Exploring actions

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read

    • Actions automate a repeatable task or operation within a flow. Flows run actions by passing them data as inputs. Actions run a sequence of steps to complete the task, and pass data to the flow as outputs.

    Actions overview

    Automate a repeatable task within a flow as a sequence of related steps. Enable flow authors to add actions to multiple flows with minimal configuration.

    A reusable action includes these components.

    Inputs

    Inputs are data variables used in your action. For example, if an action step creates a record in the incident table, your input might be a reference to the incident table. Once added as an input, the table and its fields are available to steps and outputs in the flow.

    Each input you define for an action becomes a configuration option in the Workflow Studio interface. To use the action in a flow, flow designers must define a value for each mandatory input. The more inputs an action has, the more data flow designers must define and the more familiar they must be with the underlying data model to use the action effectively.

    Inputs provide advanced options based on their data type. All inputs have advanced options to add a hint or provide a default value. Use advanced options to guide flow designers through adding and configuring an action to a flow. For example, create a choice input to provide flow designers with a pre-defined list of configuration options to choose from. For more information about the configuration options available to particular data types, see field types.

    Outputs
    Outputs are data variables that represent the results of the action. These results are available to other actions in a flow.
    Steps

    A step is a single reusable operation within an action. For example, the Create Record step allows action designers to specify the table and field values to use during record creation. Step configuration requires subject matter expertise with application tables, fields, and business logic. Application developers or IT generalists add steps to actions from the Workflow Studio action design environment. Workflow Studio provides a set of ServiceNow core steps to automate ServiceNow AI Platform processes. You can add application-specific steps by activating the associated spoke.

    Workflow to create actions using Workflow Studio

    The following illustration describes the basic tasks involved in creating a subflow using Workflow Studio. For detailed instructions for creating a subflow, see Create an action in Workflow Studio.

    Actions benefits

    Using Workflow Studio, you can:
    • Create application-specific actions with pre-set configuration details, enabling process analysts to easily add actions to a flow with little configuration.
    • Create scripted actions that appear code-less when added to a flow.
    • Build integrations using Integration Hub.
    Benefit Feature Users
    Build an automated operation from an existing library of automated steps. Action Application developer, integration owner, or process owner
    Run an automated operation on demand. Action Application developer, integration owner, or process owner
    Use data from other automated operations as inputs. Action Application developer, integration owner, or process owner
    Pass data to other automated operations as outputs. Action Application developer, integration owner, or process owner
    Stream data in a sequence of pages. Data Stream Action Integration owner