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Loopback in Workflows — Returning to Earlier Activities via Process Map

Understand how map-defined loopbacks return workflows to earlier activities while preserving first-pass history.

Written by James Ross

Overview

A loopback occurs when a process map has an alternate path that links back to an earlier activity. When the workflow follows this path, it hops back and re-executes the earlier activity. First-pass completed steps are preserved as frozen snapshots.

Quick Steps

  • A published process has a loopback: Activity C has an alternate path back to Activity A.

  • The workflow completes A, B, and reaches C.

  • At Activity C, the loopback is triggered (via Next Step or a decision).

  • The workflow hops back to Activity A.

  • The timeline shows first-pass A, B, C as frozen completions, then A again as Current.

Second Pass

  • Complete Activity A again and advance through B to C.

  • Second-pass completions appear in the timeline.

  • First-pass history is preserved.

  • The workflow eventually completes normally.

Audit Trail

The audit records an entry: "Workflow looped back from [C title] to [A title]". Captured snapshots include first-pass completions.

Important: Loopbacks are defined in the process map at design time. They are not manually triggered during a workflow — they follow the map's alternate paths.

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