The step goes to whoever starts the run
Assign a step to the Initiator role instead of a named person. When someone starts a run, Manifestly hands those steps straight to them — no per-run reassigning, no guessing who’s responsible.
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Stop reassigning the same step on every run
When many people run the same workflow — a request, an onboarding, a report — the starter’s own steps have to be pointed back at them every single time. The Initiator role does that for you, so the workflow is set up once and every run assigns itself.
- Pick the right person by hand on every run
- Steps land on the wrong owner when the starter changes
- A shared template can’t hard-code one name
- Assign the step once, in the workflow
- Every run routes it to whoever started it
- One template works for the whole team
Set it once, and every run assigns itself
Assign the step to the Initiator
In the workflow editor, open a step’s assignment and choose Assign to run initiator instead of picking a named person.
Someone starts a run
Anyone launches a run from that workflow — from the app, a shared link, a schedule, or an automation.
The starter gets the step
Manifestly resolves the Initiator role to the person who started the run and assigns their steps to them — automatically.
One workflow, the right owner on every run
The Initiator role is a placeholder in your workflow. Nothing is hard-coded to a single person, so the same template fits everyone. Each time a run starts, that placeholder resolves to the individual who kicked it off — and their steps show their name and avatar just like any other assignment.
- Mix it freely with people and regular roles in the same workflow.
- Every run gets a fresh, correct owner — no stale name left behind.
- Notifications and reminders reach the actual starter, not a placeholder.
One click when you build the step
Assigning to the Initiator is part of the normal step-assignment flow. Open a step, and alongside choosing a person or a role you’ll see Assign to run initiator. Pick it and you’re done — the step now follows whoever runs the workflow.
- No new object to create — the Initiator is ready to use.
- Use it on one step or on many across the same workflow.
- Switch a step back to a person or role any time.
A built-in role, managed for you
The Initiator is a reserved system role — not something you set up or keep in sync. It has no fixed member list because it never points to a fixed person; it always resolves at run time to whoever started the run. That’s why its name is locked and it can’t be repurposed.
- Reserved name — you can’t create another role called “Initiator.”
- No member list to maintain — the run’s starter is the member.
- Exposed on the v2 API with an
initiatorflag so integrations can spot it.
# List the roles in a department
GET /api/v2/roles
{
"name": "Initiator",
"initiator": true,
"members": []
}Made for workflows anyone can start
Employee requests
IT tickets, expense reports, PTO, access requests — anything a person raises for themselves.
The requester starts the run → the “provide details” steps are theirs from the first click.
Self-guided onboarding
A new hire or new customer works through their own run of tasks.
They start their run → every “do this yourself” step lands on them, while approvals route to a role.
Shared team procedures
One SOP that dozens of teammates run, where the starter owns the follow-through.
Whoever launches the run → picks up the hands-on steps without anyone assigning them.
The Initiator role, answered
initiator flag, so an integration can tell the Initiator role apart from the regular roles you’ve created.Other Features
Govern, secure & prove it
SSO, granular permissions, and a complete audit trail — the controls enterprise teams need to run their work and prove how it was done.
Workflow Customization
Shape exactly how each workflow behaves — logic, data, timing, and documentation.
Assign and Automate
Get the right work to the right people, on schedule — automatically.
Track Progress and Reporting
See what's done, what's late, and what's coming — across every run.
Communicate
Keep the conversation — and a permanent record of who did what, and when — in one place.
Trusted by organizations big and small for their recurring workflows
Automatically Assign Steps to the Person Who Starts the Run
With Manifestly, your team will Never Miss a Thing.