Ziflow glossary

Definitions for terms used in Ziflow documentation and the product interface. Entries are in alphabetical order.

Account

The top-level Ziflow workspace containing its own users, proofs, settings, and billing — everything else in Ziflow belongs to one account. Each account lives in a single regional data center and is fully isolated from every other account unless explicitly connected through a trusted account relationship.

Also known as: Tenant

Account owner

The user who created the Ziflow account. The account owner has all roles — User, Manager, Admin, and Billing — combined. The account owner role is transferable.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Account role

The account-level role assigned to a user that determines what they can do in Ziflow — create proofs, manage users, access billing, and so on.

Not to be confused with reviewer permissions, which are set per proof per stage and are completely independent.

The available account roles are:

Role	Description	Available on
User	Internal team member with standard proof creation and review access.	Pro, Enterprise
Manager	Can manage all proofs and users, but not billing or admin settings.	Free, Standard, Pro, Enterprise
Admin	Full account configuration access: users, settings, SSO, branding. Cannot access billing.	Free, Standard, Pro, Enterprise
Billing	Access to billing, invoices, and plan management only.	Free, Standard, Pro, Enterprise
Account owner	Has all roles. Automatically assigned to the account creator. Transferable.	Free, Standard, Pro, Enterprise

Activity log

A chronological record of all actions taken on a proof: uploads, comments, decisions, stage changes, and email delivery events. Accessible from the Proof details page.

Adobe plugin

A Ziflow plugin for Adobe Creative Cloud applications that lets creatives upload proofs and new versions directly from Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and After Effects without opening a browser.

Install the plugin from Adobe Exchange. Custom fonts should be embedded before creating a proof to preserve design fidelity.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Annotation

See Markup.

Authentication activity log

An audit log recording all browser-based sign-in events: successful and failed logins, password changes, account switching, and the associated IP address, browser, OS, and timestamp per event.

Located at Settings > Authentication Activity.

Not to be confused with the activity log, which records proof-level events (comments, decisions, uploads).

Available on: Enterprise

Automatic deadline reminder

An automated email sent to reviewers before, at, or after a proof's deadline. Configured by administrators to keep reviews on track without manual intervention.

Available on: Enterprise

Automation flow

An "if this, then that" automation rule built in Connect. An automation flow is triggered by a Ziflow event and executes one or more Zibot actions.

Also known as: Flow, Connect flow

Not to be confused with a workflow, which defines the review routing structure for a proof.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

See also: About Connect and automation

Batch proof

See Combined proof.

Brief

Context or instructions attached to a proof during proof creation. All reviewers can see the brief above the comment box in the Proof Viewer.

A brief can contain uploaded files or plain text.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Canvas view

A free-form spatial layout for arranging and reviewing proofs within a folder. Allows you to position assets freely on a canvas for context-based review of campaigns or collections.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Checklist

A list of required review items assigned to a workflow stage. Reviewers must complete each item as part of the review. Checklists can be analyzed automatically by ReviewAI (Enterprise add-on).

Available on: Enterprise

Color separation

A Proof Viewer tool that lets reviewers measure color density in static proofs to verify that specific areas contain the correct density of a given Pantone color. Enabled by administrators in Proof Viewer settings.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Combined proof

A proof that contains multiple files as separate, independently navigable assets. Files in a combined proof are not merged — each asset retains its original format and can be viewed, annotated, and commented on individually in the Proof Viewer.

When you upload multiple files to a single proof, you choose whether to combine or merge them. Combined proofs keep files separate; merged proofs flatten them into a single document.

Also known as: Batch proof (combined)

Not to be confused with a merged proof, which flattens multiple files into one document and removes the ability to navigate them independently.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Comment

Feedback posted by a reviewer on a proof in the Proof Viewer. Comments can include markup, attachments, reactions, labels, and @mentions.

