ActivateFlowDef API

Activates a workflow definition, allowing documents to be submitted to the workflow. The workflow must pass all validation rules before it can be activated.

Endpoint

/srv.asmx/ActivateFlowDef

Methods

• GET /srv.asmx/ActivateFlowDef?authenticationTicket=...&domainName=...&flowName=...
• POST /srv.asmx/ActivateFlowDef (form data)
• SOAP Action: http://tempuri.org/ActivateFlowDef

Parameters

Response

Success Response

<root success="true" />

Error Response

<root success="false" error="[ErrorCode] Error message" />

Required Permissions

• User must be authenticated (anonymous users cannot perform this action)
• User must have administrative rights to the domain containing the workflow
• User must have permission to manage workflow definitions

Workflow Activation Requirements

Before a workflow can be activated, it must meet the following criteria:

1. At least one step defined - The workflow must contain one or more workflow steps
2. Valid step configuration - Each step must be properly configured
3. Task assignments - Each step must have at least one task with valid player assignments (users or groups)
4. Active folder - The workflow must have a valid active folder path assigned
5. No circular dependencies - Step transitions must not create infinite loops

Example

Request (GET)

GET /srv.asmx/ActivateFlowDef?authenticationTicket=abc123-def456&domainName=Engineering&flowName=DocumentReview HTTP/1.1
Host: server.example.com

Request (POST)

POST /srv.asmx/ActivateFlowDef HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

authenticationTicket=abc123-def456&domainName=Engineering&flowName=DocumentReview

Request (SOAP 1.1)

POST /srv.asmx HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8
SOAPAction: "http://tempuri.org/ActivateFlowDef"

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
  <soap:Body>
    <ActivateFlowDef xmlns="http://tempuri.org/">
      <authenticationTicket>abc123-def456</authenticationTicket>
      <domainName>Engineering</domainName>
      <flowName>DocumentReview</flowName>
    </ActivateFlowDef>
  </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Success Response

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<root success="true" />

Error Response Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<root success="false" error="Workflow must have at least one step defined" />

Related APIs

• CreateFlowDef - Create a new workflow definition
• CreateFlowDef1 - Create workflow with end folder
• CreateFlowDef2 - Create workflow with supervisor
• CreateFlowDef3 - Create workflow with full options
• DeactivateFlowDef - Deactivate an active workflow
• GetFlowDef - Get workflow definition details
• GetDomainFlows - List all workflows in a domain
• AddFlowStepDef - Add a step to workflow
• AddFlowTaskDef - Add a task to workflow step
• SubmitDocumentToFlow - Submit a document to active workflow
• SubmitDocumentToFlow1 - Submit with player assignments

Notes

• Once activated, documents can be submitted to the workflow using SubmitDocumentToFlow API
• An active workflow cannot be modified - it must be deactivated first using DeactivateFlowDef
• The workflow validation checks are performed server-side during activation
• If activation fails due to validation errors, the error message will indicate the specific issue
• Workflows can be re-activated after being deactivated
• Active workflows appear in the workflow submission UI for users with appropriate permissions

Error Codes

Common error responses:

Workflow Lifecycle

Created (Inactive) 
    ?
[ActivateFlowDef] ? Active (Ready for submissions)
    ?
[DeactivateFlowDef] ? Inactive (No new submissions)
    ?
[ActivateFlowDef] ? Active (Can be re-activated)

Best Practices

1. Test Before Activation: Verify workflow configuration using GetFlowDef before activating
2. Document Requirements: Ensure all steps and tasks are properly documented for workflow participants
3. Permission Review: Verify that all assigned players (users/groups) have appropriate access to the active folder
4. Notification Setup: Configure task notification settings before activation
5. Version Control: Consider naming conventions for workflow versions (e.g., "DocumentReview_v2")