Content Approval

Content approval is helpful in implementing an approval process for updating site content. It creates two new author groups with different permissions: a group with authoring rights (editors), and another group (moderators) that receives notifications for when an editor activates/deactivates a page. When an editor activates/deactives a page, a request is sent to the moderator queue for review before the page is published. Only moderators can approve requests that show up in the moderator queue.

When implementing Content Approval, the following groups are created:

  • Moderators group, e.g., resource:app:AEM:sites:<site-path>:moderators
  • Editors group, e.g, resource:app:AEM:sites:<site-path>:editors

The authors group (e.g., resource:app:AEM:sites:<site-path>:authors) will continue to work as normal. It will not send any notification to the moderator group when an author activates/deactives a page. View the table below to see which permissions each group has.

Group Edit page
Activate/deactivate page
Approve requests
Editors y    
Authors y y  
Moderators y y y

Content Approval Process

When Content Approval is in use, the approval process is as follows:

  1. Editor attempts to activate/deactivate a page in the WCM. They will see the following message notifying them they don't have publishing rights and that an activation/deactivation request has been issued:

    Warn: No rights to replicate. Request for activation/deactivation got issued for /content/sfu/dept/page


  2. Moderators will receive the following email message notifying them of an (page) approval request:

    Subject: Request for Activation/Deactivation: Page Title

    Review the page here: https://author.sfu.ca/cf#/content/sfu/dept/page
    Approve the request here: https://author.sfu.ca/inbox
    ---
    This message was sent to the members of the basketweaving-moderators group.
    Not sure why you're receiving this message? Contact your site administrator.

  3. Moderators review and approve the page in AEM Workflow.

The page is published.

Approving & Publishing Pages

AEM Workflow

All approval requests are queued for moderation in AEM Workflow. Moderators access AEM Workflow at https://author.sfu.ca/inbox.

Pending approval requests will be listed in descending chronological order in the AEM Workflow window.

The Title column indicates the type of approval request, i.e. page activation or deactivation.

The Content column gives the page name or url to be approved.

The Current Assignee column names the moderator group assigned to the approval request, e.g. cms-basketweaving-moderators.

Publishing Pages

  1. In the AEM Workflow window, double-click the pending approval request to open the page in a separate window.

  2. After reviewing the page, go back to the AEM Workflow window and click the Complete button on the top menu.



  3. Click OK on the dialog box.

The page is published.

Enabling Content Approval for your AEM Site

To enable Content Approval within your AEM site or subsite:

  1. Submit a ticket to the CMS Team requesting Content Approval. Specify the site or subsite you'd like moderated.
  2. Once we've set-up your moderator and editor groups, add people to the appropriate group.
  3. Advise editors of the Content Approval process.
  4. Moderators should familiarize themselves with the Content Approval and Approving & Publishing Pages processes.
  5. Notify the CMS Team when you are ready to go ahead with Content Approval.
  6. Moderators will begin receiving notifications of pending approval requests.