Use repositories to centralize and standardize your organization's documentation

Definitions and roles

Before getting into the specific steps for accessing, creating, and using repositories, here are a few definitions for terms used throughout this article:

• Repository: A centralized collection of approved and published documents and assets, accessible to all users or teams on an account.
• Restricted repository: A centralized collection of approved and published documents and assets, accessible only by users or teams who have been invited by a Process Accelerator manager or repository owner.
• Roles:
  • Process Accelerator manager: A user who configures the Process Accelerator and has the ability to create repositories.
  • Repository owner: A user with full control over a specific repository. This includes managing repository settings, designating other repository owners, and overseeing document approvals.
  • Folder owner: A user who manages and approves documents in a specific folder or subfolder in a repository. They are subject-matter experts over the content included in their assigned folder.
  • Asset owner: A licensed user who published a document or asset to a repository. They are responsible for ensuring its accuracy and approving proposed changes, alongside repository owners.
  • User: A licensed or unlicensed user on the account who can view, browse, and comment on published documents. Only licensed users can request to publish or suggest edits to published documents in the repository.
• Assets:
  • Document asset: A Lucid document that has gone through an approval process and has been published to a repository, making it visible to all users on your Lucid account. 
  • Object asset: A specific shape that includes data—such as a role, system, or risk—that has been added to a repository, making it accessible in the asset library to all users on your Lucid account.
• Repository management page: The page that shows all repositories on your Lucid account. Follow the steps in the Access repositories section to access this page.
• Repository customization page: The page for a single repository that shows all documents and assets included within it. To access this page, click the title of a specific repository from the repository management page.

Access repositories

All users on your Lucid account can access repositories by clicking Repositories from the navigation menu on the left-hand side of the Lucid Home Page. To view repositories in list view with additional details, click the list view icon from the top-right corner of the page.

To locate a specific repository on your account, use the search bar at the top of the Lucid Home Page.

View a document in a repository

After accessing a repository by following the steps above, all users on your Lucid account can view the documents within that repository in the following ways:

• Double-click the document you want to view.
• Select the document you want to view from the navigation menu on the left side of the repository. This shows a preview of the document. 
  • Click the three-dot menu from the top-right corner of the preview, then select Open to open the full document.

Export a CSV of repository assets

To download a CSV or repository assets to your device, follow these steps:

1. Click Repositories from the navigation menu on the left side of the Lucid Home Page.
2. Open a repository.
3. Select the CSV icon from the top-right of the repository customization page.

The CSV includes:

• Asset title
• Asset type (object or document)
  • Asset subtype (if an object asset)
• Asset owner
• What repository and/or folder the asset is in
• Version
• Last updated date
• Last updated by
• Approved by
• Change summary
• Whether the asset has been archived
• Asset URL (if a document asset)

Create a new repository

From the repository management page, Process Accelerator managers can create new repositories or access and edit existing ones. Follow these steps to create a new repository:

1. From the top-right corner of the repository management page, click Create repository.
2. In the "Repository setup" modal that appears, type a unique name under “Repository name”.
3. Under "Description", describe the repository's purpose and content.
4. Select a repository type.
   • Unrestricted repositories and their contents can be viewed by all users on your Lucid account.
   • Restricted repositories and their contents can be viewed only by users explicitly invited to the repository. See the Restricted repositories section below for more details.
5. Select an approval type.
   • Standard approval: Approval requests are sent to all approvers simultaneously.
   • Sequential approval: Approval requests are sent in the following order: asset owner, folder owner, repository owner.
6. Optionally, check the box next to "Allow members to publish directly". By checking this box, users on your account don't have to wait for approval before publishing documents or edits to the repository.
7. Click Next.
8. Select where you want to import files from if you have existing documents to add to the repository or click Skip to add documents later.
   • For specific steps for each type of import, check out the Import existing Lucid documents section below.

The repository is now accessible to the entire organization from the repository management page, and assigned repository owners will be notified.

Restricted repositories

A restricted repository is a centralized collection of approved and published documents and assets that can be viewed only by users who have been invited by a Process Accelerator manager or repository owner. Restricted repositories and their contents are hidden from global search results.

To create a restricted repository, follow the steps in the Create a new repository section above, selecting Restricted for “Repository type”.

Update restriction settings for an existing repository

Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can update the restriction settings of an existing repository by following these steps:

1. Click Repository settings from the left navigation on the repository customization page.
2. Under "Select repository type", select a new option.

Manage repository settings

Process Accelerator managers and repository owners have various management abilities for repositories they own. To access repository settings, follow these steps:

1. Click Repositories from the bottom-left navigation on the Lucid Home Page.
2. Select the repository you want to adjust settings for.
3. Click Repository settings from the top-left navigation of the repository.

From this page, you can:

• Rename a repository.
• Update a repository description.
• Determine the repository type.
• Determine the approval flow type.
• Allow direct publishing.
  • By checking this box, users on your account don't have to wait for approval before publishing documents or edits to the repository.
• Click Manage owners in the top-right corner to add, edit, or remove repository owners.

