Skip to main content

​
Overview

Lawn’s workflow system helps teams track video progress through review stages. Every video moves through statuses that indicate where it is in your approval process.

​
Workflow Statuses

Each video has one of three workflow statuses:

​
Review

The default status for all new videos. Use this when:
  • Video is ready for initial review
  • Awaiting feedback from stakeholders
  • In the review queue
Default behavior: All uploaded videos start in “review” status automatically.

​
Rework

Indicates the video needs changes. Use this when:
  • Feedback requires revisions
  • Changes requested by client or team
  • Video needs to go back to production
Common pattern: Reviewer marks as “rework” → creator makes changes → uploads new version as “review”

​
Done

Final approved state. Use this when:
  • All feedback addressed
  • Video approved by stakeholders
  • Ready for delivery or publication
  • No further changes needed
The “done” status doesn’t lock the video. You can still update it or change the status back if needed. This gives you flexibility for last-minute changes.

​
Managing Video Status

1

Upload your video

When you create a video, it automatically gets “review” status and “public” visibility.
// New video defaults
{
  workflowStatus: "review",
  visibility: "public",
  status: "uploading" // processing status, not workflow
}
2

Update status as needed

Any team member can update the workflow status. This allows reviewers to mark videos for rework without needing admin permissions.
3

Track progress

Video lists show the current workflow status at a glance, helping teams see what needs attention.

​
Who Can Update Status

Required role: Member or higher
  • Viewers cannot update workflow status (read-only)
  • Members can update any video in their team’s projects
  • Admins and owners have the same status update permissions as members
This permission model allows your entire creative team to manage workflows without giving them admin access to team settings.

​
Video Lifecycle

Understand the difference between processing status and workflow status:

​
Processing Status

Tracks technical state:
  • uploading - File being transferred
  • processing - Video being transcoded
  • ready - Available for viewing
  • failed - Upload or processing error

​
Workflow Status

Tracks review state:
  • review - Awaiting feedback
  • rework - Needs changes
  • done - Approved
Example: A video can be processing status ready while workflow status is review, meaning it’s technically ready to watch but still awaiting approval.

​
Real-World Workflows

​
Scenario: Marketing Campaign Review

1

Initial upload

Designer uploads campaign video.
  • Status: review
  • Notification sent to marketing lead
2

First review

Marketing lead reviews and requests changes to the ending.
  • Updates status to rework
  • Leaves timestamped comment with feedback
3

Revision

Designer makes changes, uploads new version.
  • New video starts as review
  • Links to previous version in comments
4

Final approval

Marketing lead approves the changes.
  • Updates status to done
  • Video ready for campaign launch

​
Scenario: Client Video Production

1

Draft submission

Video producer uploads first draft.
  • Status: review
  • Share link sent to client
2

Client feedback

Client reviews via share link and comments.
  • Producer marks as rework after reviewing feedback
3

Iteration cycles

Producer creates revisions, each starting as review.
  • Multiple review → rework cycles possible
  • All versions tracked in project
4

Final delivery

Client approves final version.
  • Status: done
  • Video delivered to client

​
Scenario: Social Media Content Queue

1

Content creation

Team members upload videos throughout the week.
  • All start as review
2

Weekly review

Social media manager reviews all pending videos.
  • Approves good ones → done
  • Requests changes → rework
  • Comments on what needs adjustment
3

Scheduling

Videos marked done are queued for posting.
  • Easy to filter for approved content
  • Clear visibility into what’s ready

​
Filtering and Organization

Use workflow status to organize your video lists:

​
By Status

  • Show only “review” - See what needs attention
  • Show only “rework” - Track videos in revision
  • Show only “done” - Find approved content

​
By Priority

Combine status with other metadata:
  • Recent uploads in “review” (sort by date)
  • Videos in “rework” with comments (filter by comment count)
  • “Done” videos ready for export (filter by status + date)
Videos in “review” status should be your team’s primary focus. This keeps feedback flowing and prevents bottlenecks.

​
Workflow Best Practices

​
Set Clear Status Guidelines

Define when to use each status: Review:
  • Ready for feedback
  • All known issues fixed
  • Awaiting decision
Rework:
  • Specific changes requested
  • Not ready for final approval
  • In active revision
Done:
  • Fully approved
  • No changes needed
  • Ready for delivery/publication

​
Use Comments with Status Changes

When changing status, always add a comment explaining why: 
Marking as rework because:
- Audio levels too low at 0:45
- Color correction needed in intro
- Client requested different outro music
This creates a clear record of feedback and decisions.

​
Keep Videos Moving

Avoid letting videos sit in “review” too long:
  • Set review deadlines (e.g., 48 hours)
  • Assign specific reviewers
  • Use comments to @mention reviewers
  • Regular status check-ins

​
Version Control Strategy

Decide how to handle revisions: Option 1: New uploads for major revisions
  • Upload new video with version number in title
  • Mark old version as “rework” or “done”
  • Link versions in comments
Option 2: Update existing video
  • Replace video file (if supported)
  • Update status back to “review”
  • Note revision in comments
For client work, keep all versions as separate videos. This creates a clear audit trail and lets clients compare versions easily.

​
Response Time Expectations

Set clear expectations for each status:
  • Review → Feedback within 24-48 hours
  • Rework → Revisions within 2-3 days
  • Done → Final delivery within 24 hours
Adjust timing based on your team’s capacity and project urgency.

​
Integrating with Comments

Workflow status and comments work together:

​
Status Change Triggers

Use comments to explain status changes:
  1. Update workflow status
  2. Immediately add comment with reason
  3. Tag relevant team members

​
Timestamped Feedback

Leave comments at specific video timestamps:
  • Helps creators find exactly what needs work
  • Reduces back-and-forth communication
  • Makes “rework” status more actionable

​
Resolution Tracking

When marking as “done”, comment to confirm:
  • All feedback addressed
  • Specific approvals given
  • Any final notes or delivery instructions

​
Common Workflow Patterns

​
Single Approver

  1. Upload → review
  2. Approver reviews → done or rework
  3. If rework: fix and re-upload → review
  4. Repeat until done

​
Multi-Level Approval

  1. Upload → review
  2. Team lead approves → keep as review (pending client)
  3. Client reviews → rework or done
  4. If rework: fix → review → start over

​
Batch Review

  1. Upload multiple videos → all review
  2. Weekly review session
  3. Bulk approve good ones → done
  4. Mark others → rework with feedback
  5. Revised videos → review for next session

​
Continuous Improvement

  1. Upload → review
  2. Gather all feedback before making changes
  3. Once complete feedback collected → rework
  4. Implement all changes at once
  5. Re-upload → review
  6. Quick approval check → done

​
Monitoring Workflow Health

Track these metrics to keep workflows healthy:

​
Count by Status

  • How many videos in each status?
  • Too many in “review” = review bottleneck
  • Too many in “rework” = quality issues or unclear requirements

​
Time in Status

  • How long do videos stay in “review”?
  • How many revision cycles (review → rework → review)?
  • Time from upload to “done”

​
Completion Rate

  • Percentage of videos reaching “done”
  • First-time approval rate (review → done without rework)
  • Average revisions per video
If videos consistently require multiple rework cycles, consider improving your creative brief process or setting clearer expectations upfront.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us