Who is this article for?

Users who need to locate and retrieve workflow instances that have disappeared from their view due to route exceptions or permission changes.

Administrator permissions are required to modify workflow instances and permissions.

Workflows advance step-by-step through routes, required fields, and exceptions. If an unexpected route exception occurs, the workflow may move to a step where you are neither a Responsible Party nor Collaborator and lack admin rights. As a result, the system removes the workflow from your Inbox and search results, displaying only instances you can access.

Occasionally, a workflow may become permanently unavailable if deleted via Data Retention permissions or if its definition was replaced or removed and the instance purged. Such deletions are rare, require high-level permissions, and are usually audited.

This article explains how you can retrieve these workflow instances.

Locating a workflow instance

Standard search

To locate your workflow instance:

1. Open the Administration module.
2. Select Workflows.
3. Click Search.
4. Enter your workflow ID or keywords.
5. Press Enter.
6. Select the desired instance from the results.

Note

If the workflow is completed or closed, it may not appear in standard search results. Try using Advanced Search or Quick Search methods instead.

Quick search

To locate your workflow instance:

1. Navigate to the Administration module.
2. Use the Quick Search box and enter the instance ID directly.

This method can locate specific instances even if they are completed.

Advanced search

To locate your workflow instance:

1. Navigate to the Administration module.
2. Select Workflows.
3. Click Advanced from the search area.
4. Select the specific workflow type from the dropdown list.
5. Use the available filters to search for your workflow instance.

Advanced search provides more comprehensive filtering options and may help you locate workflow instances even if they are in a closed state.

Retrieving a workflow instance

Using API access

If you have API access, you can retrieve the workflow instance directly using the following endpoint format: https://your-site.qualtraxcloud.com/api/workflows/[instance-id].

This returns the workflow instance information including its current status and routing history.

Using Admin help

If you cannot locate the workflow instance using search methods, an administrator can help retrieve it.

To retrieve the workflow instance, ask an Administrator to:

1. Open Administration.
2. Select View/Edit Completed Workflow Instances (or active instances).
3. Search by the workflow ID or title.

Once located, the administrator can manually move the instance to the correct step or add you as a Responsible Party or Collaborator so the workflow appears in your Inbox and search results immediately.

Correcting route exceptions and permissions

When a route exception has pushed a workflow to the wrong step, an administrator can correct the issue.

To correct the workflow routing, the Administrator can:

1. Change the step to the correct one.
2. Add you as a Responsible Party or Collaborator on the current step.
3. Fix the route exception rules in the workflow definition to prevent future occurrences.

Important

Adding a user as a Responsible Party or Collaborator makes the workflow visible to them immediately.