Workflows

The workflow module adds visual approval flows and tasks on any model.

Install

Apps → Workflows → Install (requires base and admin).

Designer

Admin → Workflows → Design workflow (/web/workflow/build)

1. Basics — name, record type, active, auto-start on create
2. States — pipeline stages (one initial, optional final/cancelled)
3. Transitions — buttons, approval rules, stage forms (new fields or record fields)
4. Review — JSON summary

Approval options per transition:

Option	Meaning
Strategy: any	One approver from the group is enough
Strategy: all	Every member of the group must approve
Strategy: sequential	Approvers act one after another
Deadline (hours)	Optional; overdue rows are processed by cron
Escalate to group	Reassign to another group when overdue (else chatter only)

My approvals inbox

Admin → Workflows → My approvals (/web/workflow/inbox) lists every pending approval assigned to you (user, group, or record field). Approve or reject in one click, or open the underlying record.

Assigned approvers also get a workflow.task row (see Workflows → Tasks).

Runtime

On record forms with an active workflow:

• Status bar — states with current step highlighted
• Start workflow — manual start when auto-start is off
• Transition buttons — open a stage form when configured
• Approve / Reject — for pending approvals assigned to you
• Workflow history — vertical timeline on the form (chatter log lines with subtype workflow; pending approvals shown at the end). On large screens the activity column (workflow + general chatter when the model uses MailThread) sits to the right of the form; on small screens it stacks below the main fields.

Cron

Workflow approval escalation runs every 15 minutes (Settings → Cron jobs). Install/sync the workflow module to seed it.

Examples

Partner onboarding (res.partner) — seeded by the workflow module on install. The partners example module adds chatter and a Workflow list column when both are installed. Create a partner → Draft → Submit for approval → approving moves to Approved. Records already stuck in Under review can use Mark approved.

Feedback intake review (feedback.intake) — seeded when you install/sync Feedback signals (if the workflow module is present). New intakes auto-start in New → Send for review → admin approves → Mark verified.