---
title: Configure your Form-Triggered Workflow
slug: configure-your-form-triggered-workflow
createdAt: 2026-09-11T08:15:24.092Z
---

Form-triggered workflows let you run people processes beyond onboarding inside Ashby's People Workflows. Build a form and workflow for any people process, such as offboarding, onboarding contractors who weren't hired through Ashby Recruiting, leave requests, or location change requests. When someone submits the form, either an employee requesting it themselves or an admin enrolling them, Ashby starts the workflow automatically.

:::hint{type="warning"}
Ashby's People Ops module is currently available through restricted early access. The following documentation is provided for design partners participating in that program.
:::

:::hint{type="danger"}
Form-triggered workflows are currently in restricted early access and are not available to all People Workflows customers. If you would like to use form-triggered workflows, please reach out to your CSM.
:::

# Permissions and access

- Users with permission to edit workflow templates can create and edit form-triggered workflows, and manage workflow categories.
- Users with the permissions to enroll employees in workflows can enroll employees in any active workflow the employee is eligible for, even without view or edit access to that workflow.
- Employees can submit a workflow's form themselves only if the workflow is marked self-serve and they match its eligibility criteria.

:::hint{type="info"}
Learn more about Ashby's People Ops permission sets: [Configure Permission Sets](docId:7apvU1qei2QWWO4SL6UOI).
:::

# Configure workflow categories

Every workflow belongs to a category, which lets you organize workflows by process type. As such, configuring categories first helps you to keep workflows in the right place from the start. 
Ashby includes a built-in Onboarding category that's reserved for Onboarding Workflows. You can also create custom categories for any Employee Workflow, such as Offboarding, Transfers, or Compliance Training.

To manage categories, navigate to **Workflows**, then select `Manage Categories`.

![The screenshot shows the Workflows page, with the Manage Categories button highlighted.](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/lzBr9XVBMzfYN4V8JfDcJ_manage-categories.jpg)

The following popover will list your existing categories with the option to amend them. To edit an existing category, click the pencil icon. To delete a category, click the trash can icon.

![Manage Workflow Categories dialog listing the built-in Onboarding category and custom Employee Workflow categories, with edit and delete icons next to each.](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/C-sldBPRxFMzfXTmSqlXZ_workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-81004-am.jpg)

To add a new category, click `+ Add Category`. Add a title and a description for your new category, then click `Submit`.

# Building a form-triggered workflow

## Create a new workflow

From the **Workflows** page, select `+ New Workflow`, then complete the following steps:

1. **Workflow type:** Select Employee Workflow and name your workflow.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/HLz6AiNnz02l1AupvXx14_workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-82237-am.jpg" size="100" isUploading="false" width="1474" height="900" darkWidth="1474" darkHeight="900" alt="The screenshot shows the New Workflow wizard at the Workflow type stage with Form-triggered Workflow selected." showCaption="false" indent="1"}

2. **Category:** Assign the workflow to a category.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/UZDCjkSzyrfZU_8ypT_xS_workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-82339-am.jpg" size="100" isUploading="false" width="1498" height="896" darkWidth="1498" darkHeight="896" alt="The screenshot shows the New Workflow wizard at the Category stage." showCaption="false" indent="1"}

3. **Trigger:** Choose how the workflow starts and build out the form to trigger the workflow. 

:::hint{type="info" indent="1"}
The `Make self-serve?` checkbox determines whether or not employees can complete the form and trigger the workflow themselves:

- **Self-serve on:** Eligible employees see the workflow in the **Requests** tab and can fill out the form to submit their own request.
- **Self-serve off:** The workflow doesn't appear in the **Requests** tab. Users with the Enroll employees in workflows permission can enroll employees from the employee profile.
:::

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/97dyvqXoygqmktw0NXoV3_workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-82459-am.jpg" size="100" isUploading="false" width="1492" height="1390" darkWidth="1492" darkHeight="1390" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

4. **Eligibility:** Determine whether any employee is eligible for the workflow or only employees who meet a specific criteria. 

:::hint{type="info" indent="1"}
You control which employees can be enrolled in a workflow. You have the following options:

- **All employees:** Every employee in your organization can be enrolled in the workflow.
- **Specific employees:** Only employees who match criteria you set, such as team, location, job title, or other employee fields, can be enrolled in the workflow.
:::

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/XWe_LfAE1zdoYfemc0IJc_workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-82824-am.jpg" size="100" isUploading="false" width="1478" height="884" darkWidth="1478" darkHeight="884" alt="The screenshot shows the New Workflow wizard open at the Eligibility step. The Specific employees option is selected for this specific workflow with criteria set based on the employee's tenure." showCaption="false" indent="1"}

5. **Review and create:** Review the workflow setup and click `Create Workflow` to confirm.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/gO1LPaJnKT_lVioM2fZb__workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-83059-am.jpg" size="100" isUploading="false" width="1488" height="1178" darkWidth="1488" darkHeight="1178" alt="The screenshot shows the final Review & create step in the New Workflow wizard." showCaption="false" indent="1"}

## Edit the workflow

To edit a workflow:

1. Navigate to Workflows.
2. Click on the workflow you'd like to edit, then View Workflow Template.
3. Click `Edit`.

This will take you to the workflow builder where you can:

