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Glossary

Publishing Workflow

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What is a publishing workflow?

A publishing workflow moves content from request or idea to a live, maintained asset. The Scottish Government content lifecycle similarly frames content as moving from planning and design through publishing and archiving. 1

It can apply to blog posts, help-center articles, product documentation, release notes, videos, newsletters, internal SOPs, and knowledge-base pages. Its value is control over handoffs and clearer ownership after launch.

What does a publishing workflow include?

  • Content types, required intake information, and source material.
  • Who writes, edits, reviews, approves, produces, publishes, and maintains content.
  • Review requirements for legal, compliance, product, brand, and technical accuracy.
  • Where drafts, comments, approvals, assets, and final links are stored.
  • Pre- and post-publication checks and the maintenance owner.

Common stages in a publishing workflow

StageWhat happensCommon failure mode
IntakeCapture request, goal, audience, deadline, priority, and sourcesDrafting starts before the problem is clear
PlanningCreate a brief, outline, assignment, or production planAn idea is confused with a ready assignment
DraftingCreate the first complete versionMissing context appears too late
Review and approvalCheck accuracy, clarity, risk, fit, and recorded signoffApproval is implied rather than recorded
Production and publishFormat, add metadata and assets, publish, and verify liveLinks, accessibility, or live checks are missed
MaintainUpdate, archive, redirect, or retire contentContent ages without an owner
Publishing workflows move through intake, planning, drafting, review, approval, production, publishing, and maintenance.
Most publishing workflows move through intake, planning, drafting, review, approval, production, publishing, and maintenance.

How to design the workflow without slowing everything down

The right workflow is the lightest path that still protects content from its real risks. Group content by risk and complexity, define each reviewer's scope, and use specific decision rules for higher-risk content.

The right workflow is the lightest path that still protects content from its real risks.
The right workflow is the lightest path that still protects the content from its real risks.

Publishing workflow template

Publishing Workflowmarkdown
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## Publishing Workflow

**Glossary term:** Publishing Workflow
**Source:** Trails Glossary — trails.so/glossary/publishing-workflow

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### 01. Document a publishing workflow

"Publishing workflow for [content type]

Define purpose, scope, requester, writer, editor, subject-matter reviewer, approver, publisher, and maintenance owner.

Document stages for intake, planning, drafting, review, approval, production, publish, post-publish QA, and maintenance. Include exception rules for urgent work, rejected review, and missing approvers, plus where briefs, approvals, final links, and change notes live."
A useful publishing workflow documents purpose, scope, roles, stages, exceptions, and records.
A useful publishing workflow documents purpose, scope, roles, stages, exception rules, and records in one place.

How Trails helps

Trails helps content, support, marketing, and documentation teams capture publishing workflows as step-by-step guides, from CMS uploads and release notes to post-publish QA.

Related terms

Sources

  1. 1

    Scottish Government. The 6 stages of the content lifecycle. blogs.gov.scot/digital/2018/08/02/the-6-stages-of-the-content-lifecycle/.