Archive a repository

Repository owners and Process Accelerator managers can archive a repository by following these steps from the repository management page:

1. Click the three-dot menu on the top-right corner of the repository tile.
2. Select Archive repository.
3. Click Archive.

Once archived, the repository is removed from the repository list and is excluded from search results. Any documents within an archived repository used as document assets elsewhere will remain accessible as read-only files.

Add a document asset to a repository

There are multiple ways to add a document asset to a repository depending on your role. Check out the bolded sections below for more details.

Process Accelerator managers and repository owners
Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can add document assets to a repository in the following ways:

• Import existing Lucid documents.
• Import documents from an external file on your device.
• Select documents from the documents list, right-click, and select Move to repository.
• All methods listed below for licensed users.

Repository owners can only add documents to a repository they own.

Licensed users
Any licensed user on your Lucid account can add documents to a repository in the following ways:

• Add new Lucid documents from the repository customization page.
• Add an existing Lucid document to a repository from within the document’s editor.

Approval by the repository owner is required for both of these options.

Add a new Lucid document

To add a new Lucid document to a repository, any licensed user on your Lucid account can follow these steps from the repository’s customization page:

1. Click Create new in the top-right corner.
2. Select Document.
3. Edit the document as needed.
4. When the document is ready to be added to the repository, click Request approval in the top-right corner of the canvas.
   • If you are a Process Accelerator manager or repository owner, you can publish the edits without requesting approval. After editing, click Publish in the top-right corner to publish the revised document immediately.
5. Type an optional message under “Message to approvers”.
6. Click Request approval.

You'll be able to publish the document to the repository after it has been approved by clicking Publish from the top-right corner of the document.

Import existing Lucid documents

Depending on your role, you can add an existing Lucid document to a repository in two ways:

• Process Accelerator managers, repository owners, and folder owners can import an existing Lucid document directly from the repository customization page.
• Any licensed user (including Process Accelerator managers and repository owners) can add an existing Lucid document to a repository from the document’s editor.

See the bolded sections below for more details.

Import an existing Lucid document into a repository
Instead of building a new document, Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can import existing Lucid documents into a repository. To import one or more Lucid documents into a repository, follow these steps from a repository’s customization page:

1. Click the import documents icon in the top-right corner.
2. Select Import from Lucid.
3. Select documents from Lucid to import.
   • Shared documents require owner approval. If you select a document you don't own, the owner will receive an email requesting that ownership be transferred to you. Once ownership is transferred, the document will be imported into the repository automatically.
4. Click Move items.
5. If you are adding team-owned documents from Lucid (from a team hub or team folder), you’ll need to designate an asset owner in the next modal, then click Next. Otherwise, the document owner will be the default asset owner.
   • The asset owner is responsible for overseeing the document and has the ability to approve future changes made to it.
6. Click Continue to acknowledge that moving and publishing documents to a repository can’t be undone and changes the share permissions in the following ways:
   • Repository documents are viewable by everyone on your Lucid account.
   • External access to documents is removed.
   • Publish links are removed for restricted repositories.

The document is now accessible in the repository and can be viewed by all users on your Lucid account.

Add an existing Lucid document to a repository from the editor
Any licensed user on your Lucid account can request to add a Lucid document they own to a repository directly from the document's editor by following these steps:

1. Open the More menu from the top-left of the canvas.
   • In Lucidchart, after opening the More menu, hover your cursor over “File”.
2. Select Add to repository.
3. In the panel that appears, select a repository from the dropdown.
4. Type a brief summary of the document under “Summary”.
5. Click Request approval.

Repository owners get a notification where they can approve or reject your request. When the document is approved and published, the document you’re working in will be moved to the repository.

Import an external file into a repository

Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can import external files from Visio, Draw.io, OmniGraffle, Gliffy, Miro, Mural, or BPMN into a repository. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click the import documents icon in the top-right corner.
2. Select Import from file to import files in external formats.
3. Select one or more files from your local device.
4. Click Done.

The document is now accessible in the repository and can be viewed by all users on your Lucid account.

Add an object asset to a repository

Manage assets in a repository

Process Accelerator managers and repository owners have various management abilities for assets in repositories they own. These abilities include:

• Organizing documents into folders.
• Updating folder owners and asset owners.
• Moving documents out of or into another repository.
• Archiving folders and documents from a repository.

These actions can all be done from the repository customization page which is shown in the screenshot below. See the sections below for more details about how to complete each action.

Organize documents into folders

To make a folder within a repository, Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can follow these steps: 

1. Click Create new in the top-right corner.
2. Select Folder.
3. Name your folder.
4. Click OK.

To move a document into a folder, click and drag it into the folder. 

Update a folder owner

To change the owner of a folder, Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can follow these steps:

1. Click the three-dot menu from the right side of the document.
2. Select Folder settings.
3. Under the “Add folder owner”, type in or select a user from the dropdown options.
4. Click Save changes.

Update an asset owner

To change the owner of a document, Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can follow these steps:

1. Click the three-dot menu from the bottom-right corner of the document.
2. Select Show details.
3. Under the “Owner” section, click the Edit icon.
4. Type in or select a user from the dropdown options.

