Using the discussion board
What you'll learn
- What the discussion board is and why it exists
- How to ask a question from a task, and how to respond as the document's creator
- Who can delete messages
- How messages are organized and what the labels mean
What the discussion board is
The discussion board is a built-in conversation thread attached to every document that's going through approval. It lives on two pages — the task detail page (approver's side) and the document detail page (creator's side) — and shows the same thread from both sides. What an approver writes from their task, the creator sees on their document, and vice versa.
The purpose is simple: let approvers ask the creator a question (or debate among themselves) without having to reject the document or chase people on email/Slack. Conversations are captured on the document itself, so the audit trail is complete.
Where to find it
- On a task page (Document Flow → My Tasks → open a task) — scroll down, the Discussion Board is collapsed by default.
- On a document page (Document Flow → Documents → open a document) — same, towards the bottom of the page.
Click the card header to expand or collapse it. If any messages already exist, the board opens automatically the first time you visit.
Starting a question (from a task)
While you're reviewing a task, if you need clarification before approving:
- Open the task from My Tasks.
- Scroll down to the Discussion Board and expand it if it's collapsed.
- Type your question in the message box at the bottom of the board.
- Press Ctrl+Enter (or ⌘+Enter on Mac) to send, or click the ▶ Send icon next to the textarea.
Your top-level message is automatically marked as a Question — it shows up with an amber "Question" badge and an amber left border, so it's easy to spot.
Responding (from the document page)
The creator (and anyone watching the document) sees the thread on the document's detail page:
- Open the document from Document Flow → Documents.
- Scroll to the Discussion Board and expand it.
- You'll see any existing questions, each with the approver's name and a timestamp.
- Click Reply under any message to open an inline reply form, or — if someone has already started a thread — use the main compose box at the bottom of the board to add a top-level message of your own.
- Press Ctrl+Enter or click Send.
Replying to a specific message
Every message shows a Reply button under it (visible on hover, or always on mobile). Clicking Reply:
- Opens an inline reply form right under that message.
- Shows a small "Replying to {person}" indicator with a × to cancel.
- Press Ctrl+Enter to submit the reply.
Replies indent under the message they're replying to and connect with a dashed vertical line — you can follow a conversation tree at a glance.
Reading a message
Each message shows:
- Avatar — a colored circle with the sender's initials. The color is consistent per user, so you can quickly scan who said what.
- Name — the sender's full name, with a small "you" badge if it's your own message.
- Question badge — amber, with a question-mark icon, only on top-level messages started from a task.
- Timestamp — relative, like "just now", "2h ago", "3d ago". Hover for the exact date and time. Older than 30 days → exact date.
- Reply count — on root messages, shows how many replies it has.
Deleting a message
You can delete a message if any of the following is true:
- It's your own message.
- You're an admin (AppAdmin or higher).
- You're the document creator — you can moderate any message on your own document.
Click Delete under a message, confirm the dialog, and the message is removed. Deleted messages show a greyed-out "[deleted]" placeholder in their place so the thread structure stays intact, and any replies to that message remain visible.
Refreshing
The board reloads itself automatically about every 30 seconds, so new messages appear without you doing anything. If you want to force a refresh right now, click the small Refresh button at the top of the board.
Common questions
Why is there no compose box on my document?
The document page only lets you post if someone has already started a thread. Questions are initiated from the task side (by approvers). Once there's at least one message, the compose box appears so you can reply.
I sent a message but can't edit it. Is there an edit?
No, messages can't be edited. If you made a mistake, delete the message and post a new one.
The board says "workflow closed" when I try to post.
The approval flow has finished (Approved or Rejected). Once it's closed, no new discussion messages are allowed — the conversation is preserved as part of the audit history.
I see a message from someone I don't recognize. Who is this?
Hover over the avatar or name — the full name is shown. If that still doesn't help, it may be a user from another department or a new hire. Ask your admin if you need more context.
Can I attach files to a discussion message?
Not to the message itself. For files, use the Attachments on the document (see Uploading attachments) or the attachment field when approving / rejecting / delegating a task.
Does the creator get notified when I post a question?
The message appears on the document immediately. If your admin has configured notifications (email, etc.), those fire too. If not, the creator will see it next time they open the document.
My reply went under the wrong message.
Check that you clicked Reply on the specific message you meant to reply to, rather than using the main compose box at the bottom (which always creates a new top-level message). Delete the misplaced reply and try again.
Does deleting a message also delete its replies?
No. The message shows as "[deleted]" but the replies remain in place. This keeps the thread's structure readable even after moderation.