> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstwork.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Applications

> Track and manage candidates through every stage of the hiring process

## Overview

An **Application** represents a candidate's journey through a Hiring Flow. It tracks their current stage, form submissions, compliance status, document submissions, and complete transition history.

## Application Lifecycle

```mermaid theme={null}
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> New: Candidate applies
    New --> InProgress: Stage advanced
    InProgress --> InProgress: Stage transitions
    InProgress --> Completed: Final stage
    InProgress --> Rejected: Rule failed / Manual
    InProgress --> OnHold: Pending review
    OnHold --> InProgress: Review complete
    InProgress --> Withdrawn: Candidate withdrew
    Completed --> [*]
    Rejected --> [*]
    Withdrawn --> [*]
```

## Application Data

Each application contains:

| Field              | Description                                          |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Candidate          | The user (candidate) this application belongs to     |
| Hiring Flow        | The hiring pipeline this application is part of      |
| Current Stage      | The stage the candidate is currently in              |
| Status             | Overall application status (NEW, IN\_PROGRESS, etc.) |
| Form Submissions   | All forms the candidate has completed                |
| Documents          | Uploaded documents and verification status           |
| Transition History | Record of every stage change with timestamps         |
| Compliance Results | Outcomes of rule evaluations                         |
| Notes              | Internal notes added by reviewers                    |

## Managing Applications

### Viewing Applications

Applications can be viewed and filtered by:

* **Hiring Flow** — See all candidates in a specific pipeline
* **Stage** — Filter by current stage
* **Status** — Filter by application status
* **Date range** — Filter by application date
* **Custom fields** — Filter by any form submission data

### Advancing Applications

Candidates can be advanced through stages:

* **Manually** — An admin moves the candidate to the next stage
* **Automatically** — A compliance rule or automation triggers the advance
* **Via API** — External systems advance candidates programmatically

### Transition History

Every stage change is recorded in the **transition history** with:

* Source stage and destination stage
* Timestamp of the transition
* Who or what triggered it (user, automation, API)
* Reason for the transition

## Bulk Operations

Firstwork supports bulk operations on applications for high-volume hiring:

### Bulk Status Updates

Update the status of multiple applications at once — select candidates in the dashboard and apply stage transitions or status changes in a single action.

### Bulk Transition History

Retrieve transition history for multiple applications at once to review how candidates progressed through your pipeline.

### Bulk Import

Import applications from external systems (CSV, ATS exports, or API):

* Map external fields to Firstwork form elements
* Automatically create user accounts for new candidates
* Assign to the correct stage in the hiring flow

### Bulk Delete

Remove applications that are no longer needed (with audit trail).

## Application Forms

Each stage in a hiring flow can have one or more forms attached. When a candidate reaches a stage, they receive the associated forms to complete.

**Form submission flow:**

1. Candidate enters a new stage
2. Stage forms are assigned to the candidate
3. Candidate fills out each form
4. Element-level submissions are saved in real-time
5. Form completion triggers compliance rules and automations
6. Candidate advances to the next stage (manually or automatically)

## Document Submissions

Applications can include document submissions:

* **Required documents** — Defined by company document requirements
* **Document verification** — Manual review or automated OCR
* **Compliance rules** — Rules that evaluate document data
* **Expiration tracking** — Alerts when documents expire

## API Access

Applications can also be managed programmatically through the Firstwork API. See the [API Reference](/api-reference/introduction) for details on creating, listing, updating, and tracking applications.