Move a document

Move a document to a different repository
To more a document to a different repository, Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can follow these steps:

1. Click the three-dot menu from the bottom-right corner of the document.
2. Click Switch repository.
3. Under "Moving to", use the dropdown to select a new repository.
   • If you are moving a document to a restricted repository, the owner of the document needs to have access to the repository or you can click Continue to select a new owner.
4. Click Move item.

Remove a document from a repository
To move a document out of a repository, Process Accelerator managers and repository owners can follow these steps:

1. Click the three-dot menu from the bottom-right corner of the document.
2. Click Remove from repository.
3. Click Confirm removal to acknowledge that this document will be moved out of the repository and into your "My documents" folder.

Archive a repository folder

Archive a document

To archive a document in a repository, Process Accelerator managers, repository owners, and folder owners can follow these steps:

1. Click the three-dot menu from the bottom-right corner of the document you want to archive.
2. Select Move to archive.
3. Click Move to archive to acknowledge that this document will no longer appear in the repository.

Restore an archived asset

To restore a previously archived document or object asset, Process Accelerator managers, repository owners, folder owners, and process owners can follow these steps:

1. Select Archive from the navigation on the far-left of the page under "Process home".
2. Click the three-dot menu to the right of the document or object asset you want to restore.
3. Click Restore.
4. Click Restore to confirm the asset will return to its original location in the repository.

Make changes to a published asset

Before edits to an asset in a repository can be published, they must go through an approval flow. For more information, check out the articles below:

• Request updates to a published repository asset
• Approve or deny updates to a repository document

View repository document version history

Any user on your Lucid account can view past versions of published repository documents to see what changes have occurred over time. To view a past version of a repository document, follow these steps:

1. Click Repositories from the navigation menu on the left side of the Lucid Home Page.
2. Select the repository that contains the document you want to view version history for.
3. Under “Documents” on the left side of the page, select a document.
4. Open the three-dot menu from the top-right corner of the page.
5. Select Show version history.

The document will open in a new tab where you can view past versions of the document by selecting them from the panel on the right side of the page. You can also view revisions that took place prior to the document being published to the repository.

View version history from a repository
Alternatively, you can view a published document's version history directly from the repository it is in. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Repositories from the navigation menu on the left side of the Lucid Home Page.
2. Select the repository that contains the document you want to view version history for.
3. Under “Documents” on the left side of the page, select a document.
4. Under the document title, select the version dropdown menu.
5. Select a past version or click View full version history to open version history as a new page.

Click Show details from the top-right corner of the page to see details such as:

• Last updated: The date the document was last updated.
• Last updated by: The user who last updated the document.
• Approved by: All users who have approved the document to be published into the repository.
• Change summary: A summary of what has changed from the previous version. This includes a user-provided description of updates in addition to system-generated events, such as:
  • Document renamed
  • Document added to repository
  • Embedded asset updated automatically

Compare versions

To compare one version of a document with another, follow these steps after completing the steps in the previous section:

1. Select one of the versions you want to compare from the panel on the right side.
2. Click Compare versions from the bottom of the panel.
3. Select the second version you want to compare.
4. Click Compare selected versions.

The documents will appear one on top of the other. In the panel on the right, you can see a summary of the changes including objects that have been added, edited, or deleted. Changes are also highlighted on the documents. Use the “Highlights” dropdown in the top-right corner of the documents to customize which changes are highlighted on the documents.

FAQ

Will repository documents work like regular Lucid documents when embedded externally through an integration?
Embedded repository documents can only be embedded by the repository owner, asset owner, folder owner, or Process Accelerator manager. For users on the same Lucid account as the document owner, embedded repository documents are viewable with comment-only access. All other users have view-only access.

What is the difference between a repository owner and an asset owner?
A repository owner has full control over a specific repository. Their key responsibilities include adding documents and assets to the repository, managing repository settings, and approving new documents and changes before they are published to the repository.

A user becomes an asset owner when they publish their document or asset to the repository, once it has been approved by a repository owner. As the asset owner, they are responsible for the fidelity of the document for the organization. While they can oversee and approve changes to their own document, they cannot create repositories, assign repository owners, or approve edits made to documents they don’t own.

Repository owners can reassign asset owners. An existing asset owner can give their role to someone else (this applies to only the document or asset they own).

Can a limited access (unlicensed) user be a Process Accelerator manager or repository owner?
An unlicensed user can be assigned as a Process Accelerator manager or repository owner, but they are unable to suggest edits or add content to the repository. For full functionality, assign these roles to a licensed user.

What happens to repository documents if my account no longer has access to the Process Accelerator?
If your account decides not to purchase the Process Accelerator after a trial or downgrades to no longer have access, users on the account will no longer be able to access repositories from the navigation on the left side of the Lucid Home Page. Repository documents will still be accessible via the Process Accelerator homepage with view-only permissions. This can be accessed via the workspace switcher at the top of the navigation menu on the Lucid Home Page.

To edit repository content, you'll need to copy the content from the repository document into a regular Lucid document.

Related articles

• Process Accelerator overview
• Request updates to a published repository asset
• Approve or deny updates to a repository document
• Use the asset library to maintain documentation consistency

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