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    Home New York Now Platform Capabilities Now Platform capabilities Flow Designer Flows Actions

    Actions

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    Actions

    Actions can be added to any flow, enabling process analysts to automate Now Platform features without having to write code.

    An action is a reusable operation that enables process analysts to automate Now Platform features without having to write code. For example, the Create Record action allows process analysts to generate records in a particular table with particular values when certain conditions occur. Core actions like Create Record require some familiarity with Now Platform tables and fields. Action designers can create application-specific actions to pre-set configuration details. For example, creating a Create Incident Task action ensures that the process analyst uses the correct table and field configuration each time the action is used. You can add application-specific actions by activating the associated spoke.

    In Flow Designer, a process analyst adds actions to a flow and defines the configuration options.

    Core actions

    A core action is a ServiceNow-provided action available to any flow that cannot be viewed or edited from the Action Designer design environment. For example, the Ask for Approval action is a core action that allows process analysts to use Now Platform approvals. Flow Designer provides a set of core actions to automate Now Platform processes. You can add application-specific core actions by activating the associated spoke.

    Custom actions

    Using a core action enables the process analyst to configure the desired behavior within the flow. To create an action with a pre-set configuration, or to define custom configuration options, a subject matter expert can create a custom action in Action Designer.

    Action limit

    By default, flows can have no more than 50 actions. To change the default behavior, increase the value of the sn_flow_designer.max_actions system property. However, consider the performance impact that a large flow may have on your instance.

    • Add Worknote Link to Context action

      Add a journal field entry containing a link to the current flow context record. Use the link to view the flow execution details of the current flow. You can add a flow context link to any record that has a journal field.

    • Ask for Approval action

      Request approval for a record with an approval field. You can configure a rule set for an approval, rejection, or cancellation. If a due date is added to an approval, the approval is automatically approved, rejected, or canceled if the approvers have not responded by the designated time.

    • Associate Record to Email action

      Associate a record with an Email [sys_email] record so that you can track which record is affected by the email.

    • Create Catalog Task action

      Creates a record in the Catalog Task [sc_task] table associated to a requested item in the Requested Items [sc_req_item] table. Adds the catalog task record as data to be used in the flow.

    • Create Record action

      Creates a record on any table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record.

    • Create or Update Record action

      Create or update a record in a ServiceNow table using a single action. Update a record that exists, or create a record using the values provided.

    • Create Task action

      Create a task on any ServiceNow task table. After you choose the task table, you can dynamically select the fields to configure the action. Defining the Parent field associates the task to a parent record.

    • Copy Attachment action

      Copies an attachment from the Attachments [sys_attachment] table to a target record.

    • Delete Attachment action

      Removes one or all attachments associated with a record and deletes the attachment record from the Attachments [sys_attachment] table.

    • Delete Record action

      Deletes a record on any table.

    • Get Attachments on Record action

      Access the list and count of the attachments associated with the provided source record as data pills in a flow. Use flow logic or scripting to process each attachment in the list of the attachments that the action returns.

    • Get Catalog Variables action

      Access ServiceNow® Service Catalog variables as data pills in a flow.

    • Get Email Header action

      Access an email header value as a data pill in a flow.

    • Log action

      Logs a message in the Flow Designer log table.

    • Look up email attachments action

      Look up files that are attached to an email so that you can perform an action on the files.

    • Look Up Record action

      Look up a record from any table based on defined conditions.

    • Look Up Records action

      Look up multiple records on any table using defined conditions.

    • Lookup Attachment action

      Looks up an attachment associated with a record and returns the Attachment Sys ID as a data pill.

    • Move Attachment action

      Associates a record from the Attachment [sys_attachment] table with a target record. Removes the attachment from any other associated records.

    • Move Email Attachments to Record action

      Move attachments from an email to a record so that the files are available to your users when they view the record.

    • Send Email action

      Send an email to specified users or groups as an action in a flow.

    • Update Record action

      Update an existing record in a table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record.

    • Wait For Condition action

      Pause a flow until record values match a specific set of conditions.

