Confluence Automation - Page Approvals

[#1]

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share a simple page approval process using Confluence Automation, content statuses, and page labels. 

• This is an out of the box solution.
• If multiple spaces would like this, change the scope in global automation.
• Feel free to try it out and supply feedback.

I am not the best with automation, so if this can be simplified, please let me know.

The process

1. User creates or modifies a page.
2. Page gets put into Draft page status.
3. When ready, the user updates the page status to Approval Required.
4. The approver reviews the content and then updates the page status to Approved.

The backend:

• Utilizes content statuses for approval automation.
• Labels and updates page statuses via automation.
• Emails the approvers when pages need reviewed.
• Emails the author that their content is under review.
• Edited approved pages cycle back though the approval workflow.
• Pages marked Approved from Draft will update to Approval Required.

The TL/DR setup

Space Settings

1. Click space settings in the left navigation
2. Click Content Statuses
3. Add at least the following 3 statuses
   1. Draft
   2. Approval Required
   3. Approved

Automation

Click space settings, automation, and then create the following automations.

Page Approvals (Part 1) - New pages to Draft

• When: Page published
• {{smart values}} Condition:
  • {{page.contentStatus}} equals Empty 
• and: Page Condition
  • Contains none of the label(s)
  • meeting-notes, file-list, draft
• Then: Change page status = draft
• And: Add label = draft

Page Approvals (Part 2) - Draft to Approval Required

• When page status changed = Approval Required
• Page Condition:
  • Where labels contains draft
• Then: Remove label = draft
• Then Add label = approval-required
• And Send email to approvers
  • Manual user list
• And Send email to author
  • To: {{page.author.emailAddress}}

Page Approvals (Part 3) - Draft to Approval Required

• When page status changed = Approval Required
  • Page Condition:
    • Where Labels contains none Draft
• Then: Add label = approval-required
• And Send email to approvers
  • Manual user list
• And Send email to author
  • To: {{page.author.emailAddress}}

Page Approvals (Part 4] - Approval Required to Approved

• When page status changed = Approved
  • Page Condition:
    • Where contains approval-required
• Then: Remove label = approval-required
• And: Add label = approved
• And Send email to author
  • To: {{page.author.emailAddress}}
    
    • Hi {{page.author.publicName}}

Page Approvals (Part 5) - Edited Approved Pages to Draft

• When page is edited
• {{smart values}} Condition:
  • {{page.status}} equals Approved
• Page Condition: 
  • Where Labels contains approved
• Then: Change page status = draft
• And: Add label = draft
• And: Remove label = approved

Page Approvals (Part 6) - Changing Status back to Draft

• When: Page status changed = Draft
• If: Page Condition
  • Where: Contains any of the labels
    • approved, approval-required
• Then: Add label = Draft
• And: Remove label = approved, approval-required

Page Approvals (Part 7) - Users who try to skip approvals

• When: Page status changed = Approved
• If: Page Condition
  • Where Contains label
    • draft
• Then: Change page status = Approval Required
• And: Add label = approval-required
• And: Remove label = draft

Create your Confluence page review dashboard.

• Create a new page
• Layout 3 columns
• 3x Filter by label (content by label)
  • draft
  • approval-required
  • approved (last 10)

I hope this helps someone out! Please share your thoughts on this.

[Uday Kiran Bhaviri]

For approved pages add label review completed.

So always check for two conditions

For status changed to Approved and label contains page review required

Then Automation 3

Also add label Review completed in automation 3

Status = Approved and label contains page review completed

Then automation 4

[Jonathan Smith]

It would be extremely helpful if there was a way to automate the following:

• When page published - restrict to {{page.author}}

Anyone know if this is possible? 

[Jonathan Smith]

I was driving up to the Wisconsin Dells this weekend and could only think "why didn't I use branch actions instead of creating 4-5 automations...". I may revise the item above at some point.

[Jérémie Skornik]

Hi @Jonathan Smith!

Thanks for sharing this approval process, it's really cool!

There's one step I'm curious about : "Send email to approvers". Where exactly is this list stored on the page, and what smart value are you using to retrieve it?

I'm looking for a way to email all the attendees of a meeting when the meeting notes are published and couldn't find a way. Maybe if I could use approvers for my use case?

Thanks again, and have a great day!

[Barbara Acker]

Hello,

thanks so much for sharing this!

I have a question concerning the first automation step. In order for this to work, do I need to first publish the page? Since the trigger is: "when page is published". If so, is there a way of automatically assigning a page status to a page that has been created in a space? I couldn't find a trigger and haven't been able to come up with a workaround solution.

Thanks so much!

[Jonathan Smith]

@Barbara Acker I don't believe so, but if existing pages are being modified, they would automatically be put into Draft status on next publish. For any page that exists which hasn't been viewed, they won't show a status until they get modified.

Next I am looking into inactive pages, how to review, and tie in Needs Review and Archive statuses.

[Jonathan Smith]

Can't update my post anymore haha! 

Anyways, here is part 8 for getting existing pages though the workflow.

Page Approvals (Part 8) - Existing Pages to Draft

• When: Page edited
• If: Compare two values
  • {{page.contentStatus}} equals empty
• And: Page Condition
  • Contains none of the labels; meeting-notes, file-list, draft
• Then: Change page status = Draft
• And: Add label

[Andre van Schalkwyk]

@Uday Kiran Bhaviri would you mind adding some more details to your comment please? It's not entirely clear to me what needs to be modified where. 

[Hayden Barnes]

• When page published - restrict to {{page.author}} | Anyone know if this is possible? 

It looks like they just recently submitted it as a feature request: https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/AUTO-1478

[Jonathan Smith]

@Hayden Barnes the {{page.author}} variable is not selectable out of the box.