The Manage workflow history lists provides the ability to create new SharePoint workflow history lists and enable existing SharePoint workflow history lists for use with Nintex Workflow within a team site.

A SharePoint workflow history list stores messages generated by a workflow.  Everything from approval activity (approve/reject), updates to a workflow, comments, cancellations and even workflow errors.

By default Nintex Workflow creates a SharePoint workflow history list that is enabled for Nintex Workflow. The enablement deploys event receivers into the list for workflow reporting. The standard SharePoint workflow history list cannot be used with workflows in Nintex. To use a standard SharePoint workflow history list it must first be enabled for Nintex Workflow.

To manage the history lists for use with Nintex Workflow:

• Navigate to the site level homepage.
• Click on the Settings Icon , and then click on Site Settings.
• In the Nintex Workflow group, click on Manage workflow history lists.

To create a new history list for use with Nintex Workflow:

• Navigate to the Manage workflow history lists settings.
• In the Ribbon, click on the New button.
• In the Create a history list dialog:
• Title: The name of the history list.
• Description: Additional notes about the history list.
• Hidden: Check this option to hide the history list from being displayed on the "All Site Content" page.

Note: To edit the Title and Description of the history list, navigate to the Lists Settings and under the General Settings, click on the Title, description and navigation link and make the required changes. To delete the list, navigate to the Lists Settings and under the Permissions and Management, click on the Delete this list link.

To enable an existing history list to be used with Nintex workflows:

• Navigate to the Manage history lists settings.
• Select the SharePoint workflow history list to be enabled
• In the Ribbon, click on the Enable button.

Note: All history lists that are enabled for Nintex Workflow can be selected in the Workflow Settings  when designing a workflow within the site.

• To disable an existing history list that is enabled for Nintex Workflow:
• Navigate to the Manage history lists settings.
• Select the SharePoint workflow history list to be disabled.
• In the Ribbon, click on the Disable button.

Purge items from the workflow history lists 

The Manage workflow history lists also provides the option to delete workflow history messages from the workflow history list on a site. This option is also available as an NWAdmin operation. This option can be used for maintenance on the history list to prevent the number of history items exceeding 2000 which can have performance implications. Deleting history messages does not affect the operation of a running workflow.

To remove/purge items from a history lists:

• Navigate to the Manage workflow history lists settings.
• Select the SharePoint workflow history list to purge items from.
• In the Ribbon, click on the Purge items button.
• In the dialog box:
• To purge specific items from the history list, configure the different filter options and click Delete items by filter .
• Last activity is before: removes history list items for workflows that have had no activity since a specific date.
• Workflow item ID is: removes history list items for workflows associated with a specific workflow item ID.
• Workflow list has been deleted: removes history list items for any workflow that is associated to a list that has been deleted.
• Workflow list is: removes history list items for workflow associated with a specific list.
• Workflow name is: removes history list items for workflows with a specific name.
• Workflow state is: removes history list items for workflow with a specific state (Running, Completed, Cancelled, Error or any state).

• To purge all items from the history list, click on Delete all items.