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    Home Paris Now Platform Capabilities Now Platform capabilities Flow Designer Action Designer

    Action Designer

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    Action Designer

    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.

    Core actions

    Core actions that come with your instance cannot be viewed or edited from the Action Designer interface. Some applications include spokes which include application-specific actions. Spoke actions are typically read-only but can be copied and customized.

    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.

    Action Designer interface

    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 icon (More actions icon) 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 required fields.
    Flow designers should always test actions on non-production instances containing relevant demonstration data because 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 role.

    • Create an action

      Create a reusable component to automate one or more steps of a process.

    • Ask for Approval step

      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.

    • Create Record step

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

    • Create or Update Record step

      Create or update a record in a ServiceNow table by determining if it already exists. Add records that do not exist, and update existing ones. Identify existing records by selecting unique fields. Set field values dynamically and enforce server-side validation rules (data policy, business rules, dictionary-defined mandatory fields). UI policy does not apply.

    • Create Task step

      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.

    • Delete Multiple Records step

      Look up and delete multiple existing records as a single action. Using this action removes the need to separately look up a list of records and then delete the list with For Each flow logic.

    • Delete Record step

      Deletes a record on any table.

    • JDBC step

      Create a reusable action to send SQL commands to a relational database.

    • Log step

      Logs a message in the Flow Designer log table.

    • Look Up Record step

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

    • Look Up Records step

      Look up multiple records on any table using defined conditions.

    • Notification step

      Trigger a notification as a step within an action by selecting a record (such as an incident, change request, problem, or user record) to trigger a notification and defining the associated notification.

    • Payload Builder step

      Enable action designers to easily create name-value pairs in JSON and XML payloads using dynamic data.

    • PowerShell step

      Run PowerShell scripts on remote machines from your ServiceNow instance through a MID Server.

    • REST step

      Send an outbound REST web service request to an external system.

    • Script step

      Add custom JavaScript to execute within a reusable action. While most core actions and steps fit common use cases, you can build a Script step to execute behavior not satisfied by the core steps.

    • Send Email step

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

    • SFTP step

      Create a reusable action to manage files and directories on an SFTP server and to move files from one SFTP server to another.

    • SSH step

      The SSH step executes SSH commands on an external *nix system through a ServiceNow® MID Server. The step also stores scripts and commands for the *nix systems.

    • SOAP step

      Enable action designers to send outbound SOAP web service requests to external systems.

    • Update Multiple Records step

      Look up and update multiple records as a single step. Using this step removes the need to separately look up a list of records and then process the list with a Script step. Set field values with a template or add and configure them using data pills.

    • Update Record step

      Update an existing record in a table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record, or use a template to set field values.

    • Wait For Condition step

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

    Tags:

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    Release version
    Choose your release version

      Action Designer

      • 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

      Action Designer

      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.

      Core actions

      Core actions that come with your instance cannot be viewed or edited from the Action Designer interface. Some applications include spokes which include application-specific actions. Spoke actions are typically read-only but can be copied and customized.

      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.

      Action Designer interface

      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 icon (More actions icon) 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 required fields.
      Flow designers should always test actions on non-production instances containing relevant demonstration data because 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 role.

      • Create an action

        Create a reusable component to automate one or more steps of a process.

      • Ask for Approval step

        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.

      • Create Record step

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

      • Create or Update Record step

        Create or update a record in a ServiceNow table by determining if it already exists. Add records that do not exist, and update existing ones. Identify existing records by selecting unique fields. Set field values dynamically and enforce server-side validation rules (data policy, business rules, dictionary-defined mandatory fields). UI policy does not apply.

      • Create Task step

        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.

      • Delete Multiple Records step

        Look up and delete multiple existing records as a single action. Using this action removes the need to separately look up a list of records and then delete the list with For Each flow logic.

      • Delete Record step

        Deletes a record on any table.

      • JDBC step

        Create a reusable action to send SQL commands to a relational database.

      • Log step

        Logs a message in the Flow Designer log table.

      • Look Up Record step

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

      • Look Up Records step

        Look up multiple records on any table using defined conditions.

      • Notification step

        Trigger a notification as a step within an action by selecting a record (such as an incident, change request, problem, or user record) to trigger a notification and defining the associated notification.

      • Payload Builder step

        Enable action designers to easily create name-value pairs in JSON and XML payloads using dynamic data.

      • PowerShell step

        Run PowerShell scripts on remote machines from your ServiceNow instance through a MID Server.

      • REST step

        Send an outbound REST web service request to an external system.

      • Script step

        Add custom JavaScript to execute within a reusable action. While most core actions and steps fit common use cases, you can build a Script step to execute behavior not satisfied by the core steps.

      • Send Email step

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

      • SFTP step

        Create a reusable action to manage files and directories on an SFTP server and to move files from one SFTP server to another.

      • SSH step

        The SSH step executes SSH commands on an external *nix system through a ServiceNow® MID Server. The step also stores scripts and commands for the *nix systems.

      • SOAP step

        Enable action designers to send outbound SOAP web service requests to external systems.

      • Update Multiple Records step

        Look up and update multiple records as a single step. Using this step removes the need to separately look up a list of records and then process the list with a Script step. Set field values with a template or add and configure them using data pills.

      • Update Record step

        Update an existing record in a table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record, or use a template to set field values.

      • Wait For Condition step

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

      Tags:

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