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    Home Paris Now Platform Capabilities Now Platform capabilities Process Automation Designer Process Automation Designer lanes and activities Activity definitions

    Activity definitions

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    Activity definitions

    Activity definitions describe how the activities in your process definition get the data that they need when your process runs.

    Activity definitions provide default configurations and values for your activities so that they can run properly when your process definition is triggered. Each activity definition contains some basic configuration details, as well as an automation plan and activity experience.

    The Activity Definition [sys_pd_activity_definition] table lists the definitions for the activities that you can add to a process definition in Process Automation Designer. To access these activity definitions, navigate to Process Automation > Process Automation Administration > Activity Definitions.

    Fields

    Each activity definition record has these basic fields:
    Field Description
    Label Name of the activity to display to users in Process Automation Designer.
    Table Name of the table whose records the activity can access as inputs. Typically, this table is either the Task [task] or Global [global] table.
    Application Application scope that the activity can run in.
    Accessible From Options include:
    • All application scopes - Users can access this activity from any application scope.
    • This application scope only - Users can access this activity from the application scope that you specify in the Application field only.
    Description Optional description for the activity.

    Automation plan

    Each activity definition has an automation plan. The automation plan for an activity definition specifies:
    • The Flow Designer flow or action, which drives the activity's automation
    • The activity's inputs, which are the data that the activity needs to run your process

    Activity experience

    Each activity also has an activity experience. The activity experience specifies an experience type, associated record, and details for what data to render in the activity's associated user-facing view, such as a Workspace playbook card, at runtime.
    Experience type
    An experience type defines the data, or properties, that describe how the activity renders as a user-facing view, such as a Workspace playbook card, at runtime. For example, a Record experience type tells the system that the activity can display a title, tagline, description, footer, and service level agreement (SLA) information in the playbook card when your activated process runs. For more information, see Experience types.
    Associated record
    The associated record defines the record whose data can render within a user-facing view, such as a Workspace playbook card, at runtime. The associated record is dynamic, which means that it changes frequently as the process progresses. Because of this dynamic nature, you may want to use the data pill picker (Data pill picker) to map the associated record to output record data within the underlying subflow or action specified in the automation plan.
    Data to render in the user-facing view
    You can specify the data to render in the user-facing view, such as a playbook card, in the sections under the Associated Record section. To add dynamic data to fields that render in this user-facing view, use the data pill picker (Data pill picker) next to a data field and navigate, or dot-walk, to the appropriate data pill. The data pill should point to data within the underlying subflow or action specified in the activity definition's automation plan.
    Note: An activity experience contains many sections where you can specify the data to appear within the Workspace playbook card. These sections vary depending on the experience type that you select. For example, a Record experience type has Details, Form, Attachments, and Features sections, while a Knowledge experience type has Knowledge, Details, and Features sections.

    Design considerations

    Refer to these design considerations when working with activity definitions:
    Avoid calling triggered Flow Designer flows in an activity's automation plan
    To prevent unintentionally running a flow outside of Process Automation Designer, you can use only subflows or actions in activity automation plans. Alternatively, you can set the flow's trigger to only run if not already running. For more information, see Flow trigger types.
    Specify default input values in your activity definitions
    Preconfiguring default input values for your activity definitions reduces the time and complexity needed for a process owner to create a process definition.
    • Create an automation plan

      Follow an example of how to create an automation plan for use in an activity definition.

    • Create an activity definition

      Create an activity definition so that you can add a custom activity to your process definition.

    • Experience types

      An experience type describes what properties and components to use when an activity renders as a card in a Workspace playbook.

    Related concepts
    • Interactive activities
    • Non-Interactive activities
    • Activity executions
    Related reference
    • Create Task activity
    • Instruction activity
    • Placeholder activity

    Tags:

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      Activity definitions

      • 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

      Activity definitions

      Activity definitions describe how the activities in your process definition get the data that they need when your process runs.

      Activity definitions provide default configurations and values for your activities so that they can run properly when your process definition is triggered. Each activity definition contains some basic configuration details, as well as an automation plan and activity experience.

      The Activity Definition [sys_pd_activity_definition] table lists the definitions for the activities that you can add to a process definition in Process Automation Designer. To access these activity definitions, navigate to Process Automation > Process Automation Administration > Activity Definitions.

      Fields

      Each activity definition record has these basic fields:
      Field Description
      Label Name of the activity to display to users in Process Automation Designer.
      Table Name of the table whose records the activity can access as inputs. Typically, this table is either the Task [task] or Global [global] table.
      Application Application scope that the activity can run in.
      Accessible From Options include:
      • All application scopes - Users can access this activity from any application scope.
      • This application scope only - Users can access this activity from the application scope that you specify in the Application field only.
      Description Optional description for the activity.

      Automation plan

      Each activity definition has an automation plan. The automation plan for an activity definition specifies:
      • The Flow Designer flow or action, which drives the activity's automation
      • The activity's inputs, which are the data that the activity needs to run your process

      Activity experience

      Each activity also has an activity experience. The activity experience specifies an experience type, associated record, and details for what data to render in the activity's associated user-facing view, such as a Workspace playbook card, at runtime.
      Experience type
      An experience type defines the data, or properties, that describe how the activity renders as a user-facing view, such as a Workspace playbook card, at runtime. For example, a Record experience type tells the system that the activity can display a title, tagline, description, footer, and service level agreement (SLA) information in the playbook card when your activated process runs. For more information, see Experience types.
      Associated record
      The associated record defines the record whose data can render within a user-facing view, such as a Workspace playbook card, at runtime. The associated record is dynamic, which means that it changes frequently as the process progresses. Because of this dynamic nature, you may want to use the data pill picker (Data pill picker) to map the associated record to output record data within the underlying subflow or action specified in the automation plan.
      Data to render in the user-facing view
      You can specify the data to render in the user-facing view, such as a playbook card, in the sections under the Associated Record section. To add dynamic data to fields that render in this user-facing view, use the data pill picker (Data pill picker) next to a data field and navigate, or dot-walk, to the appropriate data pill. The data pill should point to data within the underlying subflow or action specified in the activity definition's automation plan.
      Note: An activity experience contains many sections where you can specify the data to appear within the Workspace playbook card. These sections vary depending on the experience type that you select. For example, a Record experience type has Details, Form, Attachments, and Features sections, while a Knowledge experience type has Knowledge, Details, and Features sections.

      Design considerations

      Refer to these design considerations when working with activity definitions:
      Avoid calling triggered Flow Designer flows in an activity's automation plan
      To prevent unintentionally running a flow outside of Process Automation Designer, you can use only subflows or actions in activity automation plans. Alternatively, you can set the flow's trigger to only run if not already running. For more information, see Flow trigger types.
      Specify default input values in your activity definitions
      Preconfiguring default input values for your activity definitions reduces the time and complexity needed for a process owner to create a process definition.
      • Create an automation plan

        Follow an example of how to create an automation plan for use in an activity definition.

      • Create an activity definition

        Create an activity definition so that you can add a custom activity to your process definition.

      • Experience types

        An experience type describes what properties and components to use when an activity renders as a card in a Workspace playbook.

      Related concepts
      • Interactive activities
      • Non-Interactive activities
      • Activity executions
      Related reference
      • Create Task activity
      • Instruction activity
      • Placeholder activity

      Tags:

      Feedback

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