Comments can be public (visible to all reviewers) or private (visible only to reviewers in a specific stage). Comments cannot be added to locked proof stages.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Comment assistance

An AI assistant powered by ChatGPT that helps reviewers write or improve comments during a review. Reviewers can access it via @mention or the comment toolbar in the Proof Viewer.

Comment assistance can rephrase or improve comment text, translate text, summarize, check for errors, and generate ideas.

Formerly known as: ZiflowAI

Not to be confused with ReviewAI, which analyzes proof assets against checklists. Comment assistance helps write comments; ReviewAI evaluates content.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Comment label

A tag applied to a comment to categorize it (for example: typo, design, legal). Comment labels are configurable by administrators.

Compare mode

A Proof Viewer tool for viewing two versions of a proof side by side or as an overlay. Use it to confirm that changes from earlier versions have been incorporated before commenting or deciding.

Also known as: Version compare

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Connect

The Ziflow feature area for building integrations and automation flows with third-party apps. Connect includes automation flows and intake forms.

Available on: Pro Enterprise (intake forms also available on Standard)

See also: About Connect and automation

CSV export

A function that extracts proof, reviewer, comment, stage, and checklist data to a CSV file. Used for audit trails, reporting, and external workflow integration.

Available on: Proof data — Standard Pro Enterprise. Stage, reviewer, comment, and checklist data — Enterprise (admins only).

Custom branding

Account-level visual identity settings that let administrators replace Ziflow's default logos, colors, and "Powered by Ziflow" marks with their organization's own branding. The elements available vary by edition.

Available on: Free (company name only) Standard Pro Enterprise

Custom domain

A branded subdomain for your Ziflow account (for example, reviews.yourcompany.com) instead of the default ziflow.com URL.

Available on: Enterprise

Custom permissions

An Enterprise configuration table that lets administrators define which specific actions users and managers can perform on proofs, folders, templates, people, Zibots, and Insights. Permissions can be reset to defaults per role.

Not to be confused with reviewer permissions, which are set per proof per stage, or account roles, which are the base role assignments.

Available on: Enterprise

Custom property

A user-defined metadata field added to proofs. Custom properties are configured by an administrator and can be used to capture structured information such as project codes, campaign names, or asset types.

Available on: Enterprise

Dashboard

The main Ziflow interface. Shows the proofs list, folders, and account navigation.

Also known as: Proofs list

Data center

A fully isolated Ziflow environment with its own infrastructure, users, and assets. Ziflow operates two regional data centers: the US region and the EU region.

The two regions are completely isolated — no data sharing, synchronization, or migration exists between them. Using the same email in both regions creates two independent accounts with no link between them.

Also known as: Regional data center

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Decision

A formal response submitted by a reviewer with decision rights. Decisions determine the proof status.

Note: Selecting Review complete is not a decision.

Decision reason

A custom option reviewers can select after submitting a proof decision to provide additional context or confirm compliance. Configured by administrators per decision type. Decision reasons can require a text field, allow multiple selections, and are visible in the dashboard and PDF exports.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Decision values

The standard options a reviewer can submit as a decision. Administrators can rename these labels, but the underlying calculation logic is fixed.

Decision	Effect on proof status
Approved	Counted as approved if no other reviewer selects a higher-severity decision.
Approved with changes	Overrides Approved; overridden by Changes required.
Changes required	Highest severity; always overrides other decisions.
Not relevant	Excluded from the status calculation.

Electronic signature

An extra authentication step required before a reviewer can submit a decision. Reviewers must re-enter their credentials, which provides a tamper-evident audit trail.

Available on: Enterprise

Email template

An administrator-customizable template that controls the content and format of Ziflow notification emails: subject line, intro text, proof summary display, stage details, and the open-proof button label. Supports tokens and JSONata expressions for dynamic content.

Email templates have draft and published states. A test email can be sent before publishing.

Available on: Enterprise

Figma plugin

A Ziflow plugin for Figma that lets designers push Figma frames directly into Ziflow as proofs (PNG or PDF) and review them without leaving Figma. Install from the Figma Community marketplace.

