Avoid page publishing for component updates in SDL Tridion Experience Manager

Question

I need help confirming the following SDL Tridion workflow/Experience Manager scenario.

Business requirement

• Editors control pages in a given structure group (SG)
• "Image Authors" only update images for components already on the page, preferrably in Experience Manager (XPM)
• Workflow on pages in the SG. No workflow on components.
• Image Authors shouldn't be able to publish "non-approved" (ready for publish) page changes.

Functional requirement

I think I have three functional requirements:

1. Editors should not put non-approved components on the pages. If editing components, editors or authors should leave items checked out until ready.
2. Image authors won't make page changes (move/add/delete component presentations).
3. Component should publish as dynamic component presentations, even if embedded on the page.

Question

We can restrict an image author's ability to edit the page through rights and permissions. And it looks like Image Authors could still manage to publish a page outside workflow (although if it's checked out, we avoid publishing updates in-progress, right?).

Could my Image Authors still manage to publish unapproved page changes?

Edit: oops, missed "publish."

Answer 1

When you publish a page to a target, and this page contains pending changes in workflow, Tridion will publish the last checked-in version of the content (or "Major" version) unless you own the pending changes - workflow is assigned to you - and the current target's Minimum Approval status is lower or equal to the content's approval status.

What this means for you is that changing that image and republishing the page will publish the new image and the previously checked in version of the other components on that same page.