Automate a task with a sequence of related steps
such as lookup a record, create a record, and log details about the record
creation. Actions separate complexity from the Flow Designer
environment, enabling flow designers to add actions to multiple flows with
minimal configuration.
Using
Action Designer, subject matter experts can:
- Create application-specific actions with pre-set configuration details, enabling process
analysts to easily add actions to a flow with little configuration.
- Create scripted actions that appear code-less when added to a flow.
- Build integrations using IntegrationHub.
Custom actions
Unlike core actions where flow designers must manually configure flow logic, custom actions
always use the same configuration when added to a flow. If your flow designers often use an
action with the same configuration, you might create a reusable action.
A reusable action includes these components.
- Inputs
- Inputs are data variables used in your
action. For example, if an action step creates a record in the incident table, your input
might be a reference to the incident table. Once added as an input, the table and its
fields are available to steps and outputs in the flow.
Each input you define for an action becomes a
configuration option in the Flow Designer interface. To use the
action in a flow, flow designers must define a value for each mandatory input.
The more inputs an action has, the more data flow designers must define and the
more familiar they must be with the underlying data model to use the action
effectively.
Inputs provide advanced options based on their data
type. All inputs have advanced options to add a hint or provide a default value.
Use advanced options to guide flow designers through adding and configuring an
action to a flow. For example, create a choice input to provide flow designers
with a pre-defined list of configuration options to choose from. For more
information about the configuration options available to particular data types,
see field types.
- Action steps
-
An action step or step is a
single reusable operation within an action. For example, the Create
Record step allows action designers to specify the table and field
values to use during record creation. Action steps require subject matter
expertise with application tables, fields, and business logic. Application
developers or IT generalists add action steps to actions from the Action Designer design environment. Flow Designer
provides a set of ServiceNow core action steps to automate Now Platform processes. You can add application-specific action steps by activating the
associated spoke.
- Outputs
- Outputs are data variables that
represent the results of the action. These results are available to other
actions in a flow.
Action Designer
environment
Subject matter experts build custom actions in Action Designer.
Create and edit
actions by defining inputs and adding action steps.
Test
actions to verify if they complete successfully and review the runtime values
they generate. Copy actions to use existing actions as
templates. Publish actions to activate them, which makes them available to
activated flows and to preserve their current action steps, variables, and
sequence as a snapshot separate from further configuration changes.
More Actions
Click the More Actions (
) button to access additional options for the action.
- Copy action
- Create a copy of the open action in an application you specify.
- Configurations
- Enable or disable the Show inline script toggle option.
- Code Snippet
- Generate a code snippet for the action.
- Manage security
- Enable or disable the Callable by Client API option.
- Manage natural language title
- Create or edit an action title with styled or dynamic text. For more information, see
Manage natural language
titles.
Testing actions
After adding inputs and action steps, users with the flow_designer role can test an action.
To test an action, users must provide the required inputs.
Note: Inputs must be provided for
all the mandatory fields.
Flow designers should always test actions on
non-production instances containing relevant demonstration data since testing an action
creates or changes records on the instance.
Note: User must have
the flow_designer or admin role to view the executions.
Roles
To create custom actions, a user must have the action_designer or admin roles.
