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Use case

Requests that send themselves.

Monthly, quarterly or annual requests for every client, from your templates. A workflow creates each one at 08:00 on the day you choose, then sends it or saves a draft for you to check.

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Last updated · Facts checked

How it works

Set it up once. It runs every period.

Choose a template, a schedule and your clients. After that, every month, quarter or year runs the same way.

  1. 1

    Once

    Set up a recurring workflow.

    Choose a template, monthly, quarterly or annually, the day, and all active clients or the ones you pick. The preview shows the next three runs and the period each collects.

    Set up recurring document collection
  2. 2

    On the day, 08:00

    Each client's request is created.

    One request per client, titled with the template and period, like "Monthly bookkeeping September 2026". It's emailed with a private link, or saved as a draft for you to check and send.

    What workflows do
  3. 3

    Until it's due

    Reminders chase what's missing.

    Your reminder schedule runs on every request that's been sent. Each reminder lists only what's outstanding, and they stop once everything is in.

    How automatic reminders work
  4. 4

    As files arrive

    Approve, and the period is done.

    Approve each file or ask for a replacement. Approving the last one completes the request, and the next period's run is already scheduled.

    Review and approve uploads

Features

What does the work every period.

Monthly, quarterly or annual

Pick the day, the reporting period and the clients. Each run creates every request from your template at 08:00 your time.

Set up recurring document collection

Your templates

Each request gets its own copy of the template's checklist. Edit the template and the next run uses your changes; requests already created keep theirs.

Create a template

Reminders included

Requests a workflow sends follow your reminder schedule. Drafts get reminders once you send them.

How automatic reminders work

Owners and admins in charge

Only owners and admins create, change, pause or retry a workflow. Everyone on the team can see it and its runs.

Roles and permissions

How a recurring workflow runs

A recurring workflow has a few settings, and every run follows them exactly.

  • Frequency: monthly, quarterly or annually, on the day you choose. A day a month doesn't have, like the 31st in April, falls on the month's last day.
  • Template: each request gets its own copy of the template's checklist.
  • Clients: all active clients, including ones you add later, or specific clients you pick.
  • Time: 08:00 in your workspace's time zone.
  • Reporting period: the period that has just ended, or the current one. A monthly run on 1 November collects October 2026 with Previous month.

Each run creates one request per client and period, titled with the template and period, and due a set number of days after the run, from 1 to 90. A client never gets two requests for the same workflow and period.

You stay in control

  • Drafts first. New workflows save drafts. Each run puts the requests on your Requests page to check, edit and send.
  • A confirmation before clients are emailed. Choosing Send automatically asks you to confirm that GarnerDocs may create and email requests to your clients on the schedule. You can't activate the workflow without it, and you're asked again when you resume one saved as paused.
  • A schedule preview. While you set it up, the Workflow preview shows the next run, the request title and due date, and the next three run dates with the period each collects.
  • Pause any time. Pausing stops new runs, and requests already created stay as they are. Pausing never catches up: runs missed while a workflow is paused are skipped for good, so create a missed period's requests yourself.

Activating a workflow doesn't run it straight away: the first requests are created at its next scheduled time. Every run is logged on the workflow's page, where you can retry any actions that failed. See Pause, retry and see run history.

Workflows that run when something happens

Five more workflows react to a request instead of a date. They tell more of your team, or email the client, on top of the notifications GarnerDocs already sends, and skip anyone who already hears about it.

Workflow Runs when What it does
New document uploaded A client uploads Tells more of your team, in-app, by email or both
Replacement requested You send a document back Emails the client your feedback with a link to their upload page
All documents approved The last document on a request is approved Tells more of your team
Client not responding A request is still unopened a set number of days after it was sent Flags it to your team
Collection completed Someone on your team marks a request complete Emails the client a confirmation, tells your team, or both

See Workflows that run when something happens.

Who can set them up

Owners and admins create, edit, pause, resume, delete and retry workflows. Everyone on the team can see them and every run. See Roles and permissions.

What GarnerDocs doesn't do

Workflows are six ready-made types with a guided set-up, not a free-form builder. They work inside GarnerDocs: they don't connect to other software, and they reach clients by email only, never by text message.

Questions

What if GarnerDocs was down on the day a workflow should run?

When it's back, only the latest missed run happens, for its period, and the next run is the next scheduled date after that. If a monthly workflow missed 1 September, 1 October and 1 November, only the 1 November run happens, for October.

Can a client get two requests for the same month?

Not from the same workflow. Each workflow creates one request per client and period, and if one already exists the client is skipped and the run says why. Two different workflows are separate, though.

Can I edit a request before it goes to the client?

Yes. With Save as drafts, each run puts the requests on your Requests page. Change one client's checklist or due date, then send it. Reminders start once you do.

What about clients I add after setting it up?

With All active clients, the next run includes them and leaves out anyone you've archived. With Specific clients, edit the workflow to add them. Changes apply to future runs only.

Related

  • Workflows

    What workflows do

    The six workflow types, who manages them, and how they fit with your usual notifications.

  • Workflows

    Set up recurring document collection

    Monthly, quarterly or annual requests from a template, sent or saved as drafts.

  • Workflows

    Workflows that run when something happens

    Uploads, replacements, approvals, unopened requests and completion.

  • Workflows

    Pause, retry and see run history

    Pause or resume a workflow, read its runs and retry failed actions.

  • For bookkeepers

    Bank statements, receipts and invoices from every client, every month. GarnerDocs sends each client their list on schedule and reminds them about whatever is still missing.

  • Use case

    Monthly bookkeeping

    Bank statements, receipts and invoices from every bookkeeping client, every month. GarnerDocs sends each client this month's list on the 1st and chases what's missing, so you can get on with the books.

Spend less time chasing. More time doing the work that matters.

Make document collection the easiest part of working with your clients.

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