Build your process once as a template. Chains works out where every piece of work stands — and who it's waiting on — from what actually happened, not from a flag someone remembered to flip.
_final_FINAL_v3 is not a workflow
layout.pdf layout_review.pdf layout_final.pdf layout_final_v2.pdf layout_final_v2_FINAL.pdf
The real status survives only in file names, in a review label that outlived its review, and in the one person who's out today. So every handoff starts with the same question: which version is current, and who's next?
Set it
up
once
Lay out brief → design → review → print as a template — including parallel branches that merge back together. Reuse it for every job, so status is simply the phase the work is in, not a label in the file name.
No flags
to flip
Whose turn it is is worked out from what actually happened — commits and approvals — not from a flag someone remembered to set. On you now shows each person only the work that’s currently theirs, across every project.
One
source
of truth
Mark up and review PDFs together on a shared canvas. Every version and every review round stays in place, so feedback lives on the right version — not in _final_FINAL_v3 and a dozen chat threads.
Roles per phase
Executors do the work, anchors review and approve.
Per-job assignments
Put specific people on phases for a given job.
Manual overrides
Skip ahead, reopen a phase, or close out a job when reality doesn't match the template.
Labels
Tag and group work across projects.
Chains is for newsrooms, design agencies, and editorial or print teams that run the same process over and over — and are too small to hire a project manager or set up Jira just to see who’s up next.
5
Users
5
Templates
5
Projects
1 GB
Storage
And for a team that size, it's free. No trial clock, no credit card required. The limits are the shape of a small team, not a paywall.
Chains is in private beta. Tell us about your team and we’ll be in touch.