Workflows and statuses: Customize your workflows

Workflows and statuses in Polimake Studio let you define how your content flows from creation to publication. Each project can have its own custom workflows that fit your work process exactly.

Content statuses

Statuses are labels that indicate which stage of the process each piece of content is in. Polimake Studio has two types of workflows that work together.

Approval Workflow

The approval workflow tracks the process of reviewing and approving content before it's published.

Default statuses

Draft

• Description: Content that was just created or is in development
• When to use: When you're creating content that isn't ready for review yet
• Typical next status: "In Review"

In Review

• Description: Content that's ready to be reviewed by the team
• When to use: When the content is complete and needs approval
• Typical next status: Can go back to "Draft" or move forward to "Approved"

Approved

• Description: Content that has passed all reviews
• When to use: When the content is ready to publish
• Typical next status: None (it's the final approval status)

Execution Workflow

The execution workflow tracks the process of publishing content.

Default statuses

To Upload

• Description: Content that's approved but not yet published
• When to use: When the content is approved and ready to publish
• Typical next status: "Uploaded"

Uploaded

• Description: Content that has already been published
• When to use: When the content has been published on social media
• Typical next status: None (final status)

How they work together

The two workflows operate in sequence:

1. Creation: Content starts in "Draft" (approval) and "To Upload" (execution)
2. Review: Content moves to "In Review" (approval)
3. Approval: Content moves to "Approved" (approval)
4. Publication: Content moves to "Uploaded" (execution)

Custom workflows by project

Each project can have its own custom workflows that fit your specific process.

Customizing the approval workflow

You can customize the approval workflow with:

• Custom statuses: Create your own statuses (e.g., "Awaiting Copy," "Design Review," "Client Approved")
• Transitions: Define which statuses can follow others
• Multiple paths: Allow different paths depending on the content type

Customizing the execution workflow

You can customize the execution workflow with:

• Custom statuses: Create specific statuses (e.g., "Scheduled," "Published," "Archived")
• Transitions: Define the publication flow
• Additional statuses: Add statuses for special cases

Configuring custom workflows

1. Open the project settings
2. Go to "Workflows"
3. Select "Customize" for the workflow you want to modify
4. Add or modify statuses:
   • Add a status: Click "Add status" and give it a name
   • Delete a status: Remove statuses you don't need (with caution)
   • Rename a status: Change the name of an existing status
5. Configure transitions:
   • Define which statuses can follow each status
   • Some transitions can be bidirectional
6. Save the changes

Important: Changing workflows can affect existing content. Be sure to communicate the changes to the team.

Status transitions

Transitions define which statuses can follow others. They control the logical flow of your content.

Default transitions

In the default approval workflow:

• Draft → In Review: When the content is ready for review
• In Review → Draft: If it needs changes and to go back to development
• In Review → Approved: If it passes the review

In the default execution workflow:

• To Upload → Uploaded: When the content is published

Configuring custom transitions

When customizing workflows, you can:

• Add transitions: Allow new paths between statuses
• Remove transitions: Restrict certain status changes
• Bidirectional transitions: Allow returning to previous statuses
• Conditional transitions: Some transitions can require conditions (if available)

Example of custom transitions

Imagine a custom approval workflow:

Draft
  ↓
Awaiting Copy
  ↓
Design Review
  ↓
Final Review
  ↓
Approved

With transitions that allow:

• Returning to "Draft" from any status if major changes are needed
• Skipping "Final Review" if the content is simple
• Going directly to "Approved" from "Design Review" if there's no copy

Default vs. custom workflows

When to use default workflows

Default workflows are ideal when:

• Simple process: Your process fits the basic statuses
• Small team: You don't need multiple levels of review
• Getting started: You're just starting and want something simple
• Standard: Your process is standard and doesn't require customization

When to customize workflows

Customize workflows when:

• Complex process: You have multiple review stages
• Large team: Different people review different aspects
• Special cases: You need statuses for specific cases
• Optimization: You want to optimize your current process

Migrating from default to custom workflows

If you start with default workflows and later want to customize:

1. Evaluate your current process: Identify which statuses you actually use
2. Plan the new workflow: Design the custom workflow
3. Set up the new workflow: Create the statuses and transitions
4. Migrate existing content: Move content to the appropriate new statuses
5. Communicate the changes: Inform the team about the new process

Examples of common workflows

Example 1: Simple workflow for a small team

Situation: A team of 2–3 people with a simple process.

Approval workflow:

• Draft → In Review → Approved

Execution workflow:

• To Upload → Uploaded

Use: The creator moves it to "In Review," the reviewer approves it, and it's scheduled for publication.

Example 2: Workflow with copy and design review

Situation: A team with separate copywriters and designers.

Custom approval workflow:

• Draft → Copy Review → Design Review → Approved

Transitions:

• Can return to "Draft" from any status
• Can skip "Copy Review" if there's no text

Use: Content goes through copy review first, then design, and finally general approval.

Example 3: Workflow with client approval

Situation: An agency that needs client approval.

Custom approval workflow:

• Draft → Internal Review → Sent to Client → Client Approved → Approved

Transitions:

• Can return to "Draft" from "Internal Review"
• Can return to "Internal Review" from "Sent to Client" if the client requests changes
• Can only move forward to "Approved" from "Client Approved"

Use: The team reviews internally, sends it to the client, the client approves, and finally it's marked as approved.

Example 4: Workflow with multiple platforms

Situation: Content that's published on multiple platforms.

Custom execution workflow:

• To Upload → Published on Instagram → Published on TikTok → Published on Facebook → Completed

Use: Track publication on each platform individually.

Example 5: Workflow with archiving

Situation: You want to archive content after publishing.

Custom execution workflow:

• To Upload → Uploaded → Archived

Use: After publishing, content can be archived to keep your history organized.

Best practices

Workflow design

• Keep it simple: Don't add more statuses than necessary
• Be consistent: Use the same workflows in similar projects
• Document: Explain what each status means to your team
• Evaluate regularly: Review whether the workflow is still effective

Using statuses

• Respect the flow: Don't skip statuses without a reason
• Communicate changes: Leave comments when you change important statuses
• Update regularly: Keep statuses up to date
• Use statuses correctly: Don't use "Approved" for content that still needs work

Collaboration

• Define responsibilities: Clarify who changes which statuses
• Set timeframes: Define how long content should stay in each status
• Review regularly: Periodically review content in certain statuses
• Automate when possible: Use statuses to automate processes (if available)

Troubleshooting common issues

I can't change to a specific status

• Verify that the transition is allowed in the workflow
• Make sure you have write permissions
• Check whether there are special conditions for that transition

Content is in a status that doesn't exist

• This can happen if a status was deleted from the workflow
• Move the content manually to a valid status
• Or restore the status in the workflow if needed

I need to add a new status

• Go to the project settings
• Customize the corresponding workflow
• Add the new status and configure its transitions

The workflows aren't applying correctly

• Verify that the project has the workflows configured
• Make sure the content is in the correct project
• Refresh the page if the changes aren't reflected

Conclusion

Workflows and statuses in Polimake Studio let you adapt the platform exactly to your work process. Whether you use the default workflows or fully customize them, the key is to define a clear process and follow it consistently.

Start with simple workflows and add complexity as you need it. Remember that workflows should serve your process, not the other way around. If a workflow isn't working well, adjust it until it fits how you actually work.

For more information on how to manage content in different statuses, check out our content management guide, and to collaborate effectively with your team, see our projects and teams guide.