How do I add approvals and change tracking to documentation workflows?

To add approvals and change tracking to documentation workflows, you typically want to combine version control, review gates, audit history, and controlled publishing.

1) Define the workflow states

Create clear document states such as:

• Draft – author is editing
• In Review – reviewers are checking content
• Approved – ready to publish
• Published – live/current version
• Archived – superseded but retained for reference

This gives you a structured approval path instead of ad hoc edits.

2) Use version control for change tracking

Use a system that records every change, such as:

• Git for docs stored as Markdown/AsciiDoc
• SharePoint / Confluence / Google Docs with revision history
• A documentation platform with built-in audit trails

Track:

• who changed what
• when it changed
• why it changed
• what version it belongs to

If using Git, changes are naturally tracked through commits and pull requests.

3) Require formal reviews and approvals

Set up approval rules like:

• Author creates or updates a doc
• One or more reviewers are assigned
• Reviewers comment and request changes
• Approver signs off
• Document moves to published state

You can require:

• 1 approval for low-risk docs
• 2+ approvals for regulated, legal, or customer-facing content
• specific roles for approval, like technical reviewer, legal, compliance, or product owner

4) Use pull requests or review comments

For doc repos, a pull request is ideal because it provides:

• inline comments
• approval buttons
• discussion thread
• merge history
• traceability back to the change

For non-code platforms, use the equivalent:

• comment threads
• assigned reviewers
• approval task completion
• revision comparison tools

5) Maintain an approval log

Keep a record of:

• document title / ID
• version number
• change summary
• author
• reviewers
• approver(s)
• approval date/time
• publication date
• effective date

This helps with audits and accountability.

6) Add controlled change requests

Instead of editing published docs directly, require a change request process:

1. Request submitted
2. Impact assessed
3. Changes drafted
4. Reviewed and approved
5. Published as a new version

This is especially useful for:

• SOPs
• policy docs
• regulatory documentation
• customer contracts / legal docs

7) Lock down published versions

Prevent unreviewed edits to approved documents by:

• restricting edit permissions
• publishing read-only copies
• requiring a new draft version for edits
• separating “working” and “published” locations

8) Use templates and metadata

Standardize documents with fields like:

• document owner
• reviewer(s)
• approver(s)
• version
• status
• effective date
• next review date
• change summary

This makes workflows easier to automate and audit.

9) Automate where possible

You can automate:

• review assignment
• approval reminders
• status changes
• publication after approval
• notifications for overdue reviews
• retention/archiving of old versions

Common tools:

• GitHub / GitLab / Azure DevOps for docs in repos
• Confluence/SharePoint workflows
• Power Automate / Zapier / Make for lightweight automation
• DMS/ECM systems for stricter governance

10) Make the process auditable

Ensure you can answer:

• Who approved this?
• What changed from the last version?
• When was it approved?
• Was the correct process followed?
• Which version is currently valid?

That auditability is the main goal of approvals and change tracking.

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Simple example workflow

1. Author edits document in draft branch or draft page
2. Submit for review
3. Reviewer comments and requests updates
4. Author revises
5. Approver approves
6. System records approval and version number
7. Publish approved version
8. Archive previous version

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Practical implementation options

If you use Git

• Store docs in Markdown
• Require pull requests
• Require code-owner/reviewer approval
• Use signed commits or protected branches
• Tag releases for published versions

If you use Confluence or SharePoint

• Enable page/file version history
• Use review/approval workflows
• Restrict publishing permissions
• Keep approval metadata in page properties or lists

If you need compliance

Look for:

• electronic signatures
• immutable audit trails
• approval chains
• retention policies
• access controls
• validated workflow systems

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If you want, I can also give you:

1. a sample approval workflow diagram,
2. a GitHub-based setup, or
3. a SharePoint/Confluence workflow example.