Oracle Fusion · BI Publisher · Workflow

Customizing Workflow Notifications in Oracle Fusion

An end-to-end guide to copying seeded artifacts safely, editing RTF layouts, managing cache behavior, validating results, and isolating high-risk subtemplate changes.

By Michael Gibby · Published · Accessibility-enhanced edition

← Back to all articles

Oracle Fusion workflow notifications are delivered through BI Publisher RTF templates. The editing itself is only part of the job: the folder hierarchy, default layout, cache, data bindings, and shared subtemplates all affect what users ultimately see. This guide puts those dependencies in the order you should handle them.

Download the original PDF guide Get the BI Publisher Word Add-In

The workflow at a glance

  1. 1. CopyReplicate seeded artifacts in the exact Custom hierarchy.
  2. 2. SampleGenerate sample XML when fields or conditions must change.
  3. 3. EditDownload the RTF and update it with the Word Add-In.
  4. 4. PublishUpload the new layout and mark it as default.
  5. 5. RefreshAccount for the BI Publisher client cache.
  6. 6. ValidateConfirm the folder, version, output, and recipients.

1. Install the required Word Add-In

Workflow notification layouts are RTF files. Use the Oracle BI Publisher Desktop Add-In for Microsoft Word to inspect conditional logic and insert fields from the report data model.

For a wording-only update—such as adding explanatory text or a help link—you may not need sample XML. You still need to preserve the RTF structure and test the uploaded layout.

2. Reproduce the seeded folder structure

Fusion checks the Custom catalog first. If it cannot resolve an exact matching report there, it silently falls back to the seeded report.

Exact means exact

Replicate every folder and artifact title. A near match can look correct in the catalog while Fusion continues to render the seeded notification.

Seeded pathSupply Chain Management → Workflow Notifications → Warehouse Operations

Custom pathCustom → Supply Chain Management → Workflow Notifications → Warehouse Operations

  1. Archive the seeded Data Model and Report.
  2. Create the matching hierarchy under Custom.
  3. Unarchive the Data Model and Report into their corresponding Custom folders.
  4. Verify names and hierarchy character for character before editing.

3. Obtain sample XML from the Data Model

Sample XML is most useful when adding or changing fields. It lets the Word Add-In expose the available data nodes and enables a representative preview.

  1. Open the associated Data Model in BI Publisher.
  2. Select View Data and supply the required parameters. Some values are IDs normally supplied by the ESS process, so you may need to locate a valid transaction ID first.
  3. Confirm that the returned data is representative, then select Save as Sample Data.
  4. Open Data Model Properties and download the linked sample.xml.
BI Publisher catalog showing the data model associated with a workflow notification
Figure 1. Locate the notification’s Data Model in the BI Publisher catalog.
Data Model Properties page with the sample XML download link
Figure 2. Export sample data XML from the Properties tab.

4. Download the RTF layout

Edit the BI Publisher report, select the layout you want to change, and choose Edit on that layout. The RTF downloads immediately. Save it with a clear working filename that distinguishes it from the seeded original.

BI Publisher report catalog row with the Edit action highlighted
Figure 3. Open the report for editing.
BI Publisher report layouts page showing the Edit link used to download an RTF
Figure 4. Select Edit on the target layout to download its RTF.

5. Edit the RTF template

  1. Open the RTF in Microsoft Word with the BI Publisher Add-In enabled.
  2. Load the sample XML to populate the field list.
  3. Use the Field Browser to insert or modify bound fields.
  4. Edit ordinary wording and links as you would in a Word document.
  5. Avoid hardcoded transaction values; bind content to XML nodes.
  6. Keep formatting simple enough for email clients.
  7. Save the result under a new, recognizable filename.

Add a visible version marker while testing

Put a temporary version number at the bottom of the layout. If the old number appears, the cache has not refreshed. If the new number appears but the content is wrong, troubleshoot the layout itself. Remove the marker or replace it with an appropriate production identifier after validation.

Microsoft Word BI Publisher ribbon used to load sample XML
Figure 5. Load the sample XML through the BI Publisher ribbon.
BI Publisher Field dialog in Microsoft Word listing XML fields available for insertion
Figure 6. Select a field from the loaded XML.
RTF notification template in Word with BI Publisher fields inserted into the document
Figure 7. Insert data-bound fields into the notification layout.

6. Upload the updated layout

Saving the RTF on your computer does not change Fusion. Add it back to the report as a new layout.

  1. Open the report in BI Publisher.
  2. Select Add New Layout.
  3. Upload the revised RTF, give the layout a clear name, and choose the correct locale.
  4. Mark the new layout as Default.
  5. Save the report.

The default flag is critical

An uploaded layout can coexist with the old one without being rendered. Confirm the new layout is the report default before diagnosing anything else.

