Linked Workflow Sections allow you to display, create, or link related Record data in other Workflows.
Introduction to Linked Workflow Sections
If two Workflows have been mapped to one another, you can include a Linked Workflow Section in the form of a Step to allow users to view or take action on related data.
Linked Workflow Sections are typically used to:
- Allow a user to create a (new) child Record that is linked to a parent Record.
- Link to an existing Records
- Display details of parent Records so that an end user performing work on a child Record has access to sufficient contextual information to perform work in the Step.
Using Table Reports for Record Linking (Recommended)
As of December 2025, you can power Linked Workflow Sections using Table Reports instead of Layouts! Table Reports provide a more robust, user-friendly experience for both builders and end users.
In order to activate this feature, your step must be upgraded to the current user experience. To configure a Linked Workflow Section for a legacy step or layout, jump to the bottom of this article for a walkthrough video.
Why Use Table Reports?
Table Reports offer several advantages over the legacy Layout approach:
- Pre-defined filters and sorting: Builders can configure default filters and sort orders for an optimized end-user experience
- End User Filter and search capabilities: End users can filter and search to quickly find the records they need
- Multi-select linking: Select and link multiple records at once using checkboxes, instead of linking one at a time
- In-line editing: Edit linked records directly in the table (with proper permissions) without navigating away from the parent record
- Reusable configurations: Leverage existing Table Reports instead of creating new Layouts
- Ignore Archived Records: Any archived records will be hidden when browsing for records to link
- Summary Fields default: Automatically generate a Table Report based on your workflow’s Summary Fields — no manual Table Report creation needed
Top use cases for Table Report Record Linking
We’re confident that Table Report Record Linking is an improvement for all users and use cases, but there are some instances where it may be especially useful:
Controls & Audit Management
In Controls Compliance and Internal Audit Management, use filtering to quickly identify and select only the controls that are in-scope for a specific audit or assessment—no more scrolling through hundreds of controls to find the right ones!
Risk Management
When Linking risks to assessments in Enterprise Risk Management and/or Cyber Risk Management, filter your risk register by risk area, owner, or score when linking risks to assessment records.
In Operational Risk Management, after connecting operational risks to controls, edit linked control records directly from the risk record to update control effectiveness or status without navigating away.
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
In Disaster Recovery Management, filter for playbooks linked to the specific Disaster Recovery Plan you are testing, streamlining the process of creating playbook execution records.
Compliance & Policy Management
In Policy & Procedure Management, filter employees when policies need to be acknowledged by a specific subset (e.g., by department, location, or role).
When doing PCI merchant testing via the PCI Compliance application, filter PCI requirements when initiating evaluations, enabling users to quickly select the appropriate SAQ controls.
Standards & Frameworks
In the HITRUST and SCF Standards & Regulations applications, use filtering to improve navigation across control frameworks and streamline evidence collection.
How to Configure a Linked Workflow Section with Table Reports
Video Walkthrough
For a visual guide to configuring Table Report Record Linking, watch our instructional video:
Step 1: Add a Linked Workflow Section
Open the Step where you want to add the Linked Workflow Section and click the Add Table then Link Workflow:
Step 2: Select the Linked Workflow
In the Linked Workflow dropdown, select the Workflow you want to display information from in this Section:
Note: You can only select from Workflows for which mappings have been created. Refer to the Connecting Workflows Together article to learn more about creating relationships between Workflows.
Step 3: Choose a Table Report or Summary Fields
By default, new Linked Workflow Sections will use Table Report mode. You will see a dropdown to select an existing Table Report. The Table Report dropdown provides two types of options:
Default: Workflow Summary Fields
This option appears at the top of the dropdown. When selected, Risk Cloud automatically generates a Table Report using the linked workflow’s Primary Field and configured Summary Fields. This eliminates the need to manually create a Table Report.
If Summary Fields are not configured for the linked workflow, you will see an error message with a link to the Set Summary Fields in Workflows help article.
Table Reports
Select a Table Report where the primary workflow is the same as the target workflow (the workflow in which the records you are linking live) from the dropdown. The Table Report determines:
- What columns (fields) are displayed to end users
- Any pre-defined filters (only applies to the browse tab)
- Any pre-defined sorting
- Search capabilities (Table Reports will only search visible fields)
Step 4: Configure End User Permissions
Configure what you want end users to be able to do using the Linked Workflow Section:
Allow assignee to:
- Create a new Record that is linked to this record: When enabled, you can also choose the Step in which the new Record will be created, and whether to automatically start the new record upon creation.
- Search for Records and link to this record: Allows users to browse existing records and link them.
- Unlink Records: Allows users to remove links between records.
