create catalog task activity getting cancelled

[rambo1]

Hi Team, 

I am working on flow , where when catalog task is closed incomplete RITM should be closed incomplete.

But when catalog task is closed incomplete, the 'create catalog task' activity is getting cancelled there and flow is not progressing to next step which actually updates ritm to closed incomplete. 

I understood that is ctaalog task is closed incomplete , activity getting cancelled is OOTB , how do I change it ?

[Connectmustaq]

Hi @rambo1 ,

 

The behavior you're encountering—where the "Create Catalog Task" activity in a Flow Designer flow gets canceled when the catalog task is closed incomplete—is due to the out-of-the-box (OOTB) fail-fast or cancellation behavior configured on the "Create Catalog Task" action. This is standard to prevent workflows from proceeding if a child task fails or gets incomplete prematurely.

• The "Create Catalog Task" action in Flow Designer usually waits for the catalog task's completion.

• If the catalog task ends with a state like "Closed Incomplete," the activity is considered failed or canceled, causing the flow to stop or skip subsequent actions.

How to Change This Behavior

1. Modify the Flow's Error Handling for the Activity

2. Use "Wait for Conditions" Instead of Relying on Automatic Cancellation

3. Add Flow Logic to Detect Task State and Continue

4. Avoid Using "Create Catalog Task" Activity That Cancels the Flow on Incomplete

 

Recommended Practice

Using a "Wait for Condition" and subsequent conditional logic is usually the cleanest way to handle such scenarios—letting your flow continue gracefully regardless of whether the catalog task is closed complete or incomplete.

 

If it is helpful, please hit the thumbs button and accept the correct solution by referring to this solution in the future it will be helpful to them.

 

Thanks & Regards,

Mohammed Mustaq Shaik

[rambo1]

I added wait for condition after 'create catalog task' activity to check if it is closed incomplete , but after task is closed incomplete the next action that is 'wait for condition' is getting cancelled and flow is cancelled.

[Connectmustaq]

Hi @rambo1 ,

The behavior you are experiencing is the default, out-of-the-box (OOTB) design of the "Create Catalog Task" activity in ServiceNow Flow Designer:

• When the catalog task it creates is closed as "Incomplete," the activity itself is marked "Canceled," and all subsequent flow steps—including your "Wait for Condition"—are also canceled automatically.

• This is a ServiceNow safeguard to prevent further flow processing when fulfillment tasks end in a failure or incomplete state

To ensure your flow continues after a catalog task is "Closed Incomplete" and gives you a chance to process the RITM accordingly, use this standard pattern:

1. Do NOT use "Create Catalog Task" activity

• Instead, add the "Create Record" action to create a new catalog task (sc_task).

• Store the task’s sys_id as an output variable.

2. Use "Wait for Condition" on the created catalog task

• Wait for the sc_task (using the sys_id from step 1) until its state is in Closed Complete or Closed Incomplete.

• This step will NOT be auto-canceled by the OOTB activity.

3. Add a Condition step (If/Switch)

• After the Wait, use an If or Switch step to check if the catalog task is "Closed Incomplete."

• If so, update the RITM to "Closed Incomplete".

• The standard "Create Catalog Task" activity is designed to fail-fast and prevent further flow execution if a child task cannot be completed successfully (e.g., is closed incomplete, rejected, or canceled).

• As a result, any steps after it, such as your "Wait for Condition," are not triggered—they are automatically canceled, and the flow ends unless you use the manual pattern 

Stop using the OOTB "Create Catalog Task" activity for exception/branching logic scenarios. Use "Create Record" → "Wait for Condition" → custom logic:
This gives you complete control over post-task processing, regardless of task outcome

If it is helpful, please hit the thumbs button and accept the correct solution by referring to this solution in the future it will be helpful to them.

Thanks & Regards,

Mohammed Mustaq Shaik

[Ankur Bawiskar]

@rambo1 

handle the logic of updating RITM based on SC Task using after update BR on sc_task instead of flow.

💡 If my response helped, please mark it as correct ✅ and close the thread 🔒— this helps future readers find the solution faster! 🙏