- Edit who is eligible to be enrolled in the workflow or submit its form.
- Edit the workflow's trigger form.
- Add workflow steps, including tokens, step dependencies, and filters that reference values collected in the trigger form.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/IA8c30NdBuBtyL8iq73B0_sabbatical-leave-workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-84020-am.jpg)

:::hint{type="info"}
For more on the step options you can add to a workflow, check out [Configure your Workflow Steps](docId:58jSO5IfDvlsM2Ld-Bb7p).
:::

# Starting a form-triggered workflow

## Submitting self-serve requests

The **Requests** tab lets employees submit forms to start processes such as parental leave requests and location change requests. If a workflow is self-serve, employees who match its eligibility criteria can submit a request from the **Requests** tab themselves. 

![The screenshot shows the New Request page, which will list all self-serve workflow options that the employee is eligible for.](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/HGqIRJ-IVx_FLTz6Z2e3r_new-request-option.jpg)

After an employee selects, fills out, and submits a request, Ashby starts the associated workflow. The request appears under **My Requests**, where the employee can track its status.

![The screenshot shows the My Requests page with an In Progress request.](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/FnSTaI_m7s7MrtccV3m7U_requests-ashby-2026-09-22-at-85019-am.jpg)

## Enrolling from the employee profile

Users with the `Enroll employees in workflows` permission can enroll employees they have access to directly into a workflow. This is useful for admin-driven processes, such as offboarding, where the employee doesn't start the workflow themselves.

1. Navigate to **Employees** and select the employee.
2. Select `Workflow` or `Onboarding Workflow`.
3. Select the workflow, fill out the form, and select `Submit`.

![The option to enroll an employee in a workflow from their profile.](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/4662DzsAMvuvrHaa4_-uM_employees-ashby-2026-09-22-at-85128-am.jpg)

# Tracking workflows

The Workflows homepage includes tabs for viewing workflows in different statuses:

- **In Progress:** Workflows in progress, grouped by workflow category.
- **Needs Review:** Hired Job Considerations that haven't yet been enrolled in an onboarding workflow. This tab is currently relevant only to Onboarding Workflows.
- **Completed:** Completed workflows, grouped by workflow category.
- **Has Issues:** Workflows with issues, grouped by workflow category.

![The home page showing all workflow categories. The left-hand menu lists enrollments by status and also has a section for the specific user's tasks and requests.](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/RvcrcEQjMR444AOkgKMO9_the-home-page-for-multiple-workflows.jpg)

## Enrollment date and anchor date

Enrollment happens when the trigger form is submitted, either by an eligible employee from the **Requests** tab or by a user with the Enroll employees in workflows permission enrolling someone from their employee profile. This date is always available as a reference point.

The anchor date is a second reference point you configure on the workflow. It lets you schedule steps around a date that matters to the process itself, such as the first day of a leave, an offboarding date, or a transfer date.

Without an anchor date configured, the **Before anchor date** and **After anchor date** sections have nothing to schedule against, so all your steps belong in **After the employee is enrolled**.

# Viewing and editing the form submission

If the initial form submission needs to be viewed edited for any reason, this can be handled by a user with edit access to the workflow. 

1. Navigate to Workflows and click on the workflow in question.
2. Select the enrollment and click `View Form Submission`.
3. Click `Edit Submission` to edit the submitted form.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/mmK0fhAuv657Fcvdl9ymQ_pto-request-enrollments-ashby-2026-09-22-at-103408-am.jpg" size="100" isUploading="false" width="3410" height="844" darkWidth="3410" darkHeight="844" alt="A workflow open showing enrollments. The View Request Form options and Edit Submission options in the popover are highlighted." showCaption="false" indent="1"}

4. Click `Submit`. A warning will show that filters will be re-evaluated based on the new information provided which may result in steps being updated, added or removed. Click `Yes` to confirm. 

:::hint{type="info"}
Completed steps will not re-run or be impacted and users will not be re-notified of assigned steps. 
:::

# FAQs

### Who can create form-triggered workflows?

Users with permission to edit all workflow templates.

### Who can enroll employees in a workflow?

Users with the Enroll employees in workflows permission.

### Can a user with the Enroll employees in workflows permission choose from any active workflow when enrolling an employee?

Yes. A user with this permission can choose from any active workflow the employee is eligible for, even if they don't have view or edit access to that workflow.

### Who can manage workflow categories?

Users with permission to edit any workflow template can create, delete, and manage workflow categories.

### Can I change the workflow type after creating a workflow?

No. The workflow type (Onboarding or Employee) and trigger type (form, form with approval, or no form) are set during creation and can't be changed afterward.

### Can I change the workflow category after creation?

Yes. From the **Workflow Builder**, select the category name, choose a different category, and click `Save`.

![A workflow open in Edit mode with the category drop-down open.](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/0p8tQ--ZZOxRtkVp6Qr-e/ByLGzSW9U38K_oyuGjek5_pto-request-workflows-ashby-2026-09-22-at-85529-am.jpg)

### Can I use dates other than the form submission date within my workflow?

Not yet, but we plan to support referencing date fields collected in the trigger form, such as first day of leave or date of offboarding.