How To Approve Multiple Requests

There are two ways to approve (or disapprove) multiple requests: using WebSite Director (WSD) with Browser Navigation, or using WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning). This document will guide you through the steps required to approve multiple requests into the next or another workflow stage using both methods, as follows:

  • Using WSD to Approve Multiple Requests
  • Using WebDAV to Approve Multiple Requests
  • How to View/ Change Approvals Needed

Using WSD to Approve Multiple Requests

To use WSD to approve multiple requests at the same time, your user interface must be set up for Browser Navigation. If you already use Browser Navigation, go to step 4. To change your User Preferences to use Browser Navigation, begin with the following:

  1. Log on to WebSite Director (WSD) using your WSD User Name and Password. The Application Desktop displays. 
  2. Select  to display your User Preferences screen. 
  3. Select the Browser radio button by Navigation and click Save Preferences at the top of the User Preferences screen. WSD saves the preferences and displays the Application Desktop.
  4. In the list of workflow stages, select/click the Process Requests button for the stage that contains the requests that you wish to approve. The Editing screen displays the list of Current Requests.
  5. Hold down the Ctrl key or Shift key and click on each request that you want to approve (two are selected in the example below).

Important Note: The requests that you select must have the same Approvals Needed. If they do not, you will receive the warning message Multiple requests contain incompatible approvals needed when you click the Approve button.  See How to Find Approvals Needed below.

  1. Next, select the Approve (or Disapprove) button under Process Request to display the Approving window. 
  2. Type your comments in the Your New Comments data entry area.
    • If you have "Edit Previous Comments" permission, you may add your comments directly to those displayed.
    • If the Append Name and Date to Comments checkbox is present, make sure it is checked if you want your name and the date appended to your comments.
  3. Click APPROVE to approve the selected requests and display the "Request Approval Complete" screen. 
  4. Click OK to return to the Application Desktop.

Using WebDAV to Approve Multiple Requests

If you have the WebDAV module installed on your Apache server (an apache server is required) AND you don't need to enter comments with your Approvals, you can use Web folders in Windows Explorer to "Drag and Drop" your approvals between workflow stages. You must first set up a "Web Folder" for the workflow stages on your site. Windows XP users can use the Add Network Place Wizard to set up a web folder. For more information, see the “WebSite Director WebDAV-Enabled Applications” tutorial.

To set up a Web Folder using Windows XP, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Start on your XP desktop and select My Network Places.
  2. On the My Network Place window, select Add Network Place to display the Add Network Place Wizard
  3. In the “Internet or network address” data entry area, type http://<domain>/WSDSource/WSDWorkflow and click "Next" to display the Enter Network Password window.
  4. Type your WSD Username and Password into the data entry areas and click OK to create the Network Place and display the following window:
  5. To open Windows Explorer immediately, select the Open this network place when I click Finish checkbox and click “Finish.”
  6. Select the Folders icon on the toolbar; then in the left column, select “WSDWorkflow on localhost” to list your workflow stages.
  7. Select the workflow stage that contains the requests that you wish to approve. The list of requests awaiting approval displays on the right.
  8. Hold down the Ctrl key and click on each request that you want to approve (two are selected in the example below).
  9. As the final step, drag the selected requests to the stage into which you are Approving/Disapproving your requests (for example, Publishing).

How to View/Change Approvals Needed

  1. In the list of workflow stages on the Application Desktop, select/ click the Process Requests button for the stage that contains the request that you wish to view or change. The Editing screen displays the list of Current Requests.
  2. Highlight the name of the request and click PROPERTIES to display the request’s Properties screen.
  3. Click APPROVALS NEEDED to display the Approvals Needed screen. 
    • Check-marked stages and groups are those currently assigned to the Request. 
    • Stages and groups in Bold Blue type are either the default approval stages for the System (if "None" displays in the Approval Class box) or the default stages/groups for the Approval Class.
  4. If you have "Modify Approvals Needed" permission (set by the User Administrator), you may change the approvals needed for the request by selecting or de-selecting the stages in the Approvals Needed list.
  5. When finished, click UPDATE to return to the Properties screen.

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