Customize Workiva FAQ (Limited Availability)

Note: During the Limited Availability phase, Customize Workiva is available only to partners and select customers who rely on partners for their implementation.

Customize Workiva is a group of extensions and configurations that tailor the native Workiva experience to our clients' unique business needs. These tools unlock additional capabilities throughout the Workiva platform and make other otherwise impossible tasks fully achievable.

Customize Workiva currently includes:

Scripting: This Python scripting tool allows you to create automations that apply custom business rules and logic.
Custom Fields: Custom fields are created by each business and can be applied to existing documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. These fit-for-purpose fields capture critical business data that can be used in automations, dashboards, and workspace monitoring.
Integrated Automation scripting action: This action integrates custom scripts directly to the files in a workspace. This allows non-technical users to execute scripts without needing to access the underlying code.

Who is Customize Workiva available to?

During the Limited Availability phase, Customize Workiva is available only to partners and customers who rely on partners for their implementation. A wider release date has not yet been determined, as this will depend on our learnings from the Limited Availability program.

Note: Customize Workiva is not available in Government, Resale, or MSP deals.

What are the requirements for partners to support Customize Workiva implementations during Limited Availability?

Partners must apply and be approved for participation in the Limited Availability program. Access will depend on qualifications, the number of applications, and current program capacity.

To participate, a minimum of two staff members must meet the following requirements:

Ability to perform intermediate-level coding tasks in the Python language, such as passing the Certified Associate in Python Programming (PCAP) certification. Evidence will be requested.
Completion of Workiva's Public APIs & Scripting Training course.
Attainment of the Workiva Platform certification.

Staff members who meet these criteria will be asked to complete a Scripting Readiness exercise that demonstrates how to perform scripting implementations. After completing the exercise, these staff members will receive a badge signifying they meet Workiva's requirements.

Finally, your business must have a contingency plan in place in case those staff members leave the business and can no longer maintain scripting implementations that have been added to live workspaces.

I'm a partner. How do I join the program?

Please submit your interest by clicking here, or scan the QR code below.

Are there customer licensing fees?

Yes.

Workspaces will be enabled after clients purchase Customize Workiva and, optionally, the Signature Support offering. As a partner, we ask that you work together with us throughout the enablement process to ensure a positive customer experience.

Workiva reserves the right to change customer licensing fees and structure during or after Limited Availability.

How does Scripting complement Chains and the rest of the Data Management suite?

Scripting and Chains each tackle the challenge of modern enterprise reporting in a slightly different way.

Chains' no-code structure can automate everyday processes, eliminate human mistakes, and boost efficiency across the organization without the need for an on-staff developer. Scripting goes one step further and enables qualified users to create highly-complex, tailored automations outside the scope of normal chains.

For more information on these solutions and the unique challenges they address, see our Chains and Scripting Usage Guidance article.

Report tracking: Oversee the reporting process by tracking key reporting milestones directly from Documents. Define the milestones that matter to a company, set their values directly in the Workiva file, and view aggregate status information within either a spreadsheet or a presentation.
Bulk section or file updates: Capture critical business context directly on a section or file, then use that context to identify where an update is needed (e.g., sections that should be hidden). Once your query returns this population of sections or files, use the Workiva API or Chains to make your updates.

Auto hide note sections: Leveraging a sheet used for note numbering, this script can determine the materiality of a given "note" in a document and automatically hide sections that are not relevant.
- Read Spreadsheet
- Manipulate non-printing attribute of sections in Document
Build fact book: Programmatically create the layout and formulas needed to create a set of reportable Facts to use as link sources.
Build role mapping: Programmatically update roles applied to users based on groups they belong to.
Install script; Copy script: These helper utilities are used to manage deploying scripting assets across one or more workspaces. "Install script" will create or update a script in a central workspace while "Copy script" can be used to replicate that script to client workspaces.
File maker: Given a spreadsheet of details about files, this script will programmatically create documents in particular folders and give them custom field values. This can be used to make file data for testing, or even generate the content of the files themselves.
Find files (file inventory): Have you ever wanted a complete listing of all the files in a workspace, along with information about how often those files are accessed? This script uses the Files and Admin API to get activities, generate an inventory of files, and show a list of "all users" that clearly shows the most used files in a workspace.
Fix table formats: This script looks at hidden column information describing the type of data in each row, and then reformats any tables based on that data. Line items, totals, and subtotal tags are used to correctly color cells and add appropriate cell borders. This script can also ensure consistent value formatting of the cells and verify consistent use of ShownIn, Precision, and other settings.
Content management system integration: Automatically generate PDFs from a group of Documents, tag them with appropriate metadata, and then upload to an external content management system. This is especially useful in cases such as those involving policy management, where Workiva is used to author and another system is used to distribute.
Update query: Programmatically create just-in-time Wdata queries to make fit for purpose datasets without having to manually create any SQL logic. Especially useful when parameters are not sufficient to generate the desired dataset, such as when adapting a query to accommodate additional entities.
IT control monitoring and automated evidence collection: Using the Admin and Activities API, this Script can monitor daily activity in a workspace and execute custom business logic for automated evidence collection related to IT controls. For example, this might include validating user logging of roles and memberships. Reports generated from this process can be automatically uploaded as an attachment on a GRC control.

Where do I go for additional questions?

Partners who have questions about this program should reach out to their Partner Practice Director or Partner Assurance Manager.

Workiva Support Center