Multi-frame selection and folder assignment within the plugin require Standard, Pro, or Enterprise.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Final decision

The overall calculated decision for a proof, determined after all workflow stages are complete. Calculated using the same logic as individual stage decisions.

Flow

See Automation flow.

Flow history

A log of all files processed by a specific automation flow, showing per-step success or failure indicators. Detailed response data is retained for 30 days and is visible only to the flow owner.

Access flow history via Options > See history on any automation flow.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Flow path

A conditional branch inside an automation flow that runs different actions based on one or more rules. When the flow reaches a path, it evaluates conditions and executes the matching branch. A default path can be added as a fallback when no conditions match.

Paths support AND/OR logic and can reference Ziflow tokens or JSONata expressions.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Flow status

The operational state of an automation flow.

Status	Description
Active	The flow runs when its trigger event fires.
Inactive	The flow is paused and will not run until reactivated.
Error	A step failed on the last run (shown as a red indicator in flow history).

Only the flow creator can edit or delete a flow. Team admins can deactivate but not delete flows.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Folder

A container for organizing proofs in the Dashboard. Folders support Gallery and Canvas views.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Font inspector

A Proof Viewer tool that displays the font families, sizes, styles, colours, and weights used in a proof created from a PDF or text-layer file.

This feature is in Public Preview.

Available on: Enterprise

Free plan proof limit

A restriction on Free plan accounts that disables proofs 60 days after the first version's creation date. Disabled proofs cannot be viewed in the Proof Viewer or edited on the Dashboard.

Adding new versions does not reset the 60-day window — the timer starts when version 1 is created and applies to all versions.

Available on: Free (restriction only)

Gallery view

A visual thumbnail layout for reviewing multiple proofs inside a folder. Designed for campaigns, batches of assets, and project-level reviews.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Group

A named collection of users or guests that can be added to a proof stage as a unit. Adding a group to a stage adds all members to that stage at once.

Guest

A reviewer who accesses proofs without a Ziflow account. Guests do not log in to Ziflow — they receive an email link that opens the proof directly. There is no limit to the number of guests.

Guests can view, comment on, and approve proofs, but cannot create or manage proofs, invite reviewers, or be granted Manage reviewer permissions.

Also known as: Guest reviewer

Guest authentication

The mechanism by which guest reviewers verify their identity before accessing a proof that requires sign-in. Ziflow emails a one-time code that expires in 15 minutes. Once authenticated, the session lasts for a configurable period (1 hour, 24 hours, or 7 days).

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Insights

An analytics dashboard that tracks core proof metrics — cycle times, team productivity, review bottlenecks, and trends — over time. Accessible to admins and managers from the main Dashboard.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Intake form

A form created in Connect that lets external people (clients, freelancers) submit files for review. Submissions are automatically converted into proofs.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Integration

A connection between Ziflow and a third-party tool. Examples include monday.com, Asana, Jira, Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, Salesforce, and Figma.

IP allowlist

A security setting that restricts Ziflow access to requests from specified IP addresses only.

Available on: Enterprise

JSONata

A query and transformation language for JSON used in Ziflow automation flows to extract or manipulate data from proof events and Zibot outputs. Expressions use #{...}# syntax — Ziflow replaces them with real values at runtime.

Examples: #{$.proof.name}# inserts the proof name; #{$.zibot[0].data}# references the output of the first Zibot in the flow.

Note: In email templates, the path requires an event prefix: #{$.event.proofs.count}#. Test expressions at try.jsonata.org.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Language settings

Controls the language of the Ziflow interface. Has three levels: an administrator sets the default language for the entire account; each licensed user can override it in their profile settings; and all users including guests can set a language preference directly in the Proof Viewer.