Require assignee to:
- Link at least one Record before submitting: Ensures the user links at least one record before they can submit.
- Complete all linked Records before submitting: Ensures all linked child records are completed before the parent can be submitted.
Step 6: Add Guidance (Optional)
Use the Guidance field to provide instructions to end users. This guidance appears directly above the Linked Workflow Section on the record page, eliminating unnecessary scrolling and confusion.
The End User Experience with Table Reports
When an end user views a record with a Table Report-powered Linked Workflow Section, they will see two tabs:
Linked Tab
The Linked tab displays all records that are currently linked to the parent record. From this tab, end users can:
- View linked record details in the table format
- Edit linked records in-line (if Table Report Configuration and user permissions allow)
- Open a linked record in the Preview Panel or navigate to it directly
- Unlink records (if permissions allow)
Note: The Linked tab shows ALL linked records, regardless of any builder-defined filters. This ensures users can always see and complete required linked records.
Browse Tab
The Browse tab allows end users to search for and link existing records. From this tab, end users can:
- View all linkable records from the linked workflow
- Use filters and search to find specific records
- Select multiple records using checkboxes
- Link selected records with a single action
Note: Records that are (a) already linked, (b) archived, or (c) ineligible for linking (based on relationship mapping or workflow direction) are automatically filtered out.
Additional Behavior
When using Table Reports in Linked Workflow Sections, there are several features to be aware of:
Flatten Table Report Rows
When a multi-workflow Table Report is used in a Linked Workflow Section, duplicate rows are automatically flattened to prevent end-user confusion when selecting or viewing linked records. This happens regardless of the Table Report’s own “Flatten Table Report” setting.
For a detailed explanation of the Flatten Table Report feature, refer to the “Duplicate” Records within Table Reports help center article.
Permission Restrictions
When a Table Report is used in a Linked Workflow Section, additional permission restrictions apply:
- Editing: Only users with the Build entitlement can access the “Edit Report” button. Non-builders will see a message: “To configure this report’s settings, you need edit permissions granted by an admin”
- Deletion protection: Table Reports that are used in a Linked Workflow Section cannot be deleted. The delete icon on the Table Report listing page is disabled, and the “Delete Table Report” menu item is hidden in the Table Report settings.
Expand Rows by Default
Table Reports include an Expand Rows by Default setting, configurable on the Table Report Setting. When enabled, all rows in the Table Report are pre-expanded when the record page loads, so end users don’t need to manually expand each row. This configuration is deactivated by default. This permission will be persisted to the linked workflow section.
Include Archived Records
Table Reports include an Include Archived Records setting, configurable on the Table Report Setting. When enabled, the Table Report will include archived records. This configuration is deactivated by default. This permission will be persisted to the linked workflow section.
Edit Records in a Table Report
Table Reports include an Edit Records in a Table Report setting, configurable on the Table Report Setting. When enabled, users can click the pencil icon to display a modal where they can edit record fields directly in the table report. For more information, see our help center article on table report editing.
A Few Considerations for Table Report Powered Linked Workflow Sections
- Table Report Record Linking is only available on steps where the legacy user experience has been disabled. To learn more about this, see the help center article on the Reimagined Record Experience.
- The browse section will only display records that the end user has access to. To understand more, refer to our help center article on Permissions.
- User Group access is applied to displaying records in the Linked Workflow Section. This means records restricted to a User Group will not be visible to users who are not part of the User Group.
- When searching for Records in Linked Workflow Sections, the search will return results ONLY if a match is found on a field that is displayed in the Table Report.
- Only users with the Build entitlement can edit or delete Table Reports that are used in Linked Workflow Sections.
- While using summary fields to drive table report record linking requires significantly less configuration, the following features are not available (since they can only be configured in the table report settings:
- Multi-Workflow Table Reports
- Editing records in a table report
- Expand Rows by Default
- Include Archived Records
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why does my multi-workflow Table Report only show one record per linked item in a Linked Workflow Section?
A: The “Flatten Table Report” logic is automatically enforced in Linked Workflow Sections, even if your Table Report’s setting is turned off. This is by design to prevent end-user confusion during record selection (without this configuration, end users would have to select multiple rows in order to link a single child record). For more details, see the “Duplicate” Records within Table Reports article.
Q: Why don’t the filters I configured on my Table Report apply to the “Linked Records” tab?
A: Builder-defined filters only apply to the “Browse Linkable Records” tab. The Linked tab intentionally shows ALL linked records to prevent a scenario where a child record that must be completed in order to submit the parent record is hidden from the user, thus blocking record submission.
