List Approval Workflow

Feature Overview

List values are foundational to data consistency - but managing them has historically created bottlenecks, scattered edits, and gaps in oversight. The List Approval Workflow in Enterprise Data Management (EDM) solves this by bringing a structured, in-platform review process to list management. Contributors can submit proposed changes directly in Claravine, Approvers review before anything is committed, and every action is logged for a full audit trail.

Key benefits include:

• Structured collaboration: Contributors can propose updates without requiring full Admin access.
• Built-in oversight: Approvers review every proposed change before it is committed to the list.
• Auditable history: Suggestions, approvals, and rejections are tracked in the platform, eliminating reliance on external spreadsheets or informal edits.
• Clear notifications: Approvers receive email notifications when new suggestions are submitted, keeping the review process moving without manual follow-up.

User Permissions for List Management

Approver permissions are enabled for all Admins by default - no additional List permissions are required. For Manager user, Claravine supports three permission types. 

To assign a Manager the permission to be a Suggester or Approver, navigate to the Organizations menu, select the User menu. Use the Search field to locate the Manager, then click on the name to open the edit user menu. Assign the appropriate permission level to the Manager and click Done. 

Navigate to each List and add the Manager from the Approver or Suggester dropdown.

Edit and Suggestion Mode

When Enable List Suggestions is toggled on in the Settings, the module displays options to assign two role types:

• Approvers - All admins plus Managers who have been given Lists: Review Suggestions permission.
• Suggesters - All admins plus Managers who have been given Lists: Make Suggestions permission.

Once Enable List Suggestions is toggled on, based on their role type, users will see the option to modify the list in Edit mode or Suggestion mode in the upper right-hand corner of the list page.

Edit Mode

As an Admin or Manager with Lists: Review Suggestions permissions and my name added as an approver on a list, I can view a List in Edit or Suggestion Mode.

In Edit mode, the user makes and saves changes directly to the list and the changes are applied immediately. Updates made in Edit mode do not require an approval process and are not tracking in the Activity log. 

Suggestion Mode

As an Admin or Manager with Lists: Make Suggestions permissions and my name added as a suggester on a list, I will view a List in Suggestion Mode.

In Suggestion mode, the user proposes changes by adding, editing, or deleting rows, then clicks Submit Suggestions. Note: Suggestions are not added to the list until an Approver takes action.

Once a Suggester submits proposed changes, the suggestions appear highlighted in blue in the list table and a new suggestion Activity tile appears in the Activity panel for Approvers to review. Identified Managers of the List and the List creator will receive an email notifying them of the suggestion.

As an Admin or Manager with Lists: Review Suggestions permissions, click the Activity button to select a suggestion in the Activity panel to highlight the corresponding row in blue and jump directly to that entry in the list - making it easy to review the change in context. Approvers can act on suggestions individually to Reject or Approve the entry, or use Approve All or Reject All to process the batch at once.

Approved suggestions are saved immediately, with no additional save step needed. It is also safe to leave some suggestions pending and return to them later. At this time, approval is a straight approve or reject only, so there is no approve-and-revise option or inline commenting on suggestions. If a suggestion is incorrect, you can add the correct value in Edit mode. 

All changes, including suggestions, approvals, and rejections, are recorded in the user activity log, giving Admins a full audit trail of who proposed, approved, or rejected each change. For more details, see User Activity Log.

Email Notifications

Only the creation of a suggestion triggers an email. Approving or rejecting suggestions does not fire any notification, so Suggesters are not automatically notified when their suggestions are acted on.

When a suggestion is submitted, Approvers receive an email with the following details:

• Subject: List Comment Approval on {listName}
• Body: "You have N suggestions," where N is the total count of pending suggestions on the list at the moment the email is sent, not just the suggestions that were just submitted. For example, if 3 suggestions are already pending and a user adds 2 more, the email will say 5.
• Link: A direct link to the list page where the Approver can review and act on the pending suggestions.