BI Publisher report editor with Add New Layout control
Figure 8. Add a new report layout.
BI Publisher layout creation options with Upload selected
Figure 9. Choose the option to upload an existing layout.
Upload Template File dialog showing layout name, RTF template type, and locale
Figure 10. Name the layout and select RTF and the intended locale.
BI Publisher layout list with the new layout selected as Default
Figure 11. Make the new layout the report default.

7. Account for BI Publisher caching

BI Publisher caches the resolved report location—Custom or seeded—for 1,440 minutes (24 hours) by default. A correct change therefore may not appear in real time.

  • Profile option: BIP_CLIENT_REFRESH_TIME
  • Default: 1,440 minutes
  • Recommended temporary minimum: 15 minutes
  • Oracle behavior: the value returns to 1,440 after 24 hours
  1. Open Setup and Maintenance.
  2. Search for Manage Administrator Profile Values.
  3. Search for the global BIP_CLIENT_REFRESH_TIME or the product-specific variant: _FIN, _HCM, _PRC, _PRJ, or _SCM.
  4. If the option does not exist, create it using Oracle’s documented procedure.
  5. Set the value—for example, 15—and save.

Oracle documentation: Reflect Changes from Edited Reports Sooner

Do not confuse stale output with a bad edit

Wait for the configured refresh interval before reworking the template. The temporary version marker makes this distinction much easier.

8. Validate before release

  • The report exists under the complete, exact Custom hierarchy.
  • The updated layout is attached and marked Default.
  • The expected test version appears in the notification.
  • The configured cache window has elapsed.
  • A representative workflow produces the intended email and in-application output.
  • Links, fields, conditions, spacing, and locale render correctly.
  • BPM Worklist administrative mode confirms output for notifications sent to other users.

9. Receipt Confirmation subtemplate workaround

When a Redwood-era notification edit causes unexpected buttons to appear, the source can be a shared subtemplate rather than the main notification layout. For Receipt Confirmation, duplicate the subtemplate, rename it, and point only the Receipt Confirmation template to the duplicate.

Blast-radius warning

Do not edit the shared subtemplate in place. Many notifications reference it. If you remove the Approve action from a shared or identically named Custom copy, Approve buttons can disappear from unrelated workflows.

Copy and isolate the subtemplate

  1. Find the subtemplate in the HCM workspace.
  2. Archive it and recreate the same hierarchy under Custom.
  3. Rename the Custom copy so it cannot unintentionally override the shared artifact.
  4. Edit the subtemplate and select the English template to download the RTF.
  5. Follow the instructions at the top of that RTF to disable automatic link updates before editing.
BI Publisher catalog showing the shared workflow notification subtemplate in the HCM workspace
Figure 12. Locate the shared subtemplate in the HCM catalog.
BI Publisher subtemplate editor with the English RTF template link
Figure 13. Edit the subtemplate and download its English RTF.
Instructions in the subtemplate RTF for turning off automatic link updates in Microsoft Word
Figure 14. Follow the RTF instructions to turn off automatic link updates.
Microsoft Word settings used while preparing the BI Publisher subtemplate for editing
Figure 15. Confirm the Word setting before modifying the template code.

Remove action 1 in both required sections

Receipt Confirmation calls both FusionActionLinks and FusionApproveRejectLinks. In each section, preserve a backup copy of the entire block, then remove the first button definition:

<?param:actionLink1Text;string(‘Approve’)?> <?param:actionLink1href;string(‘mailto:APPROVE_MAILTOURL’)?> <?param:actionLink1Style;string(‘Positive’)?>

Be precise when selecting the code in Word; accidentally including markup from the neighboring buttons can break the whole action row.

BI Publisher subtemplate showing the FusionActionLinks and FusionApproveRejectLinks sections
Figure 16. Identify both sections used by the Receipt Confirmation template.
FusionActionLinks subtemplate code with the first action link block identified
Figure 17. Remove action link 1 from FusionActionLinks.
FusionApproveRejectLinks subtemplate code with the first action link block identified
Figure 18. Remove action link 1 from FusionApproveRejectLinks.

Delete the first visual action cell

Near the end of the template XML is a table containing the displayActionLink cells in order: 1, 2, then 3. Delete the first displayActionLink cell so the visual structure matches the parameter changes.

RTF table with the first displayActionLink cell selected for deletion
Figure 19. Delete the first displayActionLink table cell.

Upload and repoint the notification

  1. Return to the subtemplate’s Templates section and use the upload icon.
  2. Confirm the overwrite prompt for the renamed Custom copy.
  3. Open the regular Receipt Confirmation template.
  4. Change its subtemplate reference to the full Custom hierarchy and the new subtemplate name.
  5. Run the standard validation checklist again, including at least one unrelated approval notification to confirm that its Approve action remains intact.
Receipt Confirmation template reference updated to the renamed subtemplate in the Custom hierarchy
Figure 20. Point the regular notification template to the renamed Custom subtemplate.

Safe completion criteria

Receipt Confirmation shows only the intended actions, its template points to the renamed Custom subtemplate, and an unrelated approval notification still retains its Approve action.

Resources

↑ Return to the start of the article