The Proof Viewer language toggle is the only place guests can set a language preference, as they do not have access to the Dashboard.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Lite user

A licensed user type with limited access. Lite users can log in to Ziflow, view proofs, add comments, approve proofs, and compare versions. They cannot create or manage proofs.

Lite user seats are an add-on purchase for Enterprise edition. Contact your Customer Success representative for details.

Available on: Enterprise (add-on)

Live website proxy

A server-side proxy between the Proof Viewer and a live website being reviewed, enabling consistent rendering and annotation tools for sites that block direct iframe embedding. Configured by administrators in Proof Viewer settings.

Mode	Description
Dynamic (default)	HTTP always proxied; HTTPS proxied only if needed.
Proxy all websites	All HTTP and HTTPS pages proxied.
Proxy with Allow list	Only URLs on the allow list are proxied.
Proxy with Block list	All URLs proxied except those on the block list.

Formerly called: Force proxy for all sites

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Manual proof reminder

A customised reminder email sent manually from the Proof Details page to one or more reviewers who have not yet completed their review. Sent by proof owners, managers, and administrators.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Markup

A visual shape or drawing added directly on a proof to highlight a specific area. Markup is always attached to a comment. Markup tools include Square, Circle, Arrow, Line, Freehand, and the Text annotation tool.

Also known as: Annotation

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Measurement tool

A Proof Viewer tool for measuring objects in a proof in pixels, inches, or millimeters.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Notification

An email sent to a reviewer based on proof activity and their notification preferences. Notification types include: All comments and decisions, Replies to my comments, Decisions, Final decision, Hourly digest, Daily digest, and None.

New proof/version emails, deadline reminders, and @mentions are always sent, regardless of notification preference.

Out of office

A profile setting that displays an out-of-office badge next to your name throughout Ziflow — when being added to a proof, in comments, in @mentions, and in the People list. Does not prevent colleagues from adding you to a review.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Post-decision message

A formatted text message displayed to a reviewer immediately after they submit a proof decision. Configured by administrators per decision type — for example, a compliance confirmation shown after selecting Approved.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Presence indicator

A Proof Viewer feature that shows avatar icons for other reviewers currently viewing the same proof, providing real-time co-presence visibility during a review session. Can be shown or hidden by Enterprise administrators in Proof Viewer settings.

Available on: Enterprise

Proof

A file or set of files submitted to Ziflow for review and approval. A proof has a name, owner, workflow, and status.

Usage note: Use "proof" for the object. Use "review" or "proof review" for the activity. Do not use "review" as a noun meaning the proof itself.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Proof archiving

A feature that moves inactive proofs out of the active Dashboard view after a configurable inactivity window (7–360 days). Archived proofs remain accessible, searchable, and counted toward storage — archiving is non-destructive.

Archiving can be configured to lock the proof automatically. Proofs can also be archived or unarchived manually.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Proof details

The page in the Dashboard that shows all information about a proof: summary, workflow progress, activity log, and reviewer status.

Also known as: Proof summary

Key tabs: Workflow overview, Activity, Comments

Proof duplication

Creates a copy of an existing proof or version, carrying over all files, reviewers, and stage settings. Used to rerun a project or update content without rebuilding the proof setup from scratch.

Available to administrators, proof owners, and reviewers with the Manage role.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Proof limit

A per-account cap on how many proofs can be created within a billing cycle, allocated per user per month.

Each new proof and each new version counts as 1 toward the limit. On Pro and Enterprise, a combined (merged) batch proof counts as 1 regardless of how many files it contains.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Proof lock

Manually stops all review activity on a proof. Locked proofs prevent new comments, replies, and decisions. Can be unlocked at any time.

Available to proof owners and reviewers with the Manage role.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Proof private URL

A unique, recipient-specific URL included in proof notification emails. The URL contains an access token that identifies the reviewer — no sign-in is required.

Important: If a reviewer forwards their proof notification email, the person who opens the link is treated as the original reviewer. All their comments and decisions are attributed to the original recipient. Do not share proof notification emails.

