---
sourceDocument: Yokohama ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/servicenow-platform

 Release :

    - yokohama

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Yokohama ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities

ft:clusterId :

    - platcap

bundleId :

    - platcap

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Cancel a workflow

# Cancel a workflow {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Yokohama
* 
* Updated January 30, 2025
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read

Canceling a workflow stops the workflow from executing and sets the workflow context
State to Canceled. To cancel an executing
workflow, you can use the cancelContext(context) script. You can define
an onCancel script to clean up unresolved workflow activities.

## Before you begin

Role required: admin or workflow_admin

## About this task

Canceling a workflow attempts to stop the workflow gracefully by injecting a cancel command into the workflow engine.

## Procedure

1. Navigate to AllWorkflowActive Contexts.
2. Select a workflow context record.
3. Configure form layout to add On-cancel script field to form.  
   For detailed information about configuring form layout, see [Configuring the form layout](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=configure-form-layout&version=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US).
4. Select the Cancel related link.  
   A confirmation appears. ![Cancel Confirmation]()
5. Click OK.  
   The workflow engine attempts to cancel the workflow gracefully.

   If the workflow does not respond to the cancel command, the Force Cancel option appears.
6. Click Force cancel to interrupt the thread the workflow is actively executing or click Continue waiting to continue waiting for the workflow to cancel gracefully.  
   Warning:  
   Whenever possible, allow a workflow to cancel gracefully. Forcing a workflow to cancel can leave related workflows and scripts in an unresolved state. You can use an on-cancel script to clean up unresolved artifacts from a cancelled workflow.

## Cancel a workflow with the cancelContext(context) script {#ariaid-title2}

To cancel an executing workflow, you can use the
cancelContext(context) script. This script can be useful in cases
where a workflow must be canceled in response to an event or where a user must manually
cancel a workflow.

### Before you begin

Role required: admin

### About this task

For more information, see the [Workflow - cancelContext(GlideRecord context)](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_Workflow_api&version=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-api-reference&section=r_WF-cancelContext_GR&ft:locale=en-US).

## Define an on-cancel script {#ariaid-title3}

Canceling a workflow can leave records or scripts in an unresolved state. For
example, canceling a service catalog workflow may leave catalog items in the requesting
user's cart. An administrator can specify an On-cancel script that runs when the workflow
transitions to the Canceled state. This script can notify users, log information, or resolve
the state of any scripts run within a workflow activity. The sys_id of the workflow context
is available in this script using the context_sys_id variable.

### About this task

On-cancel scripts run asynchronously from the global scope. Your instance workload determines when the system schedules and runs the on-cancel script.  
Important:  
Since the system runs on-cancel scripts from the global scope, they cannot call or run scoped script includes.

### Procedure

1. Navigate to AllWorkflowWorkflow Versions.
2. Select a workflow version that you have checked out.  
   Workflow versions that are not checked out are not editable.
3. Edit the On-cancel script field.  
   You may need to configure the form to add this field.
4. Click Update.

### Example

This example script adds a comment to a Requested Item \[sc_req_item\] record indicating the workflow for that request has been canceled.

    var grContext = new GlideRecord("wf_context"); 
    grContext.get(context_sys_id); 
    var grReq = new GlideRecord("sc_req_item");
     
    // The current record may not exist, make sure it exists before modifying it.
    if (grReq.get(grContext.id)) {
        grReq.comments = "The workflow processing this item was Canceled. Contact your system administrator for further information.";
        grReq.update();
    }

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