How to Start a SharePoint 2010 Workflow Within a SharePoint 2013 Workflow Using SharePoint Designer 2013

In this article you will see how to start a SharePoint 2010 workflow within a SharePoint 2013 workflow using SharePoint Designer 2013.

Introduction

In SharePoint Designer 2013, there are coordination actions that are available as a part of workflow actions. These actions are used to start a SharePoint 2010 workflow within a SharePoint 2013 workflow. The following are the coordination actions available in the SharePoint Designer 2013.

• Start a List Workflow
• Start a Site Workflow

Start a List Workflow is used to start a specific list workflow. Start a Site Workflow is used to start the site workflow. These actions can be used only to start the SharePoint 2010 workflows but not SharePoint 2013 workflows. In this article I will show you how to start a SharePoint 2010 workflow within a workflow built on SharePoint 2013 platform.

I have created a list named Employee Information in which I have attached a simple SharePoint 2010 workflow. I will create a very simple SharePoint 2013 workflow that will just start the SharePoint 2010 workflow and then the workflow will be completed.

Start a List Workflow

1. Open SharePoint Designer 2013.
2. Click on Open Site.



3. Enter the Site name and then click on Open.



4. Click on the Workflows section in the left navigation.
5. Click on List Workflow in the ribbon interface and then click on Employee Information list.



6. The Create List Workflow wizard will pop-up.
7. Enter the Name and Description for the workflow.
8. Select the Platform Type as SharePoint 2013 Workflow.



9. Click on Ok.
10. Click on the Action button in the ribbon interface and then click on the Start a List Workflow action that is available under the Coordination Actions section.



11. Under the Stage 1 you will be able to see three links.



12. Click on the SharePoint 2010 list workflow link.
13. Choose the list and the workflow associated to that specific list.



14. Click on Ok.
15. Click on the parameters link and select the parameters that need to be sent to the SharePoint 2010 workflow (I am not passing any parameter so it will be shown as no parameters).

16. Click on this item link.
17. Select the current item and then click on Ok.



18. Select the Transition to stage, click on the Actions button in the ribbon interface and then click on Go to a stage.



19. Select End of workflow in the stage.



20. Now you are done with the workflow configuration.



21. Click on Publish in the ribbon interface so that the workflow will be published.





22. Workflow is published successfully.

Test the workflow

1. Navigate to the SharePoint site where the workflow is published.
2. Click on Employee Information list in the quick launch bar.
3. Select the item and then click on Workflows button in the ribbon interface.



4. Click on SharePoint 2013 Workflow.
5. SharePoint 2013 Workflow will start the SharePoint 2010 workflow and both are completed successfully.



Summary

Thus in this article you have seen how to start a SharePoint 2010 workflow within a SharePoint 2013 workflow using SharePoint Designer 2013 using coordination actions.