulk User Update” tool, or Integrations. It will also not read recurring absences.
How Workflow Builder Works
The Workflow Builder uses three components that work together: Triggers (when to run), Conditions (who/what to include), and Actions (what to do).
1) Triggers (When it runs)
Triggers start a workflow when their event occurs. Currently, record type support is Absence (with potential future additions for Overtime, Carry Over, and Entitlement requests).
Available triggers:
- A record is booked – Fires a set number of calendar days after a record is submitted. Use for pending authorisation reminders.
- A record starts/ends – Fires on the first/last day of a record, or X days before/after. Use for handover reminders or KIT-day prompts.
- A record status changes – Fires when a pending record is authorised or declined (within minutes). Use to notify when an absence becomes a fact.
- A timesheet is submitted – Fires when a Time Tracking timesheet is submitted. Notify managers/HR of new submissions.
- After a record is booked – Same outcome as “record is booked”; runs X days after submission. Use for staged authorisation nudges.
- Date-based trigger – Fires on a fixed date or recurrence (e.g., every Monday, or the 1st of each month). Use for birthday/anniversary emails, entitlement or timesheet reminders.
- User status changes – Fires when a user is created, marked as a leaver, or deleted. Use to set templates for integration-created users or alert when someone becomes a leaver.
2) Conditions (Who/what it targets)
Conditions filter which records/users the workflow applies to (11 condition types):
- Record date is – Filter by record date or notice period. Auto-authorise/reject based on timing.
- Record duration is – Filter by Calendar days (days spanned) or Working days (actual duration). Auto-authorise specific lengths.
- Record is open – Filter by whether an absence is still open. Send open-absence reminders (e.g., after 3 days).
- Record reason is – Filter by defined absence reason. Route alerts or auto-authorise by reason.
- Record status is – Filter by authorisation status. Send pending reminders.
- Staffing level is – Filter by staffing thresholds across a group/template over the record dates. Alert or auto-authorise when thresholds are reached/near.
- Timesheet property is – Branch on a timesheet’s submission status/duration. Remind to submit or auto-approve within ranges.
- Total record durations – Compare total days in a period to a threshold. Alert if > X days in last 3/12 months.
- Total record occurrences – Compare number of occurrences in a period. Alert if > X occurrences in last 3/12 months.
- User is a member of – Filter by group/template or a chosen user list. Target specific populations.
- User’s entitlement is – Compare remaining pot value to a threshold (excludes Ongoing/Rolling Twelve Months pots). Alert on low/unused entitlement or open-absence exhaustion.
3) Actions (What it does)
Actions execute once triggers/conditions match (3 action types):
- Change record status – Automatically authorise or decline a record.
- Change user property – Update a user property (currently Template). Auto-assign templates when users are created via integrations.
- Send an email – Send a custom email to the user, their authoriser, or a custom address. Use for almost any alert or notification.
How to Set Up Workflow Builder
- Go to Admin Panel → Global → Workflow Builder.
- Click Create workflow (or open an existing workflow to edit).
- Add a Trigger (e.g., Record status changes).
- Add Conditions to target the right records/users (e.g., Record status is: Pending, User is a member of: UK).
- Add one or more Actions (e.g., Send an email to the authoriser; or Change record status to Approved).
- Review the summary and test with a small user group/template.
- Click Save at the top of the page to apply changes.
Tip: Build staged reminders using multiple triggers (e.g., 3/5/7-day follow-ups) and branches to tailor emails for managers vs users.
Additional Information
- Key terminology:
- Trigger: The event/time that starts the workflow.
- Condition: The filter(s) that decide who/what the workflow applies to.
- Action: The task performed (email, status change, user property change).
- Permissions/prerequisites: Requires 'System Admin' role. Ensure relevant Absence Types, Templates, and Email Notifications are configured at Global first.
- Best practices:
- Start simple; test on a small template before wider rollout.
- Use branches to tailor messaging for users vs authorisers.
- Name workflows clearly (e.g., “UK—Holiday—Pending—7d Reminder”).
- Review overlapping workflows to avoid duplicate emails.
- Important reminders:
- Warning: Workflow Builder will not process records submitted via Admin Panel, Bulk User Update, Integrations, or recurring absences.
- Global settings apply to all users; changes at Template level can refine behaviour for specific groups.
- Click Save at the top of the page—changes are not applied until saved.
- Search tip: Use the search function within the platform to quickly find features or settings.