Tags are labels that can be assigned to records. They can be used to reflect (editorial) workflows or give users access to selected records.
Use cases
Tags & workflows can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some common uses:
| Use case | Description |
|---|---|
| Editing status | Sometimes it takes time to finalize the records because the necessary information is collected over a longer period of time. You can also quickly upload files with minimal information and complete the details later. To keep track of the status of records, you can create tags for different stages (for example, “new,” “in progress,” or “completed”). You can use permissions and tag filters to specify that specific groups of users can only access or download completed records. |
| If you want to give external users access to specific records without signing in, you can create a tag to flag publicly available records (for example, “External” or “Published”). Use permissions and tag filters to ensure that they only see the information you want them to see. | |
| Editorial workflow | If records need review and approval before publishing, you can set up a group (for example, “Editors”), a tag (for example, “For review”), and create a workflow where editors are notified whenever a new record is marked for review. You can also make sure that not all users can set the “Published” tag by setting up a workflow that prevents certain groups from setting that tag. |
| Automatic exports | If you want to regularly export some of your records to external websites or portals, you can create a tag (for example, “Export to portal 1”), tag the records, and set up a scheduled export for all tagged records. |
Additionally to user defined tags, CollectionPro uses 4 system tags that cannot be modified and are assigned when the data models integrity is violated:
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| UNIQUE_KEY_VIOLATION | This tag is set when a UNIQUE index was added in the data model and there are records that violate this UNIQUE key. |
| NESTED_UNIQUE_KEY_VIOLATION | This tag is set when a UNIQUE index was added to a nested/repeatable field in the data model and there are records that violate this UNIQUE key. |
| CHECK_VIOLATION | This tag is set when a NOT NULL index or a range was added in the data model and there are records that have no values set or values outside of the specified range. |
| TAGS_CHOICE_VIOLATION | This tag is set when a record has multiple tags from the same tag group with type “choice”. |
Tags
Tags are always organized into so called tag groups. It is important to first create a tag group by clicking on the plus button in the lower left corner. To add a tag, first select a tag group. Only then can you click the plus button and select “Tag”. To delete tags or tag groups, select them and click on the minus button in the bottom left corner.
Please note that tags or tag groups can only be deleted if they’re not used in any records or permissions.
By default, the tags defined here are available for all object types that have tag management enabled, as well as for all users in all pools. For object types and pools, you can use the option “Use individual tags” to only use some of the tags.
If you want to hide all tags from specific users, you can define a mask and set the tags to “Hide”. If you just want to prevent specific users from setting or unsetting a tag, please define a workflow (see below).
You can change the order of tag groups and tags by using the small drag handle in front of the display name. They will be displayed in this order when assigning tags to records or viewing tags of records.
Use the following options to configure tags and tag groups:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Display name | Enter a name for the tag group and tags. |
| Type | For tag groups: Choose whether the tags should be radio buttons (only one tag from a group can be set for a record) or checkboxes (multiple tags from a group can be set for a record). For tags: Select “Individual” or “All versions.” This only matters if you want to give users access to older (tagged) versions of records. |
| Display | Select whether to display the tag in the editor, detail, search, and/or filter. Select “hidden” if you want to use hidden tags in workflows or only need them for the API. |
| Additional info | Specify a reference or short name for the tag group or tag. Both must be unique. This can be helpful when importing data with tags or working with the API. You can also add a description for the tags that will be displayed when you hover over the tag. |
| Enabled | Only enabled tags can be used. Disable the tag to hide it from the tag selection. |
| Default | Activate if the tag should be set automatically when new records are created. |
| Persistent | Activate if the tag (settings) should not be overwritten by individual tags for pools or object types. |
| Icon | Select an icon from the list. The icon is displayed together with the tag name in the editor and in the detail. |
| Color | Select a color from the list. The tag and the tag icon are shown in this color. |
| Permissions | Add permissions to a tag. These permissions apply to all records that have this tag set. |
Workflows
Workflows allow you to define automatic actions that are triggered when certain conditions are met. For example, you can send notifications, update information, or automatically control review processes. Next, we will go through how workflows can be defined and used in the system.
