3 Steps to Create a Workflow using SharePoint Designer

Microsoft SharePoint Designer Workflow

Workflows are now an important part of any project. We can develop a Microsoft SharePoint Workflow using the available templates, SharePoint designer and Visual Studio. In this article, we will mainly focus on workflow creation using Microsoft SharePoint Designer.

Advantages

• Basic workflow can be implemented by trained users
• Relatively quick to implement for low complexity workflow

Disadvantages

• No built-in source control
• Difficult to deploy to other environments
• Sequential workflow only

Workflow created in three ways using Microsoft SharePoint designer:

1. List workflow
2. Reusable workflow
3. Site workflow

Note: In this SharePoint for dummies tutorial, you will learn simple basic workflow, where current date is set in list item through SharePoint designer. I have used SharePoint Designer 2010 for implementation purposes, but the process will remain the same if you use SharePoint Designer 2013.

Step 1: Create a List for SharePoint workflow

1. Login with SharePoint site.
2. Navigate to Site and Click on “Settings” option and then click on “site contents” option.

   

3. Then click on “add an app” option.

   

4. Select “Custom list” option from the “your app” page. It will be popup for open create custom list.

   

5. Give the proper name and click on Create button.

   

6. These steps will create custom list in site, now you can add multiple columns with different data type in this list.

   

7. Now open create custom list and go through list setting and click on “Create column” option and create multiple column with different data type as per need.

   

8. I have added Current Date and Description filed in this list.

Note: We have created a simple List here but another SharePoint for Dummies article on Multiple Ways to Create a Custom List in Microsoft SharePoint 2013 is already covered here.

Step 2: Create workflow in SharePoint Designer

1. Open your SharePoint site in SharePoint designer.
2. Click on “List and library” option in Navigation section.

   

3. Select “TodaysDate” List and double click on it, it will open list’s properties.

   

4. Now, Click on “List Workflow” in ribbon bar and fill-up workflow information.

   

5. It will open new window for workflow.

   

6. Click on “Local Variables” in ribbon bar.

   

7. It will open local variable window, where you can local add variable.

   

8. Add current date as local variable.

   

9. Now, come to the workflow part, write set and just click on search option and select “set Workflow variable”.

   

10. Now, click on “workflow variable” and select “CurrentDate” option from dropdown.

    

    

11. Now click on value field and set current date option.

    

12. Now select under line option and select.

    

13. Select “Set Field in Current Item”.

    

14. Now, click on Field item and select “CurrentDate”.

    

15. Now, click on Value filed and click on selected item. It will open one pop-up. You have to select Data source as “Workflow variable and parameters” and Field from source as “current date”.

    

16. Click on workflow settings in ribbon bar.

    

17. Select “Start workflow automatically when an item is created” option. In this option, our workflow will be automatically started on while any item is adding.

    

18. Now click on Publish button in the ribbon bar. So our workflow will be published and it is ready to use.

Step 3: Microsoft SharePoint Workflow Check

1. Open SharePoint site and open TodaysDate custom list.
2. Click on new item. It will open popup for entering value. You have to just add Title field’s value and click on save button.

   
   then….

   

3. Now, our workflow will start and it will set current date field’s value and workflow will completed.

   

More Related from Microsoft SharePoint For Dummies

• 2 Simple Ways to Create Custom List in SharePoint 2013
• Site Vs Site Collection in SharePoint 2013
• Simple Steps to Create a SharePoint Content Type
• a Must Have SharePoint Interview Questions
• ASP.NET MVC3 Vs MVC4 Vs MVC5
• A Practical guide to ASP.NET Web API
• What’s New in SharePoint 2013 for End Users | Developers | Administrators

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