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References and the process library

A reference is a read-only supporting document — a policy, guideline, definition, FAQ, or decision matrix that people may need to consult while working through a flow. Where a bit tells you what to do, a reference holds the why, the what-if, and the background. This article covers what references are for, how they support bits and flows, and how the process library and search surface them.

What references are for​

References hold stable, declarative knowledge: eligibility rules, policy detail, specifications, escalation criteria, and similar material that supports a step without driving it. A good rule of thumb when authoring: if removing the content would make the workflow incomplete or confusing, it belongs in the bit itself; if it is deeper detail someone might consult, it belongs in a reference.

References are written with the same rich-content editing experience as bits — headings, formatted text, lists, tables, images, videos, and links — but they never contain interactive input elements. They are for reading, not for capturing data. Each reference has a title, an optional summary that appears in search previews, and category tags for filtering.

How references support bits and flows​

References live in the library independently of any bit. A reference can be linked to many bits, and a bit can cite many references; a reference with no links yet is still a valid library item awaiting use. Content is never copied into a bit — the bit always shows the reference's current content, so an edit to a reference is immediately live everywhere it is linked.

While someone runs a flow, a bit's linked references are available from within the step and open in an overlay, so the person consults the material without leaving their place in the flow. Authors can also cite a reference at the exact point in a bit's text where it is relevant.

A reference belongs either to the whole account or to a specific organization or group, and it can only be attached to bits in that same scope. The scope is chosen when the reference is created and cannot be changed afterward, so create a reference at the broadest level where the knowledge applies — account-wide unless it is genuinely local to one team.

Managing content in the process library​

The process library is the browse-and-manage home for your account's content, with sections for references, bits, and flows. You can search within it, filter by category, author, and dates, sort the list, and — with edit permission — switch to a view of archived content. Creating and editing references requires edit permission; anyone with view access can read them.

Each reference shows where it is used: the list of bits that link to it. That usage view matters when retiring content, because a reference cannot be archived while any bit still links to it — unlink it everywhere first. Archiving is one-way: it hides the reference from the library and from readers, and it cannot be undone from the product. If a reference a bit pointed to becomes unavailable, the bit shows a placeholder message in its place rather than broken content.

Search works across flows, bits, and references from one place. Reference results show the summary and which bits use the reference, so you can judge relevance and see the context it supports before opening it. Category tags narrow results the same way they do in the library. Search is the quick term-based lookup; the process library is the browsing and administration view of the same content.

Last reviewed: 2026-07-28