Required Roles: Any
Required Permissions: Workspace manager
This article explains how to attach a workflow configuration to a cabinet, assign users and groups to each workflow step, and enable optional settings for workflow bypass and manual version override on upload.
Overview
Workflow settings on a cabinet control which approval process applies to documents filed there. When a workflow is assigned to a cabinet, documents uploaded into that cabinet (and any sub-folders that do not have their own workflow configured) will follow the steps defined in that workflow: collaboration, review, approval, and so on.
You must select a workflow configuration that has been set up in Workspace Settings first. If no workflows exist yet, see Create and Configure a Workflow before continuing.
Adding a workflow to a cabinet
Step 1 – Enter Manager Mode
Click your name in the upper-right corner of Kivo and select Manager Mode.
Step 2 – Open the cabinet settings
Navigate to the cabinet you want to configure. Select the ellipsis icon next to the cabinet name and choose Edit. A settings pane opens on the right side of the screen.
Step 3 – Select a workflow configuration
In the settings pane, scroll to the Workflow Settings section. Use the dropdown to select the workflow configuration you want to apply to this cabinet.
If other cabinets of the same type already have a workflow configured, a Copy Workflow from Cabinet option also appears. Select a source cabinet from the list and click Copy to apply the same workflow and step assignments to this cabinet.
Note: If sub-folders below this cabinet have their own workflow configured, changing the cabinet-level selection will unset those folder-level configurations. Kivo displays a warning before you proceed.
Step 4 – Assign users and groups to workflow steps
Once a workflow is selected, the step assignments section appears. For each workflow step, add the users or groups who can participate in that step for documents in this cabinet. Assignments made here apply specifically to this cabinet and do not affect the workflow template itself.
Step 5 – Configure optional bypass and version override settings
Two optional toggles appear below the step assignments when a workflow is configured:
Allow workflow bypass on upload: When enabled, a user uploading a document can skip the workflow and immediately mark the document as approved at version 1.0. If Approval on Upload reasons are configured in Workspace Settings, the user is prompted to select a reason (for example, Approved prior to upload). This toggle is disabled until Approval on Upload reasons are configured.
Allow manual version override on upload: When enabled alongside workflow bypass, the uploading user can manually set the Kivo version number at the time of upload. This is useful when migrating documents approved in another system so the version number matches the external record (for example, setting version 7.0 for an SOP already at that revision). This toggle requires workflow bypass to be on.
Best practices
Assign workflows at the cabinet level for consistency across all documents in that cabinet. Only configure folder-level overrides when a specific subfolder requires a different approval process.
Restrict workflow bypass to cabinets where document migration or legacy uploads are expected. Leaving bypass off by default preserves audit trail integrity for new content.
Set up Approval on Upload reasons in Workspace Settings before enabling bypass, or the toggle will remain unavailable.