Content Moderation Workflow

Drupal’s Content Moderation system allows for a structured review and approval process before content is published. 

Content in the DX Platform moves through different moderation states, which define its visibility and editorial stage. Below are the available moderation states and their meanings:

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Draft

  • Content is in progress and has not yet been submitted for review or publication.
  • It is only visible to users with appropriate permissions, such as content editors or administrators.
  • This status allows contributors to save work without making it available to the public.
  • All user roles have access to save content as Draft
  • See below for more information regarding Draft versions of already Published content
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Review

  • Content has been submitted for editorial review by approvers who will assess its quality before publishing
  • It is visible to users with Writer, Editor, Publisher or Agency Manager roles. 
  • The content is not yet published but is undergoing internal approval.
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Published

  • Content is live and visible to the public.
  • It has passed all necessary reviews and approvals.
  • If changes are needed, an editor can create a new Draft (aka “forward revision”) while keeping the previously published version available. See below for more details about how this works.
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Archived

  • Content is no longer publicly accessible but is retained in the system for historical or reference purposes.
  • It is not deleted, meaning it can be restored or republished if needed.
  • This status helps manage outdated or deprecated content without removing it permanently.
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Creating and Managing Forward Revisions of Published Content

When you create a new forward revision of already published content, Drupal allows you to work on updates without immediately affecting the live version. 

Here's how this process works:

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Creating a New Forward Revision

  • Navigate to the published page you wish to update.
  • Click the "Edit" button to modify the content.
  • Make the necessary changes.
  • Save the changes as a Draft. This action creates a new revision in the Draft state, while the original published version remains live on the site.
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Reviewing and Approving the Forward Revision

  • Users with appropriate permissions can access and review Forward Revisions.
  • To review the Forward Revision, navigate to the content item and select the "Revisions" tab. Here, you'll see a list of all revisions, including the latest draft.
  • Review the changes in the Forward Revision by clicking on the date.
  • If the Forward Revision is ready for publication, navigate back to the "Revisions" tab and click on "Set as current revision". This action replaces the old published version with the updated content.
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Clear cache to review new changes

  • Because both the browser and the Akamai server have caches on content, you may not immediately see changes.
  • To force reload any changes that have been published:
    1. Browser: Use an Incognito window 
    2. Browser: Put a “cache-busting” query string at the end of your URL. This consists of a question mark, followed by some random text. 
      1. For example: site.iowa.gov?jfir
    3. Akamai :Check again in 30 minutes
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