AEM Workflows & Process Steps

Purpose

Design, implement, and manage AEM workflows including custom process steps, workflow launchers, and approval processes for content governance and automation.

When to Use (Triggers)

• User mentions "workflow," "process step," "workflow launcher," or "approval process"
• References to com.adobe.granite.workflow or WorkflowProcess interface
• File paths containing /conf/*/settings/workflow/ or workflow model definitions
• Questions about DAM asset processing, content approval, or automated actions
• Requests involving workflow participants, inbox, or task management

Core Capabilities

• Create custom workflow process steps (Java-based and ECMA)
• Design workflow models with branching, splits, and joins
• Configure workflow launchers with path and event-type triggers
• Implement participant steps with dynamic participant selection
• Build custom inbox actions and notification handlers

Domain Knowledge Required

Technical Foundation

• Granite Workflow engine architecture (models, instances, items)
• Java WorkflowProcess interface and MetaDataMap
• OSGi service registration for workflow steps
• Workflow session and payload handling (JCR paths, DAM assets)

AEM-Specific Context

• DAM Asset Update workflow and its customization points
• Workflow purge configuration and instance management
• Transient workflows for high-volume processing
• Workflow consoles: Models, Instances, Archive, Failures
• AEM Cloud Service workflow limitations vs. on-premise

Implementation Approach

Step 1: Workflow Model Design

Plan the workflow structure and decision points.

• Define start/end states and transitions
• Identify OR/AND splits and join conditions
• Determine participant assignment strategy
• Plan timeout and escalation handling

Step 2: Custom Process Step Development

Implement Java-based process steps.

• Create OSGi component implementing WorkflowProcess
• Define @Component annotations with process.label property
• Implement execute() method with WorkItem and WorkflowSession
• Handle payload extraction (page path, asset path, or JCR path)
• Implement proper error handling and workflow advancement

Step 3: Workflow Model Configuration

Build the model in AEM workflow editor or via code.

• Define model nodes and transitions in /var/workflow/models/
• Configure step titles, descriptions, and dialog arguments
• Set up OR-split conditions using ECMA expressions
• Configure timeout handlers for participant steps

Step 4: Launcher Configuration

Set up automatic workflow triggering.

• Define launcher conditions (path glob, node type, event type)
• Configure launcher for created, modified, or deleted events
• Set excludes to prevent recursive triggering
• Handle launcher ordering for multiple workflows on same path

Step 5: Testing and Monitoring

Validate workflow execution and handle failures.

• Test with various payload types (pages, assets, folders)
• Verify failure handling and retry behavior
• Configure workflow purge for completed/failed instances
• Set up monitoring for stalled workflow instances

Quality Checklist

• [ ] Process step handles all payload types gracefully
• [ ] Error handling prevents workflow from getting stuck
• [ ] Launcher conditions are specific enough to avoid unwanted triggers
• [ ] Workflow model has proper termination conditions
• [ ] Participant selection works for all user scenarios
• [ ] Transient workflow used where instance persistence isn't needed
• [ ] Workflow purge configured to prevent repository growth
• [ ] Custom steps registered with clear process.label values

Related Skills

• aem-dam-organization-metadata (DAM workflows)
• aem-custom-osgi-services (service integration in steps)
• aem-monitoring-alerting (workflow failure monitoring)

Example Use Cases

1. Content Approval Workflow: Multi-stage approval with author → reviewer → publisher chain, deadline escalation, and automatic rejection notification with comments.
2. DAM Processing Pipeline: Custom asset processing workflow that generates renditions, extracts metadata, applies smart tags, and triggers CDN cache invalidation upon approval.
3. Page Publication Governance: Workflow triggered by page activation request that validates SEO metadata completeness, accessibility compliance score, and legal disclaimer presence before allowing publish.

Notes

• Transient workflows don't persist intermediate steps — use for high-volume, non-auditable processes
• AEM Cloud Service restricts custom workflow model deployment — use runtime configuration
• Always implement WorkflowProcess with the @Component annotation, not the legacy @Service
• Workflow instances accumulate and can degrade performance — configure aggressive purging