Workflows¶

Overview¶

The Workflows feature lets you define approval workflows that route actions in the API Manager to designated Approver Groups. Each workflow is scoped to a module — Subscription, API, Application, or Environment — and uses Manual Approval.

With this feature, you can:

Create workflows that match how your organization governs API, subscription, application, and environment changes.
Assign one or more approver groups to each workflow.
Filter and search existing workflows by name and module.
View and edit workflow configuration.

When a workflow is attached and its trigger conditions are met, requests appear in Pending Approvals for review.

Why This Matters¶

Controlled governance before APIs are published or changed.
Module-specific rules for subscriptions, API onboarding, applications, and environment promotion.
Reusable approver group assignments across workflows.
Clear audit path from workflow definition to pending approval actions.

Scope¶

Workflow creation, viewing, and editing.
Module selection and target scoping (per module).
Approver group assignment.
Workflow list search and module filter.

Outcome¶

Approval rules aligned with organizational policy.
Approvers notified through the Pending Approvals inbox when requests are submitted.
Predictable routing for API, subscription, application, and environment changes.

When to Use Workflows¶

Use this feature when:

API changes (publish, endpoint add/update/delete) must be reviewed before taking effect.
Subscription or application actions with rate plans require manual approval.
Environment promotion must be reviewed before an API is attached to a new gateway environment.
You need different approval paths per organisation, API, or API group.

When Not to Use Workflows¶

Do not use workflows alone when:

No approver groups exist yet — create them first in Approver Group.

Prerequisites¶

Required Access and Permissions¶

Users must have:

API Manager access.
Permission to create and manage approval workflows.

System / Technical Requirements¶

At least one Approver Group created before assigning approvers to a workflow.
For API module workflows: organisations available for selection.
For Subscription or Application modules: APIs or API groups available for target selection.
For Environment module workflows: APIs available for target selection (All API or Individual API).

Modules and Triggers¶

Module (UI label)	What triggers approval (info banner)
`API`	Publishing an API; adding, updating, or deleting endpoints; modifying API structure
`Subscription`	Creating subscriptions where rate plans are attached to APIs
`Application`	Application creation when rate plans are attached to APIs or API groups
`Environment`	Promoting an API to an additional gateway environment when an Environment workflow is attached

Approval type: Only Manual Approval is available in the UI.

Workflow Form Fields¶

Field	Required	Description
Workflow name	Yes	Name of the workflow. Validated naming pattern applies.
Description	No	Optional notes. Maximum 500 characters.
Select module	Yes	`Subscription`, `API`, `Application`, or `Environment`
Approval type	Yes	`Manual Approval`
Target selection	Yes (Subscription / Application / Environment)	`Subscription` and `Application`: `All API`, `Individual API`, or `API Group`. `Environment`: `All API` or `Individual API` only
Select Organisation	Yes (API module)	One or more organisations the workflow applies to
Select API	Yes (when target is Individual API)	Specific APIs
Select API Group	Yes (when target is API Group)	Specific API groups (Subscription and Application only)
Select Approver group	Yes	One or more approver groups (searchable multi-select)

Module-Specific Behavior¶

API module

Shows an info banner listing triggers: Publish API, Add Endpoints, Update Endpoints, Delete Endpoints.
Requires Select Organisation (placeholder: Search and Select).

Subscription module

Shows an info banner: rate plans attached to APIs are forwarded for approval.
Requires Target selection and corresponding API or API group selections.

Application module

Shows an info banner: rate plans attached to APIs or API groups during application creation are sent for approval.
Requires Target selection and corresponding API or API group selections.

Environment module

Applies when promoting an API to another gateway environment.
Requires Target selection: All API or Individual API (API Group is not available for Environment).
When an Environment workflow is attached, Promote an Environment shows Submit for Approval instead of Promote. Approvers act in Pending Approvals.

Step-by-Step Implementation¶

Creating a Workflow¶

Step 1: Navigate to Workflows¶

From the left navigation panel, open Approval Workflow → Workflows.

Step 2: Open the Create Form¶

Select Create Workflow.

Step 3: Enter Workflow Details¶

Enter Workflow name and optional Description.
Select Select module and Approval type (Manual Approval).
Configure module-specific targets (organisation, API, API group) as shown.
In Select Approver group, search and select one or more approver groups.

Step 4: Save¶

Select Create.
The workflow appears in the grid.

Viewing and Editing a Workflow¶

Step 1: Open View Mode¶

In the workflows grid, select View (eye icon) on the target row.

Step 2: Review or Edit¶

Review read-only details in View workflow.
Select Edit to open Edit workflow, make changes, and select Save.

Edit constraint: If no fields changed, the form shows: "Please modify values to initiate an update."

Understanding the Interface¶

UI Element	Location	Purpose
Search bar	Top of page	Filter by workflow name (`Search by Workflow name`)
Module filter	Top of page	Filter by `All`, `API`, `Subscription`, `Application`, or `Environment`
Create Workflow	Top right	Open create modal
Workflow Name	Grid column	Workflow display name
Module	Grid column	`Subscription`, `API`, `Application`, or `Environment`
Approver Group	Grid column	Assigned approver group names (truncated if many)
View	Grid action	Open read-only workflow details
Edit	Grid action	Open edit modal

Empty state message: "No lists available for Workflow."

Feature	Relationship
Approver Group	Define users who can approve workflow requests
Pending Approvals	Inbox where submitted requests are approved or rejected
Onboard APIs	API changes that may trigger API-module workflows
Publish an API	Direct publish or submit-for-approval from My APIs
Promote an Environment	Environment promotion that may require an Environment workflow

Best Practices¶

Practice	Reason
Create approver groups before workflows	Workflows require at least one approver group
Use descriptive workflow names	Easier search and audit in Pending Approvals
Scope API workflows by organisation	Avoids unintended approval routing
Match module to the action being governed	Subscription workflows do not cover API endpoint changes or environment promotion
Review info banners when selecting a module	Confirms which actions will trigger approval

Troubleshooting¶

Issue	Possible Cause	Resolution
Cannot select approver group	No approver groups created	Create a group in Approver Group
Organisation list empty	No organisations available	Verify organisation setup in the platform
API or API Group not listed	Target not enabled for the module	Confirm APIs or groups exist and match target selection
Update rejected with no changes	Form matches saved workflow	Change at least one field before saving
Workflow not triggering approvals	Workflow not attached or conditions not met	Confirm module scope and submit conditions in Pending Approvals
Promote shows Submit for Approval unexpectedly	Environment workflow is attached to the API	Confirm the Environment workflow scope, or process the request in Pending Approvals

Frequently Asked Questions¶

What modules can a workflow cover?

Subscription, API, Application, and Environment. Each workflow applies to one module.

Is Auto Approval supported?

Only Manual Approval is exposed in the workflow form today.

How do approvers receive requests?

After a user submits an action covered by the workflow, the request appears in Pending Approvals for assigned approver groups.

Can one workflow use multiple approver groups?

Yes. Select Approver group supports multi-select.

Tip

Set up Approver Group first, then create workflows, then verify end-to-end by submitting a test request and checking Pending Approvals.