An overview of processes

Processes in Tallyfy

A process is a running instance of a template. Here’s the key difference:

• A Template is a reusable blueprint for a workflow (e.g., the steps for onboarding a new employee)
• A Process is one specific execution of that template (e.g., onboarding Jane Doe starting today)

Can’t find where you added a task?

Added a task but it disappeared? You probably added it to a running process, not the template:

• Tasks added to a running process only exist in that specific instance
• Tasks added to a template appear in all future processes launched from it
• To update the template: go to Templates tab, edit your template, and add the task there
• To add a task to one process only: open that process and use Add Task

Why processes matter

Templates define how work should be done. Processes are the actual work happening now.

• Processes are what you track daily
• Processes are where team members collaborate
• Processes are how you measure real progress

Every time you need to run the work defined in a template, you launch it to create a new, trackable process instance.

How should I name processes?

Give each process a unique, descriptive name so you can tell them apart (e.g., “Onboard Jane Doe”, “Onboard John Smith”). Takes seconds, saves hours.

You can also set up auto-naming in template settings (Settings > Summary > Auto-naming). Tallyfy then builds process names from kick-off form field values entered at launch.

Auto-naming rules

• Auto-naming pulls from kick-off form fields referenced in the name format. Required fields are guaranteed to have values at launch.
• Process names can’t exceed 550 characters.

Key characteristics

• A process is a snapshot of its template at launch time. Later template changes won’t affect processes already running.

Template updates don’t affect running processes

When you update a template, existing processes keep their original version. This is by design:

1. State determination - no way to know where to insert new steps in a partially-complete process
2. Relevance - new steps might not apply to processes started under different conditions
3. Step removal - can’t safely remove completed steps that hold important data

Workaround for long-running processes (like 6+ month sales cycles):

• Use Add Task to manually add new steps to running processes
• Consider shorter process cycles with handoffs between templates
• For major changes, complete existing processes and launch new ones

• You can launch many processes from the same template
• A process can be based on a procedure template (with workflow steps) or a document template (a fillable form)
• You can add extra one-off tasks to any running process
• Each process has its own activity log (audit trail)

Adding extra tasks

Something unexpected came up? Add new tasks (regular, approval, email, etc.) directly to a running process without changing the original template. See Add tasks to active processes.

Template vs. Blueprint

In the Tallyfy app, it’s called a Template. In the API, it’s called a Blueprint (model name: Checklist).

What happens when a process completes?

Completed processes stay visible in your Tracker view. To clean up your view while keeping the data:

• Archive - click the three-dot menu (…) on any process card in the Tracker view
• View archived - filter by Status = Archived in the Tracker view
• Restore - unarchive anytime to bring a process back

See how to archive and unarchive processes for full steps.

Archive vs. Delete

Archiving removes a process from active views but keeps all data. You can restore it anytime.

Deleting permanently removes the process and all its data - this can’t be undone. You must archive a process first, then delete it from the archived view. Only Admin users can permanently delete. Archiving is almost always the better choice.

• Commenting processes
• Edit processes
• Export process to CSV
• Process lifecycle management
• Share a process

Related articles

Pro > Launching

Tallyfy lets you launch reusable templates into independent trackable processes — each with its own name and deadlines and assignments — through six different methods including manual clicks and API calls and email triggers and magic links while template edits only affect future launches and never alter already-running work.

Processes > Process lifecycle management

Every process in Tallyfy moves through five distinct phases—create a template with steps and assignments then launch a named instance where assignees complete tasks while you monitor progress in the Tracker view and finally review captured data after completion to improve your template based on patterns found across multiple runs.

Tutorials > Launch a process

Launching a process in Tallyfy means turning a saved template into a live trackable instance by clicking Launch Process and naming it before optionally editing assignees and deadlines and then tracking progress automatically through the Tracker view.

Processes > Edit processes

Tallyfy lets you modify any running process independently from its original template by adding new tasks and reassigning existing ones and adjusting due dates and renaming or archiving the instance while keeping the master template completely unchanged.

Was this helpful?

YesNo