Completing a workflow means working through each check, marking it as done, and either marking the workflow as complete yourself or submitting it for review. This article covers everything you need to do once a workflow has been created and is ready to start.

Note: Workflows are available on the Practice Advanced plan. All roles in a Practice account can complete workflows.

Open and start a workflow

To open a workflow, go to Workflows in the sidebar and select List. Find the workflow you want to work on and select View workflow or Start workflow.

You can also access workflows for a specific client from the Workflows section in their sidebar, or from the Workflows section at the bottom of their Overview page.

Before you can start a workflow, it must have an assignee. If the workflow is unassigned, select the Assigned to dropdown at the top of the workflow and assign it to a team member.

When you're ready, select Start workflow in the top right corner. You'll be asked to confirm before Dext begins calculations. Once started, the workflow moves to In progress status.

Workflow page before starting, showing workflow name, client name, reporting period, an unassigned assignee dropdown, a list of checks, and a Start workflow button in the top right corner

Note: If the workflow contains VAT-related checks, you may be prompted to configure VAT settings before starting. Select the VAT Starting Month that matches the client's VAT period and select Save. You can also access this at any time using the gear icon in the workflow header.

Work through checks

Each check appears as a card showing the check name and description. Once the workflow is started, mark each check using the icons on the right:

Complete — no issues (green tick): the check is done and nothing needs attention.
Complete — some issues (orange exclamation mark): the check is done but there are issues to note. Add a comment to explain what was found.
Not applicable (blue dash): the check doesn't apply to this client. Use this instead of creating a separate template for each client.

If you need to undo a check, select Undo below the status icon.

Workflow checks view showing Bank Reconciliation marked as not applicable, Revenue Account Review marked as complete with no issues, and Expense Account Review marked as complete with some issues, with a comment and an attached PDF file visible below the check

Add a comment to a check

To add a comment to a check, select Add a comment below the check card. Type your comment and select Save. Comments are tagged with your initials so reviewers can see who left them. Anyone with access to the workflow can add, edit, or delete their own comments.

Use comments to flag issues, ask questions, or leave notes for reviewers or your team.

Upload files to a check

To upload a file to a check, select Upload files below the check card. Select Select files or drag and drop files into the upload area. Supported formats are PDF, DOCX, XLS, CSV, JPG, and PNG. The file size limit is 25MB per file. Select Add to check to attach the files.

Uploaded files are visible to anyone with access to the workflow. Files can only be deleted by the person who uploaded them or a Practice Admin.

Add closing comments

At the bottom of the workflow, below all the checks, there's a Closing Comments section. Use this for any overall notes about the workflow — for example, a summary for the reviewer or outstanding items to address next period. You can also upload files here.

Mark a workflow as complete

Once all checks have been marked as complete, complete with issues, or not applicable, the Mark complete button appears in the top right corner. Select it and select Confirm completion to close the workflow.

Important: Marking a workflow as complete can't be undone. Make sure all checks and comments are in order before confirming.

If the workflow has reviewers assigned, the Mark complete button is replaced by Submit for review. Check Using reviewers in workflows for how the review process works.

Recalculate a workflow

If you make changes in your accounting software while a workflow is in progress, you'll need to sync and recalculate to update the data in Dext. When you reopen the workflow after a sync, Dext will prompt you to recalculate. You can also trigger this manually using the Recalculate and Sync buttons in the workflow header.

For full details, check How to sync and recalculate data in Dext.

Note: Recalculate is only available with the Data Health & Insights add-on.

View workflow history

Select the History tab at the top of the workflow to see a timeline of everything that's happened — checks completed, the workflow submitted for review, reviews rejected, and more. Each event shows the timestamp and the team member who made the change.