This session will touch on all different aspects of SharePoint Designer workflows. Whether you are just getting started with your first workflow or want to see some cool complex examples, this session is for you!
The key areas this session will cover are:
• Differences between SharePoint 2010 and 2013 workflows
• Getting started with SharePoint Designer workflows
• Great workflow features you might not be using
• My handy tips and tricks
• Real world examples of when you can use workflows
4. What are we going to talk about?
A look back through the years
How do I start?
Not your basic workflow info
Let’s see some examples!
5. Evolution of SharePoint Designer
SP Designer 2007
• Will work with 2003 & 2007
SP Designer 2010
• Only 2010
SP Designer 2013
• 2013, 2016 and SP Online (Office 365)
SP Designer 2016?
• Not being created
It’s a free
download!
6. Upgrading from 2010 Workflows
There is no in-place workflow upgrade
2010 workflows will run in SP 2013/2016 on-premises and Office 365
1. Migrate 2010 workflows and continue to use them in 2010 mode
2. Rebuild workflows using new 2013 actions
3. Rebuild workflows using ISV (Nintex, K2)
4. Rebuild using Flow or Logic Apps
Options
7. Deprecated features – 2010 to 2013
Design View
Content type association with reusable workflows
Association columns
Impersonation steps
User Profile lookup as a data source
Workflow visualization
Multiple workflow actions
8. New features – 2010 to 2013
Ability to define stages and jump between them
Stage level loops
Dictionary variable
App steps
Ability to call SP 2010 workflows
Task processes
Multiple workflow actions
9. Workflow in SharePoint 2013+
Brings the workflow
engine off SharePoint
Allows execution of
SharePoint 2010
workflows
Powered by Windows
Workflow Foundation 4
10. Workflow actions
Different workflow actions are available depending on…
• Version of workflow
• Type of workflow
• Location of action in a workflow
11. Workflow actions – 2010 to 2013
New in 2013
Assign a Task
Start a Task Process
Go to This Stage
Call HTTP Web Service
Start a List Workflow
Start a Site Workflow
Build Dictionary
Get Property from Dictionary
Count Items in Dictionary
Trim String
Find Substring in String
Translate Document
Set Workflow Status
Create a Project from Current Item (MS Project)
Set the current Project stage status to this value (MS Project)
Wait for Project Event (MS Project)
Set this field in the Project to this value (MS Project)
Deprecated in 2013
• Add List Item Permissions
• Assign a Form to a Group
• Assign a To-do Item
• Capture a version of the Document Set
• Collect Data from a User
• Copy List Item
• Declare Record
• Inherit List Item Parent Permissions
• Lookup Manager of a User
• Remove List Item Permissions
• Replace List Item Permissions
• Send Document Set to Repository
• Set Content Approval Status
• Set Content Approval Status for the Document Set
• Set Workflow Status
• Start Approval Process
• Start Custom Task Process
• Start Document Set Approval Process
• Start Feedback Process
• Undeclare Record
Call HTTP Web Service
• lets you specify any of several request methods,
including GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE. This lets you
tell the web services, specifically RESTful services, what
to do on the service that you’ve specified with the URI
property on the activity.
Start a List Workflow
• Starts a List workflow based on the SharePoint 2010
Workflow platform.
Start a Task Process
• Creates tasks on multiple users and enables the tasks
to be taken through a customized process.
12. Office 365 – SharePoint Online
Runs 2010 and 2013 workflows
You connect just like on-premises farms
Default and deeper integration with Flow
13. SharePoint Designer 2013 Workflows
Built at Site level (not site collection)
List/Library, Reusable, or Site Workflows
Can be created using Visio
Can be saved as a template
Ran on a timer job
These are all true for
SharePoint 2016 &
Online!
