A folder can have several workflows, and Datamolino picks one for each document by reading the list from top to bottom and stopping at the first match. Every folder with approval also has a Default path at the bottom that catches anything no other workflow matched, so every document always lands somewhere.
What a workflow matches on
Conditions decide when a workflow applies. A workflow with conditions only applies when the document meets them.
👉 What can a workflow match on?
A workflow can set one or more conditions, and the document must meet all of them:
Total amount - the document's total at or above a threshold you set.
Supplier - documents from a specific supplier.
Currency - documents in a specific currency
To set or change conditions, open Manage workflows. Learn more about setting up a workflow.
👉 What happens if a workflow has no conditions?
A workflow with no conditions applies to everything that reaches it, so it acts as a catch-all for any document.
How Datamolino picks the workflow
Datamolino reads the workflow list from top to bottom and uses the first workflow whose conditions the document meets. First match wins, so order matters - put your most specific workflows near the top, because a broad workflow placed above a narrow one will catch documents before the narrow one ever gets a chance.
👉 What happens if two workflows match?
The higher one in the list wins. Datamolino stops at the first match and never applies a second workflow to the same document. To change which one wins, reorder them in Manage workflows.
The Default path
The Default path is the final catch-all. It sits at the bottom of the list and applies to any document that no workflow above it matched.
👉 Can I delete the Default path?
No. The Default path cannot be deleted, which guarantees there is always a workflow for every document. You can edit its approvers, but you cannot remove it or move another workflow below it.
The Default path must always have at least one approver assigned. It is not possible to leave it with no approvers. This means every document that reaches the Default path will always require approval by whoever is set as the approver there.
Custom catch-all workflows and "Never used"
You can build your own catch-all by adding a workflow with no conditions. Because it matches every document that reaches it, Datamolino shows a Catch-all pill on it as a warning that any workflow listed below it can never be reached.
👉 Why does a workflow say Never used?
A workflow shows Never used when a catch-all above it already matches every document, so the list never reaches it. To make it reachable, move it above the catch-all, or add conditions to the catch-all so it stops matching everything. The Default path is the intended final catch-all, so a custom Catch-all higher up usually means the workflows beneath it are stranded.
When a document's workflow is locked in
A document captures its workflow, including the approvers on each stage, at the moment it is submitted. This snapshot is what the document follows from then on.
👉 Will editing a workflow change documents already in approval?
No. Editing the folder's workflow does not change documents that are already in flight. A document keeps the workflow it captured at submission; the new rules only apply to documents submitted from then on.
👉 How do I move an in-flight document onto updated rules?
An admin resets it and submits it again. Choose Reset approval from More actions to return the document to Ready, then Submit for approval - Datamolino re-runs routing against the current workflow list and takes a new snapshot. This is the only way to re-route within the same folder. See Reset approval and the other admin tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
👉 What happens if I move a document to a different folder?
It is re-routed against that folder's workflows. If the document was already Approved, the move resets its approval and it runs through the new folder's workflow from the start. You cannot move a document while it is awaiting approval. See editing documents during approval.
👉 What happens if a document cannot be assigned to anyone?
It lands in Exceptions instead of a normal assignment, where an admin can resolve it. See fixing approval exceptions.