Administering Workflows

Last update: May 3, 2023

CREATED FOR:

  • Admin
CAUTION
AEM 6.4 has reached the end of extended support and this documentation is no longer updated. For further details, see our technical support periods. Find the supported versions here.

Workflows enable you to automate Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) activities. Workflows:

  • Consist of a series of steps that are executed in a specific order.

    • Each step performs a distinct activity; such as waiting for user input, activating a page or sending an email message.

  • Can interact with assets in the repository, user accounts, and AEM services.

  • Can coordinate complicated activities that involve any aspect of AEM.

The business processes that your organization has established can be represented as workflows. For example, the process of publishing website content typically includes steps such as approval and sign-off by various stakeholders. These processes can be implemented as AEM workflows and applied to content pages and assets.

NOTE
For further information see:

Workflow Models and Instances

Workflow models in AEM are the representation and implementation of business processes:

  • Typically they act on pages or assets to achieve a specific result.
  • These pages and/or assets are called the workflow payload.
  • Workflow models consist of a series of steps that perform a specific task.
  • The payload is passed from step to step as the workflow progresses.

When a workflow model is started (executed), a workflow instance is created. A workflow model can be started multiple times, each time generating a distinct workflow instance. For each instance, the steps that the workflow model defines are executed.

CAUTION
The steps performed are those defined by the workflow model at the time the instance is generated. See Developing Workflows for further details.

Workflow instances progress through the following lifecycle:

  1. The workflow model is started and a workflow instance is created and running.

    1. The payload of the workflow instance is identified when the model is started.
    2. The instance is effectively a copy of the model (as at the time of creation).
    3. AEM authors, administrators, or services can start workflow models.

  2. The first step of the workflow model is executed.

  3. The step is completed and the workflow engine uses the model to determine the next step to execute.

  4. The subsequent steps in the workflow model are executed and completed.

  5. When the final step is completed, the workflow instance is completed and therefore archived.

Many useful workflow models are provided with AEM. In addition, the developers in your organization can create custom workflow models, tailored to the specific needs of your business processes.