Workflow revision

7 min

1. Purpose & Key Concepts

The revision functionality allows you to update existing published content without changing the live version until changes are reviewed and approved.

Key Terms:

Published Content: The live version visible to visitors

Revision: A working copy where you make changes

Workflow: The approval steps (review, edit, approve, publish) the revision goes through

Planned Revision: A revision in progress (in the workflow)

Executed Revision: A revision that has been published to the live site

Used Revision: A temporary status showing the revision document for ~1 hour after publishing, before it disappears from the post overview

When to use revisions:

You need to update live content safely with an approval trail

Multiple people must review changes before they go live

You want to avoid accidental direct edits to published content

2. Enable the Post Status Column

Before working with revisions, set up your view:

Navigate to Article Overview (post overview)

Click Screen Options (top right)

Check the "Post Status" column

The column now shows revision states for each article

Important: Always check the Post Status before creating a revision to avoid duplicate work.

3. Understanding Post Status

The Post Status column shows:

Planned Revision: Revision is in the workflow, original content still live

Executed Revision: Revision was just published; the revision document will disappear from the post overview after ~1 hour

4. Creating a Revision

Open the published post/page in WordPress

Click "Create Revision" or "Submit to Workflow (as Revision)"

Select the workflow template (e.g., "Standard Content Update")

Set due dates and assignees for the first step

Click Submit

Result: A working copy is created, the published version stays unchanged, Post Status shows "Planned Revision"

5. Editing the Revision

Open the revision from your Oasis Workflow inbox or the post list

Make your changes (text, images, metadata, categories, tags)

Add internal notes to explain major changes (optional)

Click "Submit to Next Step" and set the next assignee/deadline

6. Reviewing a Revision

Open the assigned task in Oasis Workflow

Review the content (use compare tools if available)

Choose one action:

Approve/Move forward: Pass to next step or finalize

Send back: Add specific comments on required changes

Reject: Cancel the revision

7. Publishing the Revision

Complete final check (all comments addressed)

Click "Publish" in the final workflow step

The revision updates the live post/page

Post Status changes to "Executed Revision"

The revision document shows as "Used Revision" for ~1 hour before disappearing

Note: The previous version is stored in WordPress history.

8. Tracking Revisions

In the Oasis Workflow dashboard:

View all items in revision workflows

Filter by assignee, due date, workflow, or status

Identify overdue or stuck steps

In the Article Overview:

Use Post Status column to identify active revisions

Check for "Planned Revision" before creating new revisions

Monitor "Used Revision" items that will soon disappear

In workflow history:

See who edited, approved, and what comments were made

Audit decisions and timelines

9. Best Practices

Enable Post Status column and check it before creating revisions

Never edit published content directly – always create a revision

Add clear comments when submitting or reviewing

Set deadlines for each workflow step

Monitor the dashboard regularly to prevent stalled approvals

Coordinate with your team to avoid multiple parallel revisions of the same item

10. Common Issues

Problem	Solution
Can't see revision status	Enable Post Status column in Screen Options
Multiple revisions of same item	Check Post Status for "Planned Revision" before starting
Stalled approvals	Set due dates and monitor workflow dashboard
Unclear feedback	Reviewers must add specific comments with section references
Revision document disappeared	Normal behavior – "Used Revision" items disappear after ~1 hour