Workflow editor title bar

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Workflow Editor Title Bar

    The Workflow Editor Title Bar provides essential information and controls when working with workflows in the ServiceNow platform. It displays the workflow title and its status, such as "Checked out by" or "Published." This interface is crucial for managing and testing workflows efficiently.

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    Key Features

    • Workflow Properties: Access the properties form of the current workflow.
    • Start: Initiates the workflow, applicable only for workflows on the Global table.
    • Validate: Tests the workflow for potential issues before publication, ensuring it operates correctly.
    • Help: Provides documentation for creating and managing workflows.

    Workflow Menu Options

    Access additional configurations via the menu icon in the title bar. Key options include:

    • New Workflow: Create a new workflow.
    • Open Existing: Open another existing workflow.
    • Copy: Duplicate the current workflow with a new name.
    • Publish: Make the current personal workflow version public, applicable for checked-out workflows.
    • Checkout: Create a personal editable version of a published workflow.
    • Delete: Remove the workflow, provided it has no associated contexts.
    • Set Inactive: Deactivate the workflow to prevent its use.
    • Expand/Collapse Transitions: Redraw transitions to enhance clarity in workflow visualization.
    • Show Contexts: Displays all contexts for troubleshooting.
    • Properties: Opens the Workflow Properties form.
    • Edit Inputs: Modify the list of variables the workflow can accept.
    • Edit Stages: Manage the Workflow Stages list.

    Key Outcomes

    Utilizing the Workflow Editor Title Bar allows ServiceNow customers to efficiently create, modify, and validate workflows, thereby ensuring smooth operations and effective troubleshooting within their workflows. This tool is vital for maintaining workflow integrity and enhancing overall process management.

    When a workflow is opened in the canvas, the title bar displays the workflow title and the workflow status in italics. Possible states are Checked out by <name> and Published.

    Figure 1. Workflow editor title bar
    Controls on the right side of the title bar manage the workflow.
    • Workflow Properties Workflow properties icon: Opens the current workflow's properties form.
    • Start Run the workflow icon: Runs the workflow. This control is only available for workflows running on the Global table that are accessible from all application scopes. To test workflows that are on other tables, insert a record into that table that meets the condition of the workflow.
    • Validate Validate the workflow icon: Tests the workflow prior to publication. Validation detects potential problems that can prevent the workflow from publishing or cause the workflow to fail. For more information, see Workflow Validation.
    • Help Help icon: Opens documentation to help you create the workflow.

    Workflow menu

    Click the menu icon in the title bar for additional options to configure the workflow.

    Figure 2. Accessing the workflow menu
    These menu options are available:
    Table 1. Workflow menu options
    Option Description
    New Workflow Creates a new workflow.
    Open Existing Opens another existing workflow.
    Copy Creates a duplicate of the workflow. Give the copy a different name.
    Publish Makes the personal workflow version public, overwriting the current published workflow version. This option is only available for checked out workflows.
    Checkout Creates a personal version of the workflow for you, which you can edit. This option is only available for published workflows.
    Delete Deletes the workflow. You cannot delete workflows that have contexts associated with them.
    Set Inactive Inactivates the workflow so that it cannot be used.
    Expand Transitions Redraws the transitions so that they do not overlap when they leave the activity condition.
    Start Workflow Starts a test run of the current workflow.
    Validate Workflow Runs validation tests on your workflow prior to publication. Use this validation to detect potential problems that can prevent the workflow from publishing or cause the workflow to fail. For more information, see Work on workflows.
    Collapse Transitions Redraws the transitions so they overlap when they leave the activity condition.
    Show Contexts Displays all the contexts for the current workflow. You can use this option to troubleshoot a workflow.
    Properties Opens the Workflow Properties form, which defines the workflow's attributes.
    Edit Inputs Opens the Workflow Inputs list of variables that the workflow can accept when used as a subflow. For more information, see Pass a variable from a workflow to a subflow.
    Edit Stages Opens the Workflow Stages list. For more information, see Workflow stages. For tables with a column of Type = Workflow.