FAQ
Review - FAQ
- A manual review runs once when you trigger it. The schedule auto-disables after the cycle finishes. Enable it again to start a new cycle with fresh data. - A scheduled review runs automatically on a recurring cadence. It stays enabled between cycles and creates new cycles on each scheduled date.
Setup and configuration
What’s the difference between a manual and a scheduled review?
- A manual review runs once when you trigger it. The schedule auto-disables after the cycle finishes. Enable it again to start a new cycle with fresh data.
- A scheduled review runs automatically on a recurring cadence. It stays enabled between cycles and creates new cycles on each scheduled date.
How long should I set the review duration?
It depends on your organization’s responsiveness and the scope of the review. A 30-day window (the default) gives reviewers plenty of time, but shorter windows create more urgency.
For scheduled reviews, the duration must be shorter than the trigger interval to prevent overlapping cycles.
What review steps should I enable?
Start with the basics: Owners and Members. These cover the most common governance needs. Add Site Access and File Access if you need deeper visibility into SharePoint sharing permissions. Only enable what your reviewers can meaningfully act on - more steps mean more effort per review.
Can I change a review schedule while a cycle is running?
Yes. Editing a review schedule takes effect for the next cycle. However, the currently running cycle uses the configuration that was active when it started.
Do I need to set up automations?
No. Automations are optional. Without them, reviewers can still complete reviews and make changes to workspace access. Automations add post-review actions (like archiving or deleting workspaces) and handle edge cases (such as all reviewers rejecting or reviews expiring).
What Permissions are required for Review Scopes?
To run a Review, Rencore Governance requires specific automation permissions depending on the scopes included in your review. The required automation permissions vary by scope as follows:
Review Scope | Automation/Action Permission Required |
|---|---|
Owners |
|
Members |
|
Visitors |
|
Site Access |
|
File Access |
|
Reviewers
Who gets notified when a review starts?
The reviewers assigned to each workspace receive an email notification based on the “Communication” configuration in the Review. For Owners assignment, this would be the workspace owners. For Specified users, it’s the users you selected.
Can I assign a security group as reviewers?
No. Currently, reviewer assignment supports Owners (automatic) and Specified users (individual users you select). Security group assignment is not available.
What happens if a workspace has no owner?
If a workspace has no owner assigned in Microsoft 365 and reviewer assignment is set to Owners, no reviewer is assigned for that workspace. The object review will remain in Pending status and eventually expire. Consider using Specified users assignment for scopes where ownerless workspaces are common.
Cycles and monitoring
What does “Aggregating” status mean?
When a cycle starts, the system queries your Inventory to identify all workspaces matching your review scope and filters. During this phase, the status shows as Aggregating. This typically takes a few minutes, depending on the number of workspaces.
Can I restart a finished or canceled cycle?
No. Each cycle is a one-time execution. To review the same workspaces again, enable the review schedule (for manual triggers) or wait for the next scheduled date (for recurring triggers). A new cycle starts with fresh data.
What happens when I stop a cycle?
All pending and in-progress object reviews are canceled. Reviews that were already completed or expired are preserved with their existing decisions and changes. For manual triggers, the parent review schedule is also auto-disabled.
How do I know if my reviews are effective?
Check the decision metrics on the cycle detail page. Healthy reviews show:
- High completion rate - Most reviewers acted before the due date
- Low “Unreviewed” count - Few reviews expired without action
- Meaningful decisions - Reviewers are using custom actions and making access changes, not just rubber-stamping
The 12-month completion chart on the schedule detail page helps you spot trends over time.
Decisions and outcomes
What’s the difference between Status and Decision?
- Status tracks where a review is in its lifecycle (Pending, In Progress, Completed, Expired, Canceled).
- Decision tracks what happened to the workspace (Reviewed, Archived, Deleted, Rejected, Unreviewed, or a custom action name).
They’re independent - for example, a “Completed” review can have a Decision of “Reviewed” or “Archived”.
What does “Rejected” mean as a decision?
It means all assigned reviewers declined the review assignment. This happens when reviewers feel they’re not the right person to review a particular workspace. If you configured a rejection automation, it runs when the last reviewer rejects. A high rejection rate suggests you should review workspace ownership or reviewer assignment.
What happens to “Unreviewed” workspaces?
Nothing changes. “Unreviewed” means no reviewer completed the review and the workspace stays as-is. If you configured a follow-up automation for expired reviews, it triggers for these workspaces. Otherwise, they’ll be included in the next cycle if the review schedule is still active.