Documents setup guide
This page walks through 7 steps to set up Documents, in the order the in-app Setup assistant recommends. Each step lists what to prepare, the questions to answer first and the screen to use.
In the app, open Settings → Setup assistant: it measures your current state, asks the survey questions below and proposes a change set you approve before it is applied. This page is the read-only version for preparing ahead or doing it by hand.
1. Prepare
Optional
What must exist before setting up Documents: users, the agreed folder structure and which documents are confidential.
| # | Task | How | Screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Users invited | Publications go only to active members of the company. | /settings/users |
| 2 | Folder structure agreed | By department, by process or by document type; plus the list of document categories. | — |
| 3 | Sensitivity rules written down | Which documents are internal, confidential or restricted. | — |
2. Document rules
Required
Security and sharing of the library, approval before publishing documents and Knowledge Base articles, and (optional) purging of old hidden versions.
Prepare first
- The document policy: which documents are confidential, who may share them outside the company, who may delete, and which documents need approval before they are published to staff.
- How long old versions of a file must be kept (agreed with legal / compliance).
Questions to answer
- Must every document in the library be classified into a category?
- Which documents are confidential, and may they ever be shared by public link or downloaded without a watermark?
- Who may delete documents?
- Must policies, procedures or Knowledge Base articles be approved before they are published to staff?
- How long must replaced (hidden) versions of a file be kept?
| Toggle | Key | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Require category on upload | documents.require_category_on_upload | Off | A user upload into the library must have a document category; attachments uploaded from other apps are exempt. |
| Block external share for confidential | documents.block_external_share_for_confidential | On | Confidential or restricted documents cannot be shared via public links. |
| Restrict delete to admin | documents.restrict_delete_to_admin | Off | Only a Documents administrator may delete documents (move them to the trash), single or bulk. |
| Watermark on download | documents.watermark_on_download | Off | Apply a tenant watermark when confidential documents are downloaded. |
| Approval required to publish | documents.approval_required_for_publish | Off | A publication must be approved through the workflow before recipients are notified. |
| Approval required to publish | knowledge.approval_required_for_publish | On | Articles must be reviewed and approved before they can be published. |
| Purge hidden versions | documents.purge_hidden_versions | Off | Permanently delete the stored file of hidden versions after the retention period. The version row is kept for audit. |
| Version retention (days) | documents.version_retention_days | 90 | Days a hidden version is kept before its file is purged. Minimum 30 days; 0 turns purging off. |
3. Documents owners
Required
Choose who administers the document library and who approves publications.
Prepare first
- The people who administer the document library and who approve publications — each must already be invited as a user.
Questions to answer
- Who owns the document library settings and categories?
- Who approves documents and Knowledge Base articles before they are published?
| Role template | Key | For |
|---|---|---|
| IT Administrator | it_admin | Owns Documents settings, categories and deletion |
| Operations Administrator | ops_admin | Administers the library day to day |
| Legal Manager | legal_manager | Handles confidential documents and approves publications |
| Compliance Officer | compliance_officer | Handles confidential documents and approves publications |
| Director / General Manager | director | Approves publications and reads confidential documents |
4. Documents lists
Optional
Pick-lists of the library: document category templates, tags and retention periods.
Prepare first
- The document types, tags and retention periods the business really uses (names in Vietnamese and English).
Questions to answer
- How are documents classified today (contracts, policies, HR records, technical drawings…)?
- Which retention periods apply to your documents (1 year, 5 years, 10 years, permanent…)?
Lookups to review (Settings → Lookups):
- Document Categories (
document_categories) - Document Tags (
document_tags) - Retention Periods (
retention_periods)
5. Approval workflows
Optional · After step: Document rules, Documents owners
When publishing approval is on, document publications need a running workflow (a direct approver is not enough); Knowledge Base articles need a workflow or someone who can approve directly.
Questions to answer
- Who approves a document before it is published to staff, and does it depend on how confidential it is or how many people receive it?
- Who reviews Knowledge Base articles before they go live?
Approval workflows to enable (Workflow → Template library) — see Workflow templates:
knowledge_dockb_article
6. Categories, folders & documents
Optional
Create the document categories and top-level folders, then upload the key existing documents — open the existing screens.
Questions to answer
- Where are your documents kept today (shared drive, Google Drive, email), and roughly how many need to move?
| # | Task | How | Screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Document categories | Create the categories (or load the defaults). Required before turning on category on upload. | /documents/settings |
| 2 | Library folders | Create the top-level folders as agreed and set who can see each folder. | /documents |
| 3 | Key documents uploaded | Policies, procedures, templates — with the right category and sensitivity. | /documents |
7. Go-live check
Optional
Run one document end to end — upload, share, publish, read — with the key users before going live.
Prepare first
- Pick one document owner, one approver and one reader to run the test with.
| # | Task | How | Screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upload | Upload a confidential test document into a folder with a category. | /documents |
| 2 | Share | Share it internally; try a public link and check it is blocked if that switch is on. | /documents |
| 3 | Publish & approve | Publish it to a few readers; if approval is on, the approver approves it in the approval inbox, then readers are notified and acknowledge. | /documents |
| 4 | Read & download | As a reader: open and download the document (watermarked if that switch is on). | /documents |
Next
See the feature pages of this app in the left menu, or the setup guides of every app.