Branching Steps

Branching steps allow workflows to be transitioned along multiple paths.

What are branching steps?

Branching steps are similar to page statuses, representing a stage in the document workflow. Unlike page statuses, branching steps give users a choice of where to transition next.

Each branch (i.e., transition) exiting a branching step can execute separate actions and arrive at separate page statuses. Conversely, different branches can execute separate actions but lead to the same end status.

There is no restriction on the number of branches that can exit a branching step.

Each branch must be given a unique name. This will be displayed in the byline when users are selecting which branch to follow when transitioning.

One of the branches exiting can be designated as the default branch. The default branch will be displayed separately from other branches in the Confluence page byline.

Similarly to page statuses, automatic transition of branching steps can be configured – such as transitioning when the page is edited, or when it expires after a configured period of time. These can be set up to transition to the default branch, provided one has been chosen.

Again, similarly to page statuses, restrictions can be placed on who can transition out of a branching node. This can either be configured to be the same across all branches, or differently for each separate branch.

How branching steps display on Confluence pages

When a branching step is reached, the name given will be displayed in the Confluence page byline. In the below example, the branching step has been named ‘Draft’. This is what is displayed in the byline, the same as status and approval steps.

Clicking this opens the byline, where the user can to select a branch to transition through. For more information, see Branching Workflows.

Configuration settings

Both the branching step and exiting branches themselves can be configured. Clicking on the branch step, or clicking on any exiting branch, will open the corresponding configuration menu on the right-hand side.

Node configuration

Configuration Section	Configuration Setting	Description
Transition options	Transition on page edit	If checked, this will enable automatic workflow transitions when the page is edited, and enable the below configuration option. Note: For Live Docs, transitions triggered by a page edit will take up to 15 minutes to occur after an edit session ends.
Transition options	Transition to status	Select which workflow status you want the page to transition to, from the current branch status, when it is edited. You will be able to select from the following options: Current Previous Initial Default branch If you choose the “Default branch” option, the workflow will progress to the next status given via the default branch. Please ensure a default branch has been set.
Transition options	Email on page transition	When a page transitions to the next stage of a workflow you may want specific people to be notified. This setting allows you to choose which users are notified when a page moves to the next stage of a workflow. These emails will be sent for user triggered transitions, page edit triggered transitions, and time-based expiry triggered transitions.
Expiration options	Expire status after set time	If checked, this will enable automated workflow transitions based on a time period after entering the status, and enable the below configuration options.
Expiration options	Time until expiration	You can select the time period after which you want the workflow to expire using the dropdown.
Expiration options	Transition to status on expiration	Select which workflow status you want the page to transition to, from the current branch status, when it expires. You will be able to select from the following options: Current Previous Initial Default branch If you choose the “Default branch” option, the workflow will progress to the next status given via the default branch. Please ensure a default branch has been set.
Expiration options	Email on page expiry	Once a page has expired, you may want specific people to be notified. This setting allows you to choose which users are notified when a page expires.
Restrict who can transition	Apply restrictions to all branches	You can restrict who can transition a workflow to the next stage. When configuring this for a branching step, you may choose to apply the same restrictions across all branches here. If instead you wish to apply different restrictions to different branches, edit the configuration of each branch separately.
Restrict who can transition	Users and groups who can transition	Transitions can be restricted by listing specific users and groups. Enter the name of the user(s) and/or group(s) in this field if you want to restrict the transition permission to them.
Restrict who can transition	Roles which can transition	Transition can also be restricted by choosing specific roles. Select the role(s) in this field if you want to restrict the transition permission to them.

Branch configuration

Configuration Section	Configuration Setting	Description
Default branch	Default branch	This branch can be made the default branch by clicking “Make default”. Each branching step can have at most a single default branch. When selected, the default branch is the one that is highlighted amongst all configured branches in the byline, and determines which route to follow for automatic transitions such as those configured for page edits and time-based expiries.
Restrict who can transition	Users and groups who can transition	You can restrict who can transition via each branch. In the parent branching step, “Apply restrictions to all branches” must be disabled to configure this. Transitions can be restricted by listing specific users and groups. Enter the name of the user(s) and/or group(s) in this field if you want to restrict the transition permission to them.
Restrict who can transition	Roles which can transition	Transitions can also be restricted by choosing specific roles. Select the role(s) in this field if you want to restrict the transition permission to them.

Configuration Section

Configuration Setting

Description

Default branch

This branch can be made the default branch by clicking “Make default”. Each branching step can have at most a single default branch.

When selected, the default branch is the one that is highlighted amongst all configured branches in the byline, and determines which route to follow for automatic transitions such as those configured for page edits and time-based expiries.

Restrict who can transition

Users and groups who can transition

You can restrict who can transition via each branch. In the parent branching step, “Apply restrictions to all branches” must be disabled to configure this.

Transitions can be restricted by listing specific users and groups. Enter the name of the user(s) and/or group(s) in this field if you want to restrict the transition permission to them.

Restrict who can transition

Roles which can transition

Transitions can also be restricted by choosing specific roles. Select the role(s) in this field if you want to restrict the transition permission to them.

Need support? We’re here to help 🧡

As you can see from the page above, there are many configuration options in Workflows for Confluence. If you have any questions or would like assistance with any of these configuration options, please don’t hesitate to contact our Support team.