Overview

Annotations are a collaborative tool that enables users to add notes and responses directly to specific fields within a record. By using field-level annotations, users can modify particular fields and respond to comments without altering the rest of the record. This article will guide you through utilizing and configuring the annotation collaboration feature as part of an application review process.

Note:

You must be a Global Administrator to configure this feature.
The interface and recommended configuration practices for the annotations feature have been updated as part of the July 2024 upgrade.
You can only edit the values of a single field at a time using the annotations feature. Validation will only run on the field being modified. Therefore, if you are using dynamic field visibility controls or need to run full validation on the entire form, you may need to exit annotation mode and go to an unlocked status to achieve this.

How Annotations Work

Let's walk through how the annotation feature can be configured as part of an application process involving an applicant, a program manager, and a reviewer.

1. Applicant Submits Application

The applicant enters the required information into a form and submits it.

2. Program Manager Assigns a Reviewer

The program manager assigns a reviewer to the application and advances the application to the next stage.

3. Reviewer Conducts Initial Review and Creates Annotations

The reviewer is notified of their assignment to review the application. In this scenario, the application is not yet ready to be approved or rejected, prompting the reviewer to make field-level suggestions (annotations) for changes or clarifications. The reviewer hovers over and left-clicks the desired field to open a new annotation window. Here, they enter a message asking the applicant to change or clarify something related to this field, and then the reviewer saves the annotation.

Left-click the desired field to create a new annotation. Enter the relevant content into the Message field and click Save.

This process is repeated for all fields requiring changes or clarifications. Once all annotations are added, the reviewer clicks the annotation submission button to send the record back to the applicant.

Annotations will appear in the right-hand panel. Click the annotation submission button to send the record back to the applicant.

4. Applicant Reviews Annotations, Modifies Values, and Adds Clarifications

The applicant is notified that action is required on their application. The applicant navigates to their application, which opens in Annotation Mode. In Annotation Mode, fields without annotations are locked. The applicant sees a list of annotations in the right panel and can click on any annotation to engage in a specific field-level discussion.

A list of annotations appears in a right-hand panel.

When focused on an annotation, the applicant can click the Reply button to open a modal window, where they can modify the field value and add a clarifying message.

Click on a specific annotation thread to expand it. Click the Reply button to respond to the annotation.

Annotations from other users (such as the reviewer) are highlighted in yellow, indicating they may require a response, while annotations you create (as an applicant) are highlighted in blue.

Your own annotations appear in blue while annotations made by other users appear in yellow.

After responding and modifying field values, the applicant clicks the annotation submission button to move the status forward, triggering a workflow that notifies the reviewer of the changes made.

5. Reviewer Conducts a Subsequent Review and Marks Annotations as Resolved

The reviewer is notified that action is required and navigates to the application. The reviewer evaluates the changes and the applicant's replies. If no further changes or clarifications are needed, the reviewer marks each field-level annotation as resolved.

Click the Mark as Resolved button to close an annotation thread.

Resolved annotations are indicated with a green check mark, showing no further action is required.

Resolved annotations appear at the bottom of the annotation list with green coloring and a checkmark.

If all outstanding changes are addressed, the reviewer advances the application using the annotation submission button.

6. Exiting Annotation Mode

Users can exit Annotation Mode by clicking the close icon (“X”) in the gray box. This may be necessary to access the left navigation or other record-related elements not visible in Annotation Mode.

Note: Fields found under the "More" tab of the left navigation do not support annotations.

Click the close icon to exit Annotation Mode.

To re-enter Annotation Mode, click the Annotation Mode toggle located in the high visibility area at the top right of the record.

To re-enter or toggle on Annotation Mode, click the icon in the high visibility bar.

Configuration

Below is an explanation of how a Global Administrator could configure the annotations feature to work as described in the scenario above.

User Roles

You will need two roles: a role for the applicant and a role for the person doing the reviewing. Depending on your business process, you may already have two roles you can use or you may wish to create two new roles. If you are creating new roles, you may create these as system or UTA (association) roles depending upon your business process. To create new roles, navigate to the Menu Icon > Roles and Security > User Roles > Click the New Role button (represented by a plus sign). Typically roles created would be called “Applicant” and “Reviewer” or “Internal Staff”.

Annotation Types

Annotation types determine who can make annotations and when. Usually, there are two annotation types: one for the applicant and another for an internal staff member or designated reviewer.

Creating a "Reviewer" Annotation Type

Navigate to Menu Icon > Global Settings > System tab > Annotation Types.
Click the New Type button (represented by a plus sign).
Create an annotation type with the name and caption of either “Reviewer Annotation” or “Staff Annotation” depending on your process and preferred terminology.
Enter a description that states the purpose of this annotation type. For example, you could enter “Used to create field-level annotations by reviewers requesting changes from the applicant”.
Navigate to the Permissions & Availability tab.
For the Allow View field, select both the applicant and reviewer roles. This way both applicants and reviewers will be able to see both types of annotations on a record.
For the Allow Create field, only select the reviewer role so only a reviewer can create the "Reviewer" type of annotation.

