Skip to content
English
Customer portal
Go to formalize.com
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Processing Activities

In this article, we will go through the first section of the Privacy module: Processing Activities. First, we will look at the Settings and learn how to modify the structure, and then we will look at how to maintain and use the module.

Overview

The Processing Activities module is designed to help you document and manage data related to Data Privacy. In this section, you can record information about the data your organisation processes. The structure is fully customizable, allowing you to organise information in a way that fits your needs. You can also link Processing Activities to other elements in Formalize, such as the systems where data is stored.

How to configure Processing Activities

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click on Data Privacy > Processing Activities.
    CleanShot 2026-01-06 at 11.22.52
  3. In this section, you can configure the following: 
  • Custom fields: Here you will find some default fields. You can edit them, delete them, or add new ones if needed. For more information on how to do this, check our Custom Fields article.
  • Folders: Folders can be used to group elements together. For example, you can create a folder called 'Personal data' for all elements that contain personal data and use it to filter. 
  • Data categories: In this section you will find the data categories and groups that will be available for you to choose from when adding processing activities. From here you can: 
    • Create a new data category group.
    • Create a new data category inside of the preferred group.
    • Edit an existing data category: you can rename the category and choose whether the data category should be marked as sensitive. If marked as sensitive, it will appear in yellow with a warning icon.
    • Change the order of data categories by clicking and holding the four parallel lines to the right of each category, then dragging it to the desired position.
  • Subject categories: Here you can modify the subject categories that will be available for you to choose when adding processing activities. You can create a new category or edit the name of an existing one.
  • Connections: Connect two different elements together. You can read more about this on our Connections article.
  • Data retention settings: Configure when items in archive are permanently deleted. Learn more from our Archive article.
 

 How to add a new Processing Activity

  1. From the side menu, select Privacy, then go to the Processing Activities module.
  2. Click Add processing activity.
    CleanShot 2026-01-06 at 11.27.56
  3. Fill in the Processing Activity section: This section includes default fields (Name, Departments, Users Responsible, and Folders), as well as any custom fields you may have created in Settings (see "How to configure Processing Activities" above).
    CleanShot 2026-01-06 at 11.31.19
  4. Fill in the Data Management section: All fields in this section are mandatory. 
    1. Systems: Here you can choose the systems you use to store the information in relation to the processing activity. For this reason, we recommend mapping your systems before creating processing activities.
    2. Subject categories: Choose which subject categories' data is being processed. The selectable options come from the subject categories set up in Settings.
    3. Role: Evaluate if you are the data processor or the data controller. This field is fixed and cannot be edited or removed.

    CleanShot 2026-01-06 at 11.32.31
  5. If needed, fill in the Additional Info section, where you can add further notes or attachments.
  6. Unlike other modules in Formalize, you won't be able to click on Save straight away after filling in all the info above. Instead, click Next to proceed to the next page. This page displays the data categories configured in Settings.

    CleanShot 2026-01-06 at 11.33.37

    You can select all categories within a group by clicking Select all, or choose individual categories as needed. If the required category has not yet been created, you can also add one ad hoc.

    Data categories marked as sensitive are highlighted in yellow.

  7. Click Create to complete the creation of the processing activity.

After the Processing Activity is created

Once the processing activity is successfully created, you will be able to review all the information you added. 

In the Data categories section, you can see which systems store the data, what data is being collected, and which data is marked as sensitive.

CleanShot 2026-01-06 at 11.36.18

Information about the systems where the data is stored can also be accessed by selecting the relevant system here:

CleanShot 2026-01-06 at 11.41.38

FAQ about Processing Activities

  1. Can I import Processing Activities in bulk?

    Yes, it is possible to import Processing Activities in bulk. For detailed instructions, see our article How to import your data.

  2. Can Processing Activities be linked to elements other than Systems?

    Yes, you can do that from Connections, once that the Processing Activity has already been created or imported. You can read more in our article Connections.

  Maria

by María Amparo Soriano Varela, Customer Enablement Manager 

We hope this article was helpful and that you now have a clear understanding of how to work with the Processing Activities module in Formalize!

If you need additional support, you are welcome to reach out with any questions by email, at support@formalize.com.