A workflow is triggered when:
- the operation matches
- the currently logged in user matches the defined user / group
- the state before and after saving matches
- and the user confirms the workflow (if configured)
By default, the workflows defined here are available for all object types that have tag management enabled, as well as for all users in all pools. For object types and pools, you can use the “Use individual workflows” option to define workflows that are only available in that context.
To add a workflow, click on the plus button in the bottom left corner. To delete a selected workflow, click on the minus button. To copy a workflow, click on it and then on the copy icon in the bottom left corner.
You can change the order of the workflows by using the small drag handle at the beginning of the row. This is important because, depending on the type of workflow, the order can matter.
Use the following options to configure a workflow:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Insert | Activate this when you want the workflow to start when you create a new record. This is useful, for example, for adding automatic tags to new records. |
| Update | Activate this when you want the workflow to start when you edit an existing record. This is suitable for quality assurance processes or automatic updating of change history, for example. |
| Delete | Activate this when you want the workflow to start when you delete a record. This is useful, for example, for initiating backup processes or archiving operations. |
| Type | Select the type of workflow based on how you want it to affect the record saving process. For example, “REJECT & EXIT” will block the save and stop checking workflows. |
| Object Types | Specify exactly which object types this workflow targets. This allows for customized workflows for different object types. |
| Users / Groups | Define the users / groups this workflow should be checked for. This allows you to create different workflows for different user groups, which is useful for managing different levels of access, for example. |
| Not in the group | |
| Comment | Add a clear description of the purpose and function of the workflow. This helps other admins understand the workflow logic. |
| State before saving | Precisely define the states of the tags that trigger the workflow. This allows fine-tuned control over the start of the workflow. |
| State after saving | Precisely define the states of the tags that trigger the workflow. This allows fine-tuned control over the start of the workflow. |
| Confirmation text | Write clear and informative text that explains the impact of the workflow to the user. |
| Action | Carefully select and configure the action that you want the workflow to perform. Make sure that the action is aligned with the goals of the workflow. |
| Persistent | Think carefully about whether the workflow should be persistent or not. Persistent workflows aren’t overwritten by individual settings for pools or object types, which can be important for system-wide processes. |
Be sure to test each workflow carefully before deploying to ensure that they work as expected and don’t cause unintended consequences in the system.
Workflow types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| NORMAL | Use this type when you want the workflow to perform a defined action and continue to check subsequent workflows. This is useful for common processes that don’t require an immediate decision on saving. |
| RESOLVE & EXIT | Select to ensure that the record is saved immediately after this workflow. This is useful for critical processes where you want to skip subsequent workflows and ensure instant saving. |
| REJECT & EXIT | Use this to prevent the record from being saved and stop checking workflows. This is an effective way to prevent unwanted changes or to ensure that certain conditions are met before saving. |
| RESOLVE & CONTINUE | Select this option when you want the workflow to accept your changes but still continue to check subsequent workflows. This is useful for multi-step processes that require multiple checks. |
| REJECT & CONTINUE | Use this when you want to mark a record as rejected but still continue to check other workflows. This allows for complex approval processes that require multiple conditions. |
Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Email: Set up automatic email notifications when the workflow starts. You can configure: – Recipients: Choose exactly who you want to send the notification to. – Subject and message: Formulate a clear and informative message. – Batch email support: Activate this to avoid an unnecessary flood of emails. | |
| Tags | Automatically manage record tags: – Add a tag: First click (plus icon) – Remove a tag: Second click (minus icon) – No change: Third click This allows for automatic metadata management and classification. |
| Webhook | Use this to integrate external systems. Configure webhook calls carefully in the base configuration to ensure secure and efficient data exchange between systems. |
If necessary, develop your own plugins for specific needs, such as:
– Automatic comment addition to change history
– Update fields in a record based on calculation formulas
– Integrations with other internal systems
Remember that careful planning and testing of workflows is critical to ensure an efficient and reliable operation of the system. Regularly monitor workflows and optimize them as needed to ensure they serve the changing needs of your organization.