Create an "Applicant" Annotation Type

Navigate to Menu Icon > Global Settings > System tab > Annotation Types.
Click the New Type button (looks like a plus sign).
Create a type with the name and caption of “Applicant Annotation”.
Enter a description the states the purpose of this annotation type. For example, you could enter “Used to create field-level annotations by the applicant, responding to change requests from a reviewer”.
Navigate to the Permissions & Availability tab.
For the Allow View field, select both the applicant and reviewer roles. This way both applicants and reviewers will be able to see both types of annotations on a record.
For the Allow Create field, select just the applicant role. So only an applicant can create the applicant type of annotation.

Setting up Statuses for Annotations

Status are used to control what happens at different stages of a process such as bringing the user directly into annotation mode and notifying a user that they need to change values on their application. To achieve the above scenario, we are using many statuses within our desired universal tracking application.

Statuses are created by going to the desired Universal Tracking Application > Configuration Settings > Select the desired tab (such as “Level 1 Grant”) > Statuses > Click the New Status button (represented by a plus sign). Enter the desired information and define the availability, permissions, and then click Save.

Below is an explanation of each status and how it was configured:

Name	Description	Configuration Steps
Draft	The grant application is being filled in by the applicant.	Toggle on Is Default Status Toggle on Is Default Copy Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field.
Submitted	The applicant has submitted the application and can no longer edit it.	Toggle on Lock On Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role Permissions” section, select the “Program Manager” user role for the Override Lock field so they can move the record forward after assigning a reviewer. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field.
Reviewer Assigned and Notified	The reviewer has been notified that the application is ready for review.	Toggle on Lock On Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role Permissions” section, select the “Program Manager” user role for the Override Lock field so they can move the record forward Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field. Set up a Level 1 workflow to send an email notification to the reviewer by going to Menu Icon > Workflows > Create a new workflow > Set Workflow Object to this UTA and set Trigger On to this status.
Reviewer Annotation and Creation	The reviewer adds annotations to the grant application, requesting changes and clarifications. They also review the applicant's annotations.	Toggle on Lock On Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Annotation System Role Permissions” section, select the “Applicant” user role for the View field, select the “Reviewer” user role for the View and Create field, select the "Reviewer" user role for the Mark as Resolved field, and select both “Applicant” and “Reviewer” user roles for the Open in Annotation Mode field. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field.
Revisions Requested	The applicant is notified. They must change values, reply to annotations, and provide clarity to issues raised.	Toggle on Lock On Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Annotation System Role Permissions” section, select the “Applicant” user role for the View field as well as the Edit Field input, select the “Reviewer” user role for the View and Create field, and select both “Applicant” and “Reviewer” user roles for the Open in Annotation Mode field. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field. Set up a Level 1 workflow to send an email notification to the applicant by going to Menu Icon > Workflows > Create a new workflow > Set Workflow Object to this UTA and set Trigger On to this status.
Applicant Revisions Submitted	The reviewer is notified that the applicant has made the requested changes and provided clarity.	Toggle on Lock On Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Annotation System Role Permissions” section, select the “Applicant” and “Reviewer” user roles for the View field, select the “Reviewer” user role for the View and Create field, and select both “Applicant” and “Reviewer” user roles for the Open in Annotation Mode field. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field. Set up a Level 1 workflow to send an email notification to the reviewer by going to Menu Icon > Workflows > Create a new workflow > Set Workflow Object to this UTA and set Trigger On to this status.
Approved	The grant application has been approved.	Toggle on Lock On Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field.
Declined	The grant application has been declined.	Toggle on Lock On Status Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Availability” section, select the relevant grant types for the Enable on Grant Types field.

Status Settings Explained

These settings are found at UTA > Configuration Settings > Level 1 tab > Statuses > Select a Status.

Lock On Status

Prevents users from editing the application record and hides any Save and Submit Buttons configured to appear on this status.

Override Lock

Allows a user role to edit a locked record and see the submit and save buttons configured to appear at this status.

Availability

Controls which types of applications will have access to this status

Annotation System Role and Annotation Association Role Permissions

Depending on the business requirements you may choose to use Annotation System Roles (Example: anyone with the system reviewer role has permissions) or Annotation Association Role Permissions (Example: anyone attached to the record as a contact in the UTA role of reviewer has permissions).

View

Who can see the annotations

View and Create

Who can create new annotation threads and reply to existing annotations

Edit Field

Who can edit the value of the field being annotated and reply to existing annotation threads

Mark as Resolved

Controls who can see the "Mark as Resolved" and "Mark as Unresolved" buttons. These buttons are typically accessible to users assigned to the role of reviewing the application.

Open in Annotation Mode

Who can see the record in annotation mode by default

Anonymize Creator

Hides the name of the person who added the annotation

Workflow Notifications

At multiple stages in the process notifications will automatically be sent to the reviewer and applicant letting them know that action is required on an application.

To accomplish this a workflow is set up by navigating to Menu Icon > Workflows.

