This article focuses on the 'How to Hide a Document Versions Until it Is Approved' setting that appears when editing document schemas workflow properties, when editing workflow templates and when initiating workflows based on a template.

What does this setting do?
In many cases a given version of a document needs to have its distribution restricted until such time as it has gone through some form of approval process. This feature in FileHold workflow allows a given version of a document to be hidden from all users except for the document owner, workflow participants, workflow observers and designated library administrators until such time as it has gone through a workflow instance that contains at least one Approval activity and the result of this activity is that the document is signed off as "Approved".

For example, consider a product price list posted in a folder accessible by the management team and all sales reps in a company. The management team may decide that they want to hide all versions of the price list until they are approved by all members of management. For a version to be approved it must successfully go through a workflow instance with a single approval activity and and have all participants approve the document. The first version of the price list is approved by all management through such a workflow and is therefore accessible by all sales reps that can access the folder. Three months down the road new product SK Us are introduced in the company and the price list needs to be revised. A new version (version 2) of the document is created and is sent through a similar management approval workflow. This time it is not approved. This document is not visible to the sales reps in the folder as it has been rejected. The sales manager makes a few quick changes and creates version 3. This time document version 3 is approved. Now when any sales rep visits the folder they will only have access to versions 1 and 3 of the price list - the approved versions. The entire time the document has gone through a series of versions it has been accessible to all members of the management team, the document owner (in this case the sales manager) and the designated library administrator.

Where can this setting be defined?
This setting can be defined at 3 possible levels (listed from most general to most specific) a) at the document schema level b) at the workflow template level c) at the workflow instance level. In all cases the document schema, template or instance must have at least one approval activity associated with it either indirectly (in the case of a schema through its association with a workflow template that has a approval activity associated with it) or directly in the case of a workflow template or instance that has at least one approval activity associated with it.

How does the setting work if set at the schema level?
If set at the schema level all workflow templates associated with this schema and all instances generated for this document type will have the setting as = yes. In this case the first version of a document added to the system associated with this schema will adopt this setting and will therefore be hidden from all users aside from the document owner or a designated library administrator.

How does the setting work if set at the workflow template level?
If set at the workflow template level all workflow instances generated for this document type will have the setting as = yes. This means that the document version will be hidden when a workflow instance is successfully started for a document using this template. In this case the first version of a document added to the system associated with this schema will not adopt this setting and will not be hidden from all users aside from the document owner or a designated library administrator until such time as the first version is included as part of an initiated workflow instance using a workflow template with this setting = yes. Once involved in such an instance it shall be available to all workflow participants and observers as well.

How does the setting work if set at the workflow instance level?
This can only be set at the workflow instance level if the library administrator has 'Allowed Initiator to Define' this setting at the workflow template level. Use this link for more information on working with workflow templates. If set at the instance level the document associated with this instance will be hidden from all users aside from the observers, participants, initiator, document owner or a designated library administrator.

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