Also known as: Proof notification link, Proof link

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Proof status

The current state of a proof, calculated from reviewer decisions across all workflow stages.

Status	Description
In progress	Review is ongoing.
Approved	All stages resolved as Approved.
Approved with changes	Highest decision across stages was Approved with changes.
Changes required	At least one stage resolved as Changes required.
Not relevant	All stages resolved as Not relevant.
Uploading / Preparing	Proof is being processed.
Failed	Processing failed.

Proof subscription

A per-proof toggle that lets reviewers add themselves to a proof using its public URL, without being explicitly invited. Subscribed reviewers can be granted comment and decision rights, and optionally auto-assigned to a stage.

Administrators must enable proof subscriptions globally in Proofing defaults before they can be activated per proof.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Proof Viewer

The in-app interface where reviewers open, view, annotate, and submit decisions on a proof.

Also known as: Ziflow Viewer (legacy name — avoid in new content)

Reaction

An emoji response added to a comment by a reviewer.

ReviewAI

An AI feature that analyzes proof assets against checklist item descriptions and suggests Pass or Fail results. Reviewers can confirm or override each suggestion.

ReviewAI supports static assets (images and PDFs) up to 50 pages. It does not support video, audio, or interactive proofs.

Not to be confused with comment assistance. ReviewAI analyzes proof content against checklists. Comment assistance helps reviewers write comments.

Available on: Enterprise (paid add-on)

Reviewer

A person assigned to a workflow stage to provide feedback or make a decision on a proof. Reviewers can be users, guests, or lite users.

Reviewer permission

The proof-level permission granted to a reviewer within a specific workflow stage. Reviewer permissions control what the reviewer can do on that proof.

Not to be confused with account roles, which define what a user can do across the entire Ziflow account. These are two separate systems. For example, a user with a Manager account role might be assigned Comment-only reviewer permission on a specific proof.

Permission	Description
Comment	Can add comments but not submit a decision.
Review	Can add comments and mark their review as complete, but not submit a formal decision.
Approve	Can add comments and submit a decision.
Manage	Can add comments, submit a decision, and manage the proof (invite reviewers, change workflow). Not available to guests.

SCIM

System for Cross-domain Identity Management. Automates user provisioning and de-provisioning between your organization's identity provider (IdP) and Ziflow.

Supported identity providers: Microsoft Entra, Okta.

Available on: Enterprise

Security and compliance

Ziflow is independently audited and certified under SOC 2 and ISO 27001. Audit reports are available at trust.ziflow.com.

Ziflow provides features that support compliance workflows — electronic signatures, activity logs, version history, and access controls — but does not certify customers' compliance with industry-specific regulations such as FDA 21 CFR Part 11 or EU Annex 11.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

SOCD

Sent, Opened, Commented, Decided. A progress indicator in the proof workflow showing how far each reviewer has progressed through the review.

SSO

Single Sign-On. Lets users authenticate into Ziflow using their organization's identity provider (IdP) via SAML 2.0 or OAuth. When SSO is enabled, all users must sign in through the IdP — password login is disabled.

Supported protocols: SAML 2.0, custom OAuth

Supported identity providers: Okta, Microsoft Entra (Azure AD), G Suite, OneLogin

Available on: Enterprise

Stage

A phase of review within a proof workflow. Each stage defines a set of reviewers, a time frame (deadline), and conditions for when the stage starts and locks.

Multiple stages can run sequentially or in parallel. The maximum number of stages depends on your edition:

Edition	Max stages
Free	1
Standard	2
Pro	3
Enterprise	Unlimited

Storage usage

A tracked metric showing the total file storage consumed by an account's proofs relative to the plan's storage limit.

Threshold	Effect
75%	Warning banner + email to admins and billing contacts.
100%	24-hour grace period for continued proof creation.
150%	Cannot create new proofs or attach files to comments.