Click the “New Workflow” button (looks like a plus sign).
Select the desired UTA for the Workflow Object field.
Select the desired Level 1 status for the Trigger On field. Then click Save.
Setup a task with the Task Type of “Acknowledgement” and choose the message type of “Email”.
In the email message, you may wish to include both the name of the application and a link to the application.

Submit Buttons and Annotation Submission Buttons

Submit buttons move a record between statuses that are not locked. A user role can also be given permission to override a locked status to see submit buttons.

Annotation submission buttons are intended for use only in Annotation Mode when the record is locked where other submit and save buttons are hidden.

Both types of submission buttons are configured by navigating to the desired UTA > Configuration Settings > Click on the desired Level 1, 2, or 3 tab > Submit and Save Buttons.

We created the following submit buttons for our scenario:

Name	Description	Type	Configuration Steps
Submit	Applicant submits and this locks the application to the applicant.	Submit	Select “Draft” under the Available to Status field. Select “Submitted” under the Submit to Status field. Toggle on Enable Confirmation Alert Message. Under the Confirmation Message input, enter: “Your application will be sent for review. Once sent, you will no longer be able to modify your application. Are you sure you wish to continue?” Toggle on Enable Confirmation Page. For Title, enter “Application Submitted”. For the Message input, enter: “Thank you. Your application has been submitted and will be reviewed.” For the Redirect URL, click the URL Lookup button (represented by the binoculars icon) to select the page the user should be redirected to after submitting their application. For the Button Caption input, enter “Back to list of applications”.
Begin Review Process	A reviewer is assigned who will approve, decline or annotate the application	Submit	Select “Submitted” under the Available to Status field. Select “Reviewer Assigned and Notified” under the Submit to Status field. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role - Permissions” section, select the “Program Manager” user role for the Allow View field.
Move to Reviewer Annotation and Review	Record moved to reviewer annotation and review after the reviewer was assigned and notified.	Submit	Select “Reviewer Assigned and Notified” under the Submit to Status field. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role - Permissions” section, select the “Program Manager” user role for the Allow View field.
Send Requested Revisions to Applicant	Sends requested revisions to the applicant.	Submit Annotation	Select “Reviewer Annotation and Review” under the Available to Status field. Select “Revisions Requested” under the Submit to Status field. Toggle on Enable Confirmation Alert Message. Under the Confirmation Message input, enter: “Annotations will be sent to the applicant for review and amendment. Once sent, you will no longer be able to add additional annotations. Are you sure you wish to continue?” Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role - Permissions” section, select the “Reviewer” user role for the Allow View field.
Submit Revisions	Sends revisions from applicant to reviewer.	Submit Annotation	Select “Revisions Requested” under the Available to Status field. Select “Reviewer annotation and review” under the Submit to Status field. Toggle on Enable Confirmation Alert Message. Under the Confirmation Message input, enter: “Your annotations and amendments will be sent for review. Once sent, you will no longer be able to add additional annotations or make changes. Are you sure you wish to continue?” Toggle on Enable Confirmation Page. For Title, enter “Revisions Submitted”. For the Message input, enter: “Your revisions have been submitted and will be reviewed.” For the Redirect URL, click the URL Lookup button (represented by the binoculars icon) to select the page the user should be redirected to after submitting their application. For the Button Caption input, enter “Back to list of applications”. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role - Permissions” section, select the “Applicant” user role for the Allow View field.
Approve Application	The reviewer approves the application (no more changes are required).	Submit Annotation	Select “Reviewer Annotation and Review” under the Available to Status field. Select “Approved” under the Submit to Status field. Toggle on Enable Confirmation Alert Message. Under the Confirmation Message input, enter: “This record will be moved to approved. Once approved, you will no longer be able to add additional annotations or request changes. Are you sure you wish to continue?” Toggle on Enable Confirmation Page. For Title, enter “Application Approved”. For the Message input, enter: “The application has been approved”. For the Redirect URL, click the URL Lookup button (represented by the binoculars icon) to select the page the user should be redirected to after submitting their application. For the Button Caption input, enter “Back to list of applications”. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role - Permissions” section, select the “Reviewer” user role for the Allow View field.
Decline Application	The reviewer declines the application.	Submit Annotation	Select “Reviewer Annotation and Review” under the Available to Status field. Select “Declined” under the Submit to Status field. Toggle on Enable Confirmation Alert Message. Under the Confirmation Message input, enter: “This record will be moved to Declined. Once declined, you will no longer be able to add annotations or request changes. Are you sure you wish to continue?” Toggle on Enable Confirmation Page. For Title, enter “Application Declined”. For the Message input, enter: “This record will be moved to Declined. Once declined, you will no longer be able to add annotations or request changes. Are you sure you wish to continue?”. For the Redirect URL, click the URL Lookup button (represented by the binoculars icon) to select the page the user should be redirected to after submitting their application. For the Button Caption input, enter “Back to list of applications”. Go to the Permissions & Availability tab and under the “Role - Permissions” section, select the “Reviewer” user role for the Allow View field.

Field Revision Annotations

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