14. Creating a SharePoint 2013 Workflow
Open Designer and
connect to your site
• Click one of the New workflow
options in the ribbon
• Click Workflows in the Site Objects
navigation to view all current
workflows
15. Creating a SharePoint 2013 Workflow
• Enter a Name and Description
• Pick the 2013 platform type for your
new workflow
16. Creating a SharePoint 2013 Workflow
Add new conditions
Add new actions Add new loops
Create variables
Add new steps
Add new stages
17. What cool things can I do?
Custom Actions
Workflow Stages
App Steps
Utilize REST Services
18. Custom Actions
5 different actions available
• Dictate where they appear
• List Item Menu
• Display Form Ribbon
• Edit Form Ribbon
• New Form Ribbon
• View Ribbon
Configured on library or a list
Available in SharePoint 2010,
2013, 2016 and SharePoint Online
19. Custom Actions - Continued
Actions can do 1 of 3 things
1. Navigate to form
2. Initiate a workflow
3. Navigate to URL
You can add images to the actions
You can set the Rights Mask
• Security
When to use them?
Adding a link for a print function
Link to supporting list that contains
related data
Start an approval or review workflow
Link to a custom edit form that shows
more fields for the item
Link to an upload or insert item on a
related list
Start a workflow to create an item
20. Workflow Stages
Eases ability to build more advanced
logical workflows
Uses IF/Else statements to transition
between stages
2010 -> Just steps
2013 -> Steps in Stages
21. App Steps
• No more impersonation step from 2010
3 steps to configure
1. Allow workflow to use app permissions
• Done via activation of Site Feature “Workflows can use app permissions”
2. Grant full control permission to workflow
• Multiple step process to set trust for the Workflow app
• Detailed steps here
3. Develop the workflow to wrap actions inside an App Step
• App step will now be available in SP Designer ribbon
• Allows the ability to run a workflow that
requires elevated permissions
22. REST Service
• REST allows ability to remotely interact with SharePoint objects
• To access a specific site collection, use the following construction:
• http://server/site/_api/site
• To access a specific site, use the following construction:
• http://server/site/_api/web
23. REST Service - Continued
• Call HTTP Web Service & Dictionary actions
1. Build Dictionary(s)
2. Call REST service
• GET, POST, PUT, DELETE
3. Get Items in Dictionary (If necessary)
24. REST Service - Continued
• Can be used to…
• Manage content across site collections
• Create content (items, lists, sites, etc…)
• Retrieve content to be looped through
• Retrieve user profile information
• And lots more!
• Use Postman or Advanced REST client Chrome extension
26. Advanced Properties
Certain settings are only visible in action Properties
Right click on action -> click Properties…
Important in Task Process actions
Can set BCC for Send Email actions
27. Clearing SharePoint Designer Cache
1. Close SPD
2. Use File Explorer to navigate to:
• %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalMicrosoftWebsiteCache
3. Delete everything in this folder
4. Use File Explorer to navigate to:
• %APPDATA%MicrosoftWeb Server ExtensionsCache
5. Delete everything in this folder
28. Copy & Paste
You can copy & paste within the text-based designer in 2013
• Use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V or use Right-click functionality
Actions can copy but conditions and steps don’t always work
Copying between workflows can cause crashes
No support for Undo
Cannot copy content between workflow versions
Make sure you check all variables/lookups after copying!
29. Debugging
Log to history list
• Review workflow history list - /Lists/Workflow%20History/AllItems.aspx
• Send an email action for Dictionary variables due to large size
Add a comment
If/Else checks on major milestones & error handling
Hidden column to track data points
Fiddler (On-Premises)
Debugging isn’t just for when the workflow application is
created, but includes all issues that arise at a later time.
30. This all sounds cool, but what should I build?
Let’s look at
some examples
31. Good starting workflow ideas
More complex workflow ideas
• Vacation approval
• Equipment Reservation
• IT request task creation
• New project site creation
• New employee onboarding
• Finance invoice approval
32. Do you like demos?
I like demos
Let’s do a demo
33. Super Helpful links
SharePoint Community
SharePoint Designer 2013 Download
What’s changed in SharePoint Designer 2013
Workflow actions quick reference – SharePoint 2013
Workflow actions quick reference – SharePoint 2010
Get started with workflows in SharePoint 2013
Create a workflow with elevated permissions (app step setup)
Get to know the SharePoint REST service
Advanced REST Client Chrome Extension
Calling the SharePoint 2013 REST API from a SharePoint Designer Workflow
SharePoint 2013 workflow recursion prevention
Install and configure workflow for SharePoint 2013
Workflow Manager Farms for SharePoint 2013 – harbar.net
SharePoint Designer Custom Actions