Archived proofs still count toward storage. Deleting proofs is the only way to free space without purchasing additional storage.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Subscription

The Ziflow billing plan that defines the features, storage limit, proof limit, and number of licensed users available to an account. Plans are available on monthly or annual billing cycles. Upgrades take effect immediately; downgrades take effect at the start of the next billing cycle.

Also known as: Plan, Edition

Terms and conditions notice

An Enterprise feature that displays a configurable legal notice pop-up on the Ziflow Dashboard and Proof Viewer, requiring all users and guests to accept it before gaining access. The notice re-triggers whenever the text is updated.

Available on: Enterprise

Trusted user

A person who is a licensed user in a different Ziflow account, made available as a selectable proof recipient in your account through a trust relationship. Shown with a yellow badge in the People tab.

Not to be confused with Guest — a trusted user has their own Ziflow login in their home account and is not added as a licensed user in yours.

Available on: Enterprise

Trusted accounts

A feature that establishes a trust relationship between two separate Ziflow accounts, enabling account switching without re-authentication and synchronization of active users as trusted account users for proof sharing. Each account shares its Trust ID with the other to set up the relationship. Trust can be one-way or two-way.

Also known as: Partner Relationships

Available on: Enterprise

Two-factor authentication

An extra verification step required at login in addition to a password. Configurable at the account level.

Also known as: 2FA

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

User

A licensed Ziflow team member. Users require a paid seat. They can log in, create and manage proofs, and access all features permitted by their account role.

Disambiguation: "User" can refer to either the user type (a licensed team member, as distinct from a guest or lite user) or the User account role (available on Pro and Enterprise editions). When the distinction matters, use "licensed user" or "team member" for the type and "User role" for the account role.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Version

A new iteration of a proof added to the same review thread. New versions share the proof's review history and comments. Version numbers are auto-incremented and can be Major or Minor.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Video watermark

An Enterprise feature that overlays a visible watermark (image or text) on video proofs in the Proof Viewer to deter unauthorized distribution. Applied at proof creation time; does not alter the original file.

Note: The watermark setting cannot be changed after a proof is uploaded. Disabling file downloads provides additional protection.

Available on: Enterprise

Webhook

A configured URL destination to which Ziflow sends real-time HTTP POST payloads when selected account events occur (for example, when a proof is approved or a comment is added). Each webhook filters which events it receives.

Webhooks are passive — they receive data but do not trigger actions within Ziflow. For automation triggered by events, use an automation flow with a Zibot.

An optional signature key enables payload verification via SHA-256 HMAC.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Workflow

The structure and logic of the review and approval process for a proof. A workflow defines who reviews, in what order, and with what permissions.

Not to be confused with an automation flow. Workflows define the review routing for a proof. Automation flows are "if this, then that" rules in Connect.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Workflow template

A reusable, pre-configured workflow created by an administrator. Applying a workflow template to a new proof automatically adds all stages, reviewers, and settings.

Available on: Standard Pro Enterprise

Zibot

A prebuilt or custom action step within an automation flow. Each Zibot performs a specific task when the flow is triggered — for example: send an email, start a stage, update a field in monday.com.

A Webhook Zibot sends data via HTTP request to any external system, for cases where no prebuilt Zibot exists.

See also: About Connect and automation

Ziflow event

A trigger that starts an automation flow. A Ziflow event fires when something happens in Ziflow — for example: proof approved, new version uploaded, comment added, stage started, or file uploaded to cloud storage.

See also: About Connect and automation

Ziflow token

A pre-built placeholder variable that inserts live proof, stage, reviewer, or comment data into Zibot fields, email templates, and other text areas when a flow runs. Selectable via the token selector icon in Zibot configuration.

Examples: #{$.proof.name}# inserts the proof name; #{$.reviewer.email}# inserts the reviewer's email.

Tokens use JSONPath-compatible syntax. Any token can be replaced with an equivalent JSONata expression.

Available on: Pro Enterprise

Related to

ziflow-support