API access to Workflow Studio flows

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of API Access to Workflow Studio Flows

    Application developers can utilize APIs to access Workflow Studio functionalities, allowing them to trigger flows, subflows, and actions either from server-side or client-side scripts. Flow authors can enable these elements to be callable during the design phase, enhancing integration capabilities with external systems.

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    Key Features

    • Server-Side FlowAPI: Trigger actions, flows, and subflows synchronously or asynchronously, with options for execution details.
    • Client-Side GlideFlow: Facilitate client-side interactions, provided that the flow elements are marked as client callable.
    • Quick Methods: Utilize quick methods in FlowAPI to execute flows without creating execution records, improving performance in high-volume processing environments.
    • Streaming APIs: Generate large JSON or XML payloads for REST or SOAP requests, enabling bulk data transmission to third-party APIs.
    • Client Callable APIs: Flows, subflows, and actions can be made accessible for client calls by enabling the Client callable option during design.
    • Run As Property: Flows can execute as the system user or the initiating user, with API quick methods always running as the system user.
    • Code Snippets: Generate JavaScript functions for calling specific flows or actions, usable in various script contexts including business rules.

    Key Outcomes

    By leveraging these APIs, customers can enhance their application integrations, optimize performance, and streamline workflow execution. The ability to create client callable elements and generate code snippets enables greater flexibility and efficiency in automating processes within the ServiceNow environment.

    Application developers can access Workflow Studio functionality through APIs for flows, subflows, and actions. Flow authors can enable individual flows, subflows, and actions to be client callable during design.

    Available Workflow Studio flow APIs

    Trigger flows, subflows, and actions using these APIs from server or client scripts.

    Server side
    FlowAPI: Trigger a flow, subflow, or action using synchronous or asynchronous methods, with or without execution details.
    Client side
    GlideFlow: Perform client-side interactions with actions, flows, and subflows. Flow designers must enable a flow, subflow, and action to be called from the client.

    FlowAPI quick methods

    Use quick methods in the FlowAPI class to run an action, flow, or subflow from a server-side script without creating execution details or other related records. Use these methods to increase the speed of high-volume processing in a production environment, and to improve performance by eliminating record-keeping overhead. Methods include:

    • executeActionQuick(), executeFlowQuick(), executeSubflowQuick(): Run an action, flow, or subflow from a server-side script synchronously from the current user session.
    • startActionQuick(), startFlowQuick(), startSubflowQuick(): Run an action, flow, or subflow from a server-side script asynchronously.

    XML and JSON streaming APIs

    Builds a large streaming or non-streaming JSON or XML payload to use in a REST or SOAP request to send bulk data to a third-party API. For example, you can use these APIs to create a JSON payload in the Workflow Studio Script step and pass the returned value to the REST step to send the request to a third-party service. For more information, see JSONStreamingBuilder and XMLStreamingBuilder .

    Client callable APIs

    By default, the flows, subflows, and actions can only be called by the FlowAPI within a server script. Flow and action designers can make individual flows, subflows, or actions available to client calls by enabling the Client callable option during the design process.

    Run as support

    Flows and subflows can run as either the system user or the user who initiates the session. Set this behavior from the flow properties. All API quick methods ignore the run as property, and always run as the system user.

    Actions always run as the user who initiates the session.

    Code snippets

    Application developers can generate a JavaScript function that calls a specific flow, subflow, or action with the Code Snippet option. Use the code snippet in scripts such as business rules or the Scripts - Backgound module to call specific Workflow Studio elements. The system only generates code snippets for published flows, subflows, and actions. Workflow Studio elements in the draft or modified status do not generate code snippets.