End User Workflow Configuration

Overview

Most of the time, the workflow you build is the one end users end up adopting without any customizations. However, situations arise that require slight configurations per user.

For example, let's assume we want to create a Slack integration. This integration has a workflow that sends a notification to a Slack channel each time an event happens in your application.

While the message might be pre-defined, the channel cannot be. This is because everyone's slack channels are different so it'd be impossible to pre-set the channel to post this message to.

Therefore, your end user will need to customize this on their own.

End User Customization Options

To solve this, Alloy Embedded lets you determine if a field should be customizable by your end users. Each field in the Alloy Workflow Builder comes with a checkbox labeled "Configurable by user". When selected, your end users will be prompted to configure this field.

You can see an example of how this works in our Slack example below.

Selecting the Configurable by user option will prompt your end user to select a Slack channel. This field is dynamically generated using their Third Party App credential after they've authenticated. You can see what this would look like in the Alloy Modal below.

Additional Settings

Let's say you wanted to further customize and define what is required by the end user upon configuration. Activating the Configurable by User option in Alloy enhances the field customization capabilities, offering both display and data configuration options. This feature is key for creating a user-friendly and efficient input interface. Below, we detail the available settings under Display and Data categories.

Additional Customization Features

Display Settings

These settings control how the field appears to the end user:

Label: Allows you to define the text that will be displayed as the label above the input field. This is crucial for clear identification of the field's purpose.
Placeholder Text: Sets the placeholder text within the input. This text serves as an example or hint, guiding the user on the expected input format or content.
Show Help Text Toggle: Enables the option to provide instructions right below the input field. Useful for short, immediate guidance related to the input.
Show Info Icon Toggle: When enabled, an information icon appears near the input. This icon is ideal for displaying longer instructional texts that provide detailed guidance.

Data Settings

These settings help define the data requirements and constraints for the input:

Required Dropdown: Determine whether the input field is mandatory or optional. Options include 'Yes' (required) and 'No' (optional).
Data Format Dropdown: Allows you to define the accepted data types for the input. The options include 'Variable + Text', 'Just Variables', and 'Just Text', providing flexibility in data entry requirements.
Variable Sources Dropdown: Select which of the previous blocks in the workflow that will be displayed during the variable selection process. This setting is key for specifying the source of data allowed for the input field.

Benefits

Enhanced Clarity and Guidance: With labels, placeholder text, help texts, and info icons, the user interface becomes more intuitive and informative.
Flexibility in Data Handling: The data settings offer control over the type of data entered and its source, ensuring that the data collected is accurate and relevant.
User-Centric Design: These additional settings focus on making the interface user-friendly, thus improving the overall user experience.

Wrapping Up

In this article, we looked at how to enable end users to configure fields in the Alloy Workflow Builder along with how to further customize each fields settings to enhance clarity.