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    Release version
    Choose your release version

      Actions

      • Save as PDF Selected topic Topic & subtopics All topics in contents
      • Unsubscribe Log in to subscribe to topics and get notified when content changes.
      • Share this page

      Actions

      Actions can be added to any flow, enabling process analysts to automate Now Platform features without having to write code.

      An action is a reusable operation that enables process analysts to automate Now Platform features without having to write code. For example, the Create Record action allows process analysts to generate records in a particular table with particular values when certain conditions occur. Core actions like Create Record require some familiarity with Now Platform tables and fields. Action designers can create application-specific actions to pre-set configuration details. For example, creating a Create Incident Task action ensures that the process analyst uses the correct table and field configuration each time the action is used. You can add application-specific actions by activating the associated spoke.

      In Flow Designer, a process analyst adds actions to a flow and defines the configuration options.

      Core actions

      A core action is a ServiceNow-provided action available to any flow that cannot be viewed or edited from the Action Designer design environment. For example, the Ask for Approval action is a core action that allows process analysts to use Now Platform approvals. Flow Designer provides a set of core actions to automate Now Platform processes. You can add application-specific core actions by activating the associated spoke.

      Custom actions

      Using a core action enables the process analyst to configure the desired behavior within the flow. To create an action with a pre-set configuration, or to define custom configuration options, a subject matter expert can create a custom action in Action Designer.

      Action limit

      By default, flows can have no more than 50 actions. To change the default behavior, increase the value of the sn_flow_designer.max_actions system property. However, consider the performance impact that a large flow may have on your instance.

      • Add Worknote Link to Context action

        Add a journal field entry containing a link to the current flow context record. Use the link to view the flow execution details of the current flow. You can add a flow context link to any record that has a journal field.

      • Ask for Approval action

        Request approval for a record with an approval field. You can configure a rule set for an approval, rejection, or cancellation. If a due date is added to an approval, the approval is automatically approved, rejected, or canceled if the approvers have not responded by the designated time.

      • Associate Record to Email action

        Associate a record with an Email [sys_email] record so that you can track which record is affected by the email.

      • Create Catalog Task action

        Creates a record in the Catalog Task [sc_task] table associated to a requested item in the Requested Items [sc_req_item] table. Adds the catalog task record as data to be used in the flow.

      • Create Record action

        Creates a record on any table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record.

      • Create or Update Record action

        Create or update a record in a ServiceNow table using a single action. Update a record that exists, or create a record using the values provided.

      • Create Task action

        Create a task on any ServiceNow task table. After you choose the task table, you can dynamically select the fields to configure the action. Defining the Parent field associates the task to a parent record.

      • Copy Attachment action

        Copies an attachment from the Attachments [sys_attachment] table to a target record.

      • Delete Attachment action

        Removes one or all attachments associated with a record and deletes the attachment record from the Attachments [sys_attachment] table.

      • Delete Record action

        Deletes a record on any table.

      • Get Attachments on Record action

        Access the list and count of the attachments associated with the provided source record as data pills in a flow. Use flow logic or scripting to process each attachment in the list of the attachments that the action returns.

      • Get Catalog Variables action

        Access ServiceNow® Service Catalog variables as data pills in a flow.

      • Get Email Header action

        Access an email header value as a data pill in a flow.

      • Log action

        Logs a message in the Flow Designer log table.

      • Look up email attachments action

        Look up files that are attached to an email so that you can perform an action on the files.

      • Look Up Record action

        Look up a record from any table based on defined conditions.

      • Look Up Records action

        Look up multiple records on any table using defined conditions.

      • Lookup Attachment action

        Looks up an attachment associated with a record and returns the Attachment Sys ID as a data pill.

      • Move Attachment action

        Associates a record from the Attachment [sys_attachment] table with a target record. Removes the attachment from any other associated records.

      • Move Email Attachments to Record action

        Move attachments from an email to a record so that the files are available to your users when they view the record.

      • Send Email action

        Send an email to specified users or groups as an action in a flow.

      • Update Record action

        Update an existing record in a table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record.

      • Wait For Condition action

        Pause a flow until record values match a specific set of conditions.

      Tags:

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