Workflow Tools

In Knack, workflow turns your static data into dynamic processes designed to impact your business.

"Workflow" defines the process, steps, and actions that get your work done. 

In Knack, workflow is what turns your static data into dynamic processes designed to impact your business: it moves jobs to the right employee, alerts customers when an order is ready, requests approvals from a manager, and so much more.

Knack doesn’t have one specific workflow feature. Instead, workflow is included in many features throughout the Knack platform.

Below is a list of the commonly used features for creating your own unique workflows. Each feature includes:

• A description of the feature

• Examples of how the feature is used in workflows

• A link to an article that explains how to use the feature

For a sample of common workflows, check out our About Workflows article.

 

Fields

Fields form the foundation for many workflows. For detailed information regarding the different field types outlined below, check out this article.

Multiple Choice Fields

Multiple-choice fields present a group of options users can choose from. In a workflow, multiple-choice fields are often used to denote status or stage.

Workflow Example:

• Adding Stages to Your App

Yes/No Fields

Yes/no fields differentiate between a true or false value.

Workflow Examples: 

• Mark whether an inventory item needs to be reordered or not

• Mark whether a record is approved before displaying it

• Mark whether a user needs to reset their password the next time they log in

Equations

Equation fields combine field values, numbers, and other mathematical functions to calculate values for each record.

Workflow Examples: 

• Calculate how many spots remain available for an event

• Calculate the total costs for a completed task or project

• Calculate how many days an invoice is overdue

For details on how to create equation fields, check out this article: About Equations.

Formulas

Formula fields run automatic calculations on connected records, which can be used by other features in a workflow, like conditional rules.

Workflow Example: 

• Calculate the sum cost of all items added to an order

For details on how to create formula fields, check out this article: About Formula Fields.

Default Values

Default values populate fields if no value is entered. They are also used to populate forms that add new records.

Workflow Examples: 

• Ensure that new invoices are set to a status of "Unpaid" by default

• Ensure that new projects are set to a status of "In Progress" by default

Default values are only available for specific fields. To find out which fields allow for default values, check out this article: Field Types.

 

Conditional Rules

Conditional rules set the value of a field based on conditions that you define.

Workflow Examples:

• Automatically set a Yes/No field to "Yes" when inventory is low

• Automatically help update the cost of an item that's been discounted using a discount code

For details on how to add conditional rules to fields, check out this article: Using Conditional Rules.

 

Validation Rules

Validation rules define which values are or are not allowed on a specific field. This ensures that data meets the defined criteria.

Workflow Example:

• Validate discount codes before applying a discount

For details on how to add validation rules to fields, check out this article: Using Validation Rules.

 

Views

Views determine what data your users see for any given workflow. For more information about Knack views, see our About Views article. 

Source

The data source determines which records are displayed and how they are displayed in views. This allows views to be customized to show only records with a specific status in a workflow.

Workflow Examples:

• Display only contacts that are in the lead, proposal, or customer/won stages

• Display only unassigned tasks

• Display only approved records

For details on how to customize the data source of a view, check out this article: Source: Which Records Will the View Display.

 

Grid Groupings

Grid groupings group records by a common value.

For details on adding groupings to grids, check out this article: How to Add Groupings to a Grid.

 

Display Rules

Display rules can either show/hide fields or customize a field's appearance based on specified criteria. Display rules are available in form, grid, list, and detail views.

Workflow Examples:

• Hide fields not associated with a specific stage of a project on a details view

• Add status indicators to a grid by changing a field's background color and text style, and adding an icon

For details on adding display rules to views, check out this article: Using Display Rules.

 

Custom Text on Submit Buttons

Submit buttons appear on all forms. The "Submit" text on those buttons can be customized to streamline user actions in a workflow.

They can also be combined with record rules to create one-step button forms.

Workflow Example:

• Clearly direct a user to the next part of a multi-part form

• Create a one-click form that sets the status of a record to "Approved" using record rules

For details on changing the text of a submit button, check out this article: How to Customize the Text on a Submit Button.

 

Users

If you need multiple user roles in your workflow with different access, you’ll need to activate users. With users, you can set up custom pages, views, and triggers.

User Roles & Permissions

User roles are different types of users. Using roles and users, you can ensure that the data displayed is relevant to the logged-in user in order to move a workflow forward.

Workflow Examples:

• Create a Manager user role to assign tasks and an Employee user role to view assigned tasks and mark them as complete

• Create an Admin user role that has access to all records

For details on creating user roles, check out this article: About Users. For details on managing permissions, check out this article: Managing User Roles & Permissions.

 

Logins & Registrations

Logins require users to validate their access using an email and password before they can access your app. In a workflow, this ensures that users only have access to the data and functionality that you've defined.

Registrations control whether or not a new user has the option to sign up for approved or immediate access to your app.

Workflow Examples:

• Show records connected to the logged-in user

• Show records connected to the logged-in user's company or other group

• Give users the option to sign up for access to a member directory

For details on adding logins and registrations to your pages, check out this article: About Logins & Registrations.

 

Triggers

Triggers make it possible to add automation to your workflows.

Record Rules

Record rules perform automated actions behind the scenes when a form or inline edit on a grid is submitted.

Those actions include automatically setting field values in a workflow, which can save time for users and reduce data entry errors. Record rules can also insert or update connected records.

Workflow Examples:

• Create a button that automatically updates a contact from the lead to the proposal stage

• Add a link to a grid that automatically marks a task as complete

• Add a link to a grid that automatically adds a recipe to the logged-in user's favorite recipes

For details on adding record rules to your forms, check out this article: Using Record Rules.

Submit Rules

Submit rules determine where a user is directed after successfully submitting a form, which includes redirecting the user to a relevant page in a workflow.

Workflow Examples:

• Redirect a customer to a custom page after making a payment

• Automatically move a user to the next part of a multi-part form

• Redirect a customer to add items to a new order

For details on adding submit rules to your forms, check out this article: Using Submit Rules.

Email

Email notifications can be sent to users using forms in a workflow. Also, time-based email reminders can be sent using scheduled tasks. 

Workflow Examples:

• Notify a customer that they have a new invoice or that an invoice is overdue

• Notify a hiring manager that a new application has been submitted

For details on sending automatic emails from your forms, check out this article: Sending Emails. 

For details on sending emails using scheduled tasks, check out this article: Scheduled Tasks.

Page Rules

Page rules automatically trigger actions when a page is loaded based on conditions you define. They can be used to show only the views (grids, forms, etc.) relevant to the user or the page's record. In workflows, this ensures the page’s content is relevant to the user and stage.

Workflow Examples:

• Hide a tasks grid on a project page when the project is still in the planning stage

• Display a message when a deadline is approaching

For details on creating page rules, check out this article: Using Page Rules.

Scheduled Tasks

Scheduled tasks automate actions that can be scheduled on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, which allows you to send email reminders to users in a workflow.

Workflow Example:

• Notify a customer that an invoice is overdue after a week

For details on creating scheduled tasks, check out this article: Scheduled Tasks.

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