Questionnaire activity

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Questionnaire activity

    The Questionnaire activity in ServiceNow Playbooks enables you to collect inputs directly from users during a playbook run without the need to create a separate data definition. It is designed for simple data collection that is used only within the context of the playbook and does not require reporting or external use of the collected data. This activity replaces the older Collect User Data activity.

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    Use the Questionnaire activity if you do not have an existing table to store data and do not need to run reports on or use the data outside the playbook. If you have an existing table, the User Form activity is recommended instead.

    Roles and Availability

    The Questionnaire activity is available as a common activity for users with the admin, playbook.admin, or pdauthor roles, who can add it to playbooks.

    Key Features

    • Data collection during playbook runs: Capture user inputs such as shipping addresses or yes/no questions and use these inputs to control subsequent playbook activities.
    • Activity configuration: Configure common activity properties such as Label (title), Description, Run Conditions (to control when the activity runs), and Start Rules (to schedule when stages or activities start).
    • Questionnaire management: Add, edit, and configure questions within the Questionnaire tab to tailor input collection to your process needs.
    • Access control: Assign the questionnaire activity to specific Assignment Groups and/or individual users to restrict who can view, submit, or edit collected data. By default, these fields inherit values from the parent record’s Assignment Group and Assigned To, ensuring appropriate access alignment.
    • Outputs for further automation: The collected data is output as a record reference, accessible via the pill-picker for use in subsequent playbook activities, enabling seamless data flow within the playbook.
    • Optional delay: Configure a start delay for the activity or stage to control timing within the playbook execution.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    This activity is ideal for customers who need to quickly gather user inputs during a playbook execution without the overhead of creating and maintaining data tables or reporting structures. It streamlines data collection within the playbook context and supports conditional workflows based on user responses. The integrated access controls help maintain data security and proper task assignment aligned with your organizational roles.

    By using the Questionnaire activity, you can enhance playbook interactivity, improve data accuracy collected at runtime, and enable more dynamic and responsive process automation within ServiceNow Playbooks.

    Collects inputs from a user during a playbook run to use later in the playbook.

    The questionnaire activity replaces the Collect User Data activity, but does not require you to create a data definition. Use the questionnaire activity if:
    • You don't have a table already,
    • You don't need to run reports on the collected data,
    • And you don't need to use the data outside of the playbook.
    If you already have a table to store the collected data, use the User Form activity.

    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.

    During a playbook run, you can use data definitions to potentially:
    • Collect a shipping address, then reference the address when generating a shipping label.
    • Ask the user "yes" or "no" questions, and determine subsequent activities based on the user's responses.

    Common properties

    These properties are common to all to activities in Playbooks.

    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 Dot-walking examples.
    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:
    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:
    Show additional options to see this field.

    Questionnaire

    In the Questionnaire tab, you can:
    • Add questions for agents to respond to,
    • Edit existing questionnaires.
    To learn more about adding or configuring questions, see Create a new questionnaire.

    Inputs

    Many of these inputs are common to activities in Playbooks.

    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.

    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
    Record Reference.Flow Data Reference to record containing collected data. Use the pill-picker to dot-walk to Outputs > Record > Vars to see all collected data. To learn more about the pill-picker, see Dot-walking examples.