Workflow editor

The Workflow Editor is an interface for creating and modifying workflows by arranging and connecting activities to drive processes.

You can manage multiple workflows in the same screen, create custom workflow activities, and use existing activities as data sources. Users with the workflow_creator role can create workflows. Users with the workflow_admin role can create, modify, delete, and publish workflows.

To open the Workflow Editor, navigate to Workflow > Workflow Editor. For information about using the editor, see Create a workflow.

Welcome screen

The editor opens with the Welcome page, which displays a list of active, published workflows. From this tab, you can open existing workflows, create new workflows, and open help resources related to workflow.

List display filters

Published: Click to view list of published workflows

Checked Out: Click to view list of workflows checked out to current user

Help: Click to view links to help resources for workflow

New Workflow button

Click to create a new workflow

Palette tabs

Workflows: Workflow activities and workflows you can use as subflows.

Core: Available workflow activities appropriate for the selected workflow. Contents can include activities provided by the base system and those purchased with orchestration.

Packs: Orchestration activity packs downloaded from the ServiceNow® App Store, organized by vendor and scope. Custom activities and workflows that you scope also appear as packs. Only visible if the orchestration plugin is installed.

Custom: Orchestration custom activities available. Only visible if the orchestration plugin is installed.

Data: Activities in the current workflow that output data. You can use these activities as data sources for other activities. Only visible if the orchestration plugin is installed.

Note:

If your workflow welcome page does not look like this example, you may have customized the workflow welcome page before upgrading to Washington DC. You can update the workflow welcome page to the latest version by editing the UI pages .

Navigate to System UI > UI Pages > Workflow Editor welcome. In the UI page record for workflow_editor_welcome, scroll to the Versions related list. Select the row for the version corresponding to the upgrade to Washington DC, right-click and select Revert to this version.

Workflow canvas

After you open or create a new workflow, the system displays the workflow canvas. On the canvas you interact with the Workflow Editor through several different elements: the canvas itself, the canvas tabs, the title bar, the palette, and the palette tabs.

The drawing canvas is where you add activities and configure transitions for checked out workflows. Add an activity by dragging it from the palette to the workflow in the canvas. For more information, see Create a workflow.

• Canvas tabs: Contains tabs for accessing workflows being edited or created.
• Title bar: Displays the workflow name and status. Provides a menu and controls for configuring, testing, and validating workflows.
• Canvas: Provides the working surface for creating new workflows or editing existing ones.
• Palette tabs: Contains tabs for accessing activities being edited or created.
• Palette: Contains all available workflow activities and existing workflows you can use as subflows. Drag activities and subflows to the canvas to create new workflows or edit existing ones.

Figure 1. Workflow user interface

• Workflow palette
  The default workflow palette contains workflow activities and existing workflows you can use as subflows.
• Workflow editor title bar
  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.
• Workflow editor keyboard navigation
  The platform includes accessibility features that support Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 level A and make the interface accessible to users with disabilities.