Q: Are end-user filters in a Linked Workflow Section persisted when leaving and returning to a record?
A: No. Filters applied by end users via column headers are session-only and do not persist after navigating away from the record. Only builder-configured Table Report filters are persistent.
Q: Do filters carry over from the Linked Workflow Section into the “Edit Records” modal?
A: No. The Edit Records modal loads independently with the Table Report’s own builder-defined filters. Filters applied on the “View Linked Records” tab do not carry over.
Q: Does the “Include Archived Records” setting apply to Linked Workflow Sections?
A: Yes. Archived records are excluded from both the Linked and Browse tabs by default, however this can be changed. The “Include Archived Records” Table Report setting is respected in Linked Workflow Sections.
Q: Why does the Spark AI Recommendations tab show different fields than my configured Table Report?
A: Spark AI Record Linking Recommendations currently uses Layouts rather than Table Reports. This means the fields displayed under Recommendations may differ from those in your configured Table Report. A future update will align the Recommendations tab with Table Report configurations.
Q: Can I use Table Report filters as an alternative to Relationship Reports to control which linked records are displayed?
A: Table Report filters only apply to the Browse tab, not the Linked tab. For display-only use cases where you need to control which records appear, Relationship Reports may be more appropriate. Table Report-powered Relationship Reports are being considered for a future release.
Q: What is the “Default: Workflow Summary Fields” option in the Table Report dropdown?
A: This option automatically generates a transient Table Report using the linked workflow’s Primary Field and configured Summary Fields. It eliminates the need to manually create a dedicated Table Report for each Linked Workflow Section. The transient Table Report updates dynamically if the workflow’s Summary Fields configuration changes.
Q: Who can edit a Table Report that is used in a Linked Workflow Section?
A: Only users with the Build entitlement can edit Table Reports that are configured on a step. Non-builders will see a message: “To configure this report’s settings, you need edit permissions granted by an admin.” Additionally, Table Reports used in Linked Workflow Sections cannot be deleted.
Using Layouts for Record Linking (Legacy)
How to Configure a Linked Workflow Section
1. Navigate to the Step Builder and add a Form Section to your Step by clicking the Add Form Section button.
2. Click Link Workflow to add a Linked Workflow Section.
3. In the Linked Workflow dropdown, select the Workflow that should have information displayed in this Section.
4. Select a Layout from the drop-down. The Layout determines what data is displayed to the end user. The default Layout displays the Record Name, Workflow, Current Step, Status, and User.
Creating a custom Layout will allow you to capture the data most relevant to your end users. The image below shows the same Linked Workflow Section as the one above, but with a customized Layout.
5. Configure what you want end users to be able to do using the Linked Workflow Section.
6. You can allow the user to create new Record that is linked to the Record the user is working on.
When this option is selected, you will also be able choose the Step in which you want the new Record to be created in (A). Additionally, you can also choose to automatically start the new Record upon creation (B). If this option (B) is selected, when end users create a new Record they will be automatically taken to the page of the new Record, and redirected back to the initial form when they submit the new Record. If this option is not selected, the new Record will appear in the "Linked Records" Section, but the end user will have to click on the Record Name (or another Field Link) in order to fill in details in the form.
The image below shows how the above configuration appears to end users. Users can click + Create New Assessment to create an Assessment Record and will automatically be taken to a page where Assessment details can be entered.
7. You can allow users to search for and link Records that already exist in the linked Workflow. The image below shows how this configuration appears to end users. The end user can click Link to link the Risk Record to the Assessment Record.
8. You can allow users to remove Records that have been linked to the Record.
Additionally, in order to ensure that work in Steps is being completed appropriately, you can require assignees to link at least one Record to the Record they are working on before they can submit it (a). For example, in an Enterprise Risk Management application, an administrator might want to require that the end user link at least one Risk to an Assessment Record before the Assessment Record is submitted so that the Risk Assessment is performed correctly. You can also configure the Section so that all linked Records have to be completed before the Record is submitted (b). For example, an Administrator might want to require that all Mitigation Records linked to an Assessment be completed before the Assessment Record is submitted.
9. Add Guidance
Linked Workflow Guidance was released in April 2025 for all steps where UXRI is activated. Use this new field to positioning guidance closer to linked workflows/relationship reports, eliminating unnecessary scrolling and end user confusion.
Builder View:
Record Page:
A few considerations for Linked Workflow Sections
When searching for Records in Linked Workflow Sections, the search will return results for ALL Fields in the Workflow, not just those shown on the Layout.
As of April 2024, User Group access is applied to displaying records in the Linked Workflow Section. This means records restricted to a User Group will not be visible to users who are not part of the User Group.