Create Task activity

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Create Task activity

    The Create Task activity in ServiceNow enables you to generate a task record automatically from previously gathered or generated data within a playbook. This activity is available as a common activity and can be added by users with admin, playbook.admin, or pdauthor roles. It streamlines task creation based on predefined inputs and conditions, facilitating task management and assignment within your workflows.

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    Key Features

    • Configurable Inputs: Define task details such as Label (title), Description, and Short Description to provide clarity on the task's purpose.
    • Run Conditions: Use condition builders to specify when the activity or stage should run, leveraging data from prior activities.
    • Scheduling Options: Choose start rules for stages and activities, including starting immediately when the process or stage begins, or after specified stages or activities finish. You can also set delays before execution.
    • Assignment Controls: Assign tasks to specific users (Assigned To) or groups (Assignment Group). These assignments control who can view, edit, and complete the task data.
    • Wait for User Input: Optionally pause the playbook until the assigned user manually completes or skips the task, allowing for human interaction where required.
    • Advanced Inputs: Additional configuration such as specifying task tables, field values to set on task creation, and fields to display after task creation.
    • Wait for Task Completion: Optionally pause the playbook until the created task record is completed, ensuring synchronization between tasks and playbook progress.

    Outputs

    • Table Name: Provides the name of the task table containing the new record.
    • Record Reference: Returns a reference to the created task record, enabling subsequent activities to access or act upon it.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    By incorporating the Create Task activity into your playbooks, you can automate task creation tied to your business processes, assign them to appropriate users or groups, and control playbook flow based on task completion status. This enhances process efficiency, accountability, and ensures that tasks are tracked and completed in alignment with your operational workflows.

    Create a task record from previously gathered or generated data.

    Roles and availability

    This activity is available as a common activity. Users with the admin, playbook.admin, or pd_author can add this activity to a playbook.

    Inputs

    Open the activity properties panel and configure your activity to add values for the following inputs. If the input value varies, use the pill-picker to show where to get the value. To learn more about the pill-picker, see .
    Input Type Description
    Label String Title to display as activity and playbook card.
    Description String Information to display about activity usage or outcome.
    Run condition Condition Builder Conditions that must be met to run an activity or stage. You can use data from prior activities to build conditions.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.
    Start Rule Choice Under Schedule > Start Rule, select a start rule for when your stage should start running:
    • When process starts: Your stage starts running as soon as the playbook starts.
    • After specific stages: Your stage starts running after specified stage(s) have finished running.
    Under Schedule > Start Rule, select a start rule for when your activity should start running:
    • When stage starts: Your activity starts running as soon as its stage starts running. Your stage starts running when your playbook is triggered.
    • After specific activities: Your activity starts running after specified activities have finished running.
    Start with delay True/False Option to wait for a duration of time before running an activity or stage. When enabled, this input displays the Start with delay input properties.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.
    Assigned To Reference.User [sys_user] User responsible for completing the task associated with the activity.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.
    Short Description String Summary of the task to complete.
    Wait for user input Choice Option to pause the playbook until the end user manually completes or skips the activity. Only users with the playbook.admin role can edit this field. By default, the activity waits for user action or data before it completes.

    Advanced inputs

    After configuring the required inputs for your activity, you can also choose to configure additional inputs. In the side panel, select Show additional options to display these advanced inputs. For more information, see Activity experience.
    Input Type Description
    Assignment Group for this Process Step Reference.Group [sys_user_group] Assignment group allowed to perform this playbook activity. If you don't set any values for Assignment Group or Assigned To, any user can read and edit the collected data. The Assignment group and Assigned to fields limit who has access to do so. To specify only individual users, use the Assigned To field. The same users do not need to be specified in both fields.
    Note:
    By default, these fields are mapped to the Assignment Group and Assigned To fields of the trigger record. This means that users assigned to work on the parent record have access to submit, view and edit the collected data by default.
    Assigned to this Process Step Reference.User [sys_user] User allowed to perform this playbook activity. If you don't set any values for Assignment Group or Assigned To, any user can read and edit the collected data. The Assignment group and Assigned to fields limit who has access to do so. To specify only individual users, use the Assigned To field. The same users do not need to be specified in both fields.
    Note:
    By default, these fields are mapped to the Assignment Group and Assigned To fields of the trigger record. This means that users assigned to work on the parent record have access to submit, view and edit the collected data by default.
    Task Table Table Name Name of the task table extension in which you want to create a task. The activity completes when this task is complete.
    Field values Choice The field that you want to add to your task.
    Add Field Template Value Field values to assign when creating the task record.
    Fields to show after creation String Comma-separated list of fields to display for a created record.
    Wait for Task completion True/False Pause the playbook until the created Task record is complete.

    Outputs

    These outputs can provide data to other activities in your playbook. You can access this data as activity inputs when you configure your activity:
    Output Type Description
    Table Table Name Table containing new record.
    Record Reference.Task[task] Reference to record created.