Review workflow templates — sequential and parallel review stages, reviewer roles, response gating, and reminder timing
Last updated: July 12, 2026 by Steve
Review Workflow Templates
A review workflow template is a reusable, ordered chain of review steps that the sign-off engine copies onto a record when someone starts a review. It defines which review types run, in what order, whether steps run one-after-another or in parallel, which role approves each step, whether the review blocks response or closure, and when reminders fire.
(screenshot placeholder — capture: a workflow template open in the builder, showing an ordered list of steps with review type, approver role, and turnaround days)
Where to find it
Open the Settings hub and choose Review workflows, in the Collaboration & reviews group.
Template-level options
| Option | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Name | The label shown in the Start Review dialog |
| Description | Optional summary of the workflow's purpose |
| Anchor entity type | Which record kind the template applies to — Request, Privacy assessment, Incident, or Complaint |
| Request type | For request anchors, the request type it applies to (blank = all request types) |
| Require before response | When on, gates the record's response/closure until the review completes |
| Allow pre-turn visibility | Pending approvers get read-only awareness of a step before it is their turn |
| Reminder lead days | Days before a step's due date that the SLA sweep sends a reminder |
| Escalation after days | Days after the due date to notify review managers (opt-in) |
| Enabled | Only enabled templates are offered when starting a review |
Step options
| Option | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Sequence order | 1-based position; steps sharing the same number form a parallel group |
| Review type | The kind of review this step represents |
| Approver role | Optional role constraint on who can be assigned (blank = any user) |
| Join mode | For a parallel group — All approve or Any one approves |
| Turnaround days | Per-step SLA; sets the step's due date when it activates |
| Step status | The status stamped on the record when the step becomes active |
Sequential vs parallel stages
Steps with distinct sequence numbers run sequentially — each waits for the prior to finish. Steps that share a sequence number form a parallel Stage governed by the join mode: All must approve or Any one approves. On the record's stepper, a parallel group renders as a single Stage node with an aggregate state.
How it affects end-user behavior
When a coordinator clicks Start review and picks the template, its steps are copied onto the record and snapshotted — later edits to the template never change a review already in progress. Reviewers act on their assigned step; the stepper shows Pending / Active / Approved / Changes requested. If Require before response is on, a yellow gating banner blocks response and closure until the review completes. The reminder and escalation days drive the Nudge action and the automated SLA sweep. See the My Reviews dashboard and the Response tab for the end-user view.
Tips
- Because steps are snapshotted at start, template edits only affect new reviews — re-start a review to pick up changes.
- Use a parallel stage for independent sign-offs that can happen at once; use sequential steps when one must follow another.
- Turn on Require before response for statutory gates that must clear before release.