A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions effective to cause a client device to: receive, from a content management system, synchronization data indicating a workflow control of a shared content item associated with a plurality of user accounts including a first user account logged in on the client device, wherein the workflow control establishes a workflow of review of the shared content item by at least one of the plurality of user accounts that have write privileges to the shared content item, wherein there is a user identifier in metadata pertaining to the workflow control and wherein workflow control metadata for the shared content item is the same regardless of which user account is receiving the synchronization data; display an icon representing the shared content item in a file system browser on the client device, at least a portion of the shared content item stored in a file system of the client device, the shared content item being under management of the content management system including a content management application on the client device in communication with a content management system server; determine that a user identifier of the first user account matches the user identifier in the workflow control metadata; based on determining that a user identifier of the first user account matches the user identifier in the workflow control metadata, change access permission properties of the shared content item in the file system of the client device to indicate a permission for the first user account; detect a file open event on the client device for the shared content item; and based on the detection of the file open event, send a notification to the content management system server that the shared content item has been checked out by the first user account of the client device, the notification that the shared content item has been checked out causing the shared content item to become read only to the plurality of the user accounts having write privileges, other than the first user account, until the shared content item is checked back in. receive, from a content management system, synchronization data indicating a workflow control of a shared content item associated with a plurality of user accounts including a first user account logged in on the client device, wherein the workflow control establishes a workflow of review of the shared content item by at least one of the plurality of user accounts that have write privileges to the shared content item, wherein there is a user identifier in metadata pertaining to the workflow control and wherein workflow control metadata for the shared content item is the same regardless of which user account is receiving the synchronization data; display an icon representing the shared content item in a file system browser on the client device, at least a portion of the shared content item stored in a file system of the client device, the shared content item being under management of the content management system including a content management application on the client device in communication with a content management system server; determine that a user identifier of the first user account matches the user identifier in the workflow control metadata; based on determining that a user identifier of the first user account matches the user identifier in the workflow control metadata, change access permission properties of the shared content item in the file system of the client device to indicate a permission for the first user account; detect a file open event on the client device for the shared content item; and based on the detection of the file open event, send a notification to the content management system server that the shared content item has been checked out by the first user account of the client device, the notification that the shared content item has been checked out causing the shared content item to become read only to the plurality of the user accounts having write privileges, other than the first user account, until the shared content item is checked back in.