=== Content Flow Manager === Contributors: classic40 Author: Lagostechboy (classic40) Author URI: https://lagostechboy.com Tags: editorial workflow, content approval, multi-author, editorial review, publishing workflow Requires at least: 6.0 Tested up to: 6.9 Stable tag: 1.0.2 Requires PHP: 8.0 License: GPLv2 or later License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html A professional editorial content approval workflow for WordPress. Perfect for multi-author sites. == Description == **Content Flow Manager** adds a structured, professional editorial review workflow to WordPress. It is designed for **multi-author blogs, editorial teams, news platforms, content agencies, and organizations** that need to review, approve, or reject content *before* it is published. Instead of relying on informal checks, chat messages, or external tools, Content Flow Manager introduces a clear approval process directly inside the WordPress editor. --- ### Why Content Flow Manager? WordPress is powerful — but out of the box, it needs a true editorial approval layer. On multi-author sites, this often leads to: - Posts being published accidentally - Feedback scattered across emails or chat tools - No clear approval history - Editors lacking visibility into content status **Content Flow Manager bridges this gap** by introducing a structured review step between content creation and publication — without changing how authors write. --- ### Real-World Use Cases **1. Multi-Author Blogs** Authors create content freely while editors retain full control over what gets published. Posts are submitted for review, feedback is given directly in WordPress, and only approved content goes live. **2. News & Editorial Websites** Designed for editorial teams that need accountability and traceability. Editors can approve or reject stories with notes, creating a clear approval trail for every post. **3. Corporate & Marketing Teams** Marketing teams draft announcements, campaigns, or updates while managers review and approve content before publishing — preventing mistakes and maintaining brand consistency. **4. Educational & Community Platforms** Ideal for platforms where instructors, moderators, or administrators must review submitted content before it becomes public. **5. Agencies Managing Client Content** Writers prepare content while clients or internal reviewers approve final versions, keeping everything auditable and centralized inside WordPress. --- ### How It Works (Simple Flow) 1. An author creates or updates a post 2. The post is marked as **Pending Review** 3. An editor or administrator reviews the content 4. The reviewer **approves or rejects** the post with a note 5. The author sees feedback and can revise accordingly 6. Approved content is published with full traceability No emails. No spreadsheets. No confusion. Everything happens inside WordPress. --- ### Why I Built This Plugin I built Content Flow Manager after working on multi-author and editorial WordPress sites where content quality mattered, but proper approval workflows were missing. Too often, review processes lived outside WordPress — in chats, emails, or shared documents — leading to confusion, missed feedback, and accidental publishing. This plugin was built to: - Keep the entire editorial process inside WordPress - Provide clear accountability for approvals - Give authors transparent feedback - Offer a clean, extensible foundation developers can trust The goal is not to replace WordPress — but to **complete it** for serious content teams. --- ### Key Features * Editorial review system with **approve / reject** actions * Reviewer notes and feedback visible to authors * Clear **pending review** state after content submission * Author dashboard to track review status and feedback * Admin/editor dashboard showing full approval history * Review activity logs stored in a custom database table * Secure implementation using nonces, sanitization, and capability checks * Cron-based reminders for pending reviews * Developer-friendly, extensible architecture using modern PHP --- == Installation == 1. Upload the `content-flow-manager` folder to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory. 2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress. 3. The plugin will automatically create its required database table on activation. 4. Create or edit a post and use the **Review Status** panel to manage approvals. --- == Frequently Asked Questions == = Who can approve or reject content? = Users with editorial capabilities (Editors and Administrators by default) can review and approve content. = Can authors see reviewer feedback? = Yes. Authors can view reviewer notes and approval status directly from their dashboard. = Is this suitable for multi-author sites? = Absolutely. Content Flow Manager is specifically designed for multi-author and editorial team workflows. = Does it support custom post types? = Yes. Any post type that supports the editor and standard WordPress capabilities can be included. = Can developers extend the workflow? = Yes. The plugin is built with a clean architecture that allows developers to extend states, hooks, and logic. --- == Screenshots == 1. Post list view showing content marked as **Pending Review** 2. Post editor review panel where editors/admins approve or reject content with notes 3. Author dashboard view displaying review feedback and content status 4. Admin/editor dashboard showing full content review and approval history --- == Changelog == = 1.0.2 = * Fixed issue where restoring a trashed post caused an error * Improved workflow handling for system-triggered post state changes = 1.0.1 = * Minor security improvements * Internal workflow refinements = 1.0.0 = * Initial release * Editorial workflow system implemented * Review logging database schema added * Admin and author dashboards introduced * Cron-based review reminders * Secure and extensible architecture --- == Upgrade Notice == = 1.0.2 = * Fixed issue where restoring a trashed post caused an error * Improved workflow handling for system-triggered post state changes --- == Developer Notes == * Namespace: `Lagostechboy\EditorialWorkflow` * Modern PHP with strict typing * PSR-4–style autoloading * Clean separation of concerns (Workflow, Hooks, Admin UI, Database) * GPL licensed and WordPress.org compliant