Customizing Glossary Term Review Workflow in Purview

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Customizing Glossary Term Review Workflow in Purview

Mishra, Rahul 40

In Microsoft Purview, I'm working on implementing a layered approval workflow for glossary terms before they are published to the catalog. The intended process follows this sequence: SME Review → Data Steward Review → Final Approver.

Ideally, I’d like SMEs or Data Stewards to have the ability to propose a new definition if they disagree with the originally submitted one. However, based on my understanding, it seems that definitions cannot be modified during the review phase. Instead, proposing a new definition appears to restart the workflow from the beginning, involving the same set of reviewers.

Has anyone successfully configured a workflow that allows for definition edits during the review process without triggering a full restart?

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Smaran Thoomu 31,910 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Mishra, Rahul
In Microsoft Purview, the glossary term approval workflows are currently structured so that edits to the definition during the review phase are treated as a new submission, which restarts the workflow sequence. This is by design, Purview doesn’t yet support “in-line” edits within an active workflow stage (for example, SME modifying the definition and sending it forward without triggering a resubmission).

If you want SMEs or Data Stewards to propose alternative definitions without resetting the full workflow, the practical workaround is to use comments and feedback in the workflow task to capture suggested changes. The owner or initiator can then update the definition and resubmit for review.

For more advanced customization, some organizations integrate Purview workflows with Power Automate or Logic Apps to create layered approval chains with branching logic (e.g., SME propose → Steward approve → Final approver confirm). This gives flexibility to track “revisions” without losing workflow history, though it requires extending Purview’s native workflow.

So, out-of-the-box, definition edits will restart the workflow. If minimizing re-approvals is critical, you’ll want to look at a Power Automate–based custom workflow or handle suggested changes via comments until Microsoft introduces richer in-line editing support.

Reference:

I hope this information helps. Please do let us know if you have any further queries.

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Mishra, Rahul 40 Reputation points

2025-08-18T20:49:13.3333333+00:00
Thank you @Smaran Thoomu for quick response. I have couple of follow up questions:

Is the Power Automate connector already available for use? I’ve been reviewing the Microsoft Purview roadmap and noticed that the Power Automate connector for Data Products is expected to be released in September. Is that different from the connector used for updating the Classic Type definitions?

Additionally, do you know if there are any plans to support inline workflow editing directly within Purview? I haven’t found any mention of this in the roadmap. If it’s not currently planned, I’m happy to submit a feature request to Microsoft for consideration
Smaran Thoomu 31,910 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-19T19:18:03.5333333+00:00
Mishra, Rahul Thanks for your follow-up.

Power Automate connector availability – At present, there isn’t a dedicated Microsoft Purview connector for glossary/term workflows. The connector you’ve seen on the roadmap for Data Products (expected in September) is a separate capability and doesn’t extend to glossary term review or type definition updates. For glossary workflows, the current approach is still to integrate via generic connectors (HTTP, Graph API, or Purview REST APIs) if you want to build custom approval chains in Power Automate or Logic Apps.

Inline workflow editing plans – As of now, inline definition editing during a workflow stage is not supported and isn’t called out in the published Purview roadmap. If that capability is important for your scenario, I’d definitely recommend submitting a feature request through the official Microsoft Purview feedback channel. This way the product team can track and prioritize demand.

So, in short – the connector you mentioned is different, and inline editing is not yet on the roadmap. For now, comments/feedback within the workflow or extending with Power Automate/Logic Apps remains the practical workaround.

Reference (for your convenience):

Microsoft Purview roadmap

Submit feedback for Microsoft Purview

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Customizing Glossary Term Review Workflow in Purview

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