Wait for condition workflow activity

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Wait for condition workflow activity

    The Wait for condition activity in ServiceNow workflows pauses the workflow at that step until the current record meets a specified condition. The workflow checks this condition every time the record is updated, allowing the workflow to wait indefinitely for particular criteria to be true. This activity is intended to wait for external events like record updates rather than changes made by the workflow itself. For waiting based on time instead of conditions, use Timer workflow activities.

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    Key Features

    • Condition Evaluation: The workflow pauses until all specified conditions—defined either through the condition builder or script—evaluate to true.
    • Result Assignment: You can assign a result value within the activity’s script field using activity.result. The workflow moves forward when this result is true.
    • Timeout Option: There is an option to enable a timeout that limits how long the workflow waits for the condition before continuing. This requires setting a duration and optionally a work schedule to calculate the timeout period.
    • Input Variables: Key inputs include the condition to wait for, an optional script condition, timeout enablement, and duration settings.
    • Activity States: The activity progresses through states such as Executing, Waiting, Finished, Cancelled, and Error, which indicate the current status and behavior of the workflow engine toward the activity.

    Key Outcomes

    Using the Wait for condition activity allows workflows to effectively pause and resume based on real-time updates to records, ensuring that subsequent workflow steps run only when required conditions are met. The timeout feature helps prevent indefinite waiting, improving workflow reliability and control. This activity enhances automation by synchronizing workflow progression with external record changes, making it suitable for scenarios that depend on asynchronous events.

    The Wait for condition activity causes the workflow to wait at this activity until the current record matches the specified condition.

    The workflow evaluates the Wait for condition activity each time the current record is updated. Use this activity to pause a workflow indefinitely until a particular criteria is met by a record update. To pause a workflow for a timed duration see Timer workflow activities.

    For workflow to consider the condition met, all conditions specified – whether in the builder or in a script – must be true.
    Note:
    A Wait for condition activity should only be used to wait for an external event such as a record update, and not one from a workflow setting a value. If you have a workflow setting a value and want to wait for that same field to be seen as 'changed,' try inserting a one-second timer.

    Results

    The workflow designer can assign a result value using activity.result from within a script field of the activity. The activity transitions when the result value is true.

    Input variables

    The following variables determine the behavior of the activity.
    Note:
    Condition activities run as the user whose actions match the conditions the workflow was waiting for and advances the workflow.
    Table 1. Wait for condition activity input variables
    Field Description
    Condition The workflow is paused at this activity until this condition matches the current record.
    Condition script If specified, the workflow is paused at this activity until this script sets the answer variable to true.
    Enable Timeout Option to limit the amount of time that the workflow waits for the activity to be completed before continuing.
    Note:
    Use the Enable timeout option to prevent this activity from continuing to run. If the condition to continue is never met, a timeout value specifies when the system skips the Wait for Condition activity and goes to the next item in the workflow. You must set a Duration value to enable a timeout. You can also select a Schedule if you want to compute the duration end date based on a specific work schedule.
    Duration Amount of time that the workflow waits before continuing when the Enable timeout option is selected. Enter the time to wait in hours, minutes, and seconds. If you leave this field empty, the workflow does not wait.

    States

    The activity state tells the workflow engine what to do with the activity.
    Table 2. Wait for condition activity states
    State Description
    Executing The workflow engine knows to start the onExecute function of the activity.
    Waiting The workflow engine ignores the activity until a specific event to restart the activity is fired.
    Finished The activity finished running. See the result value for the outcome of the activity.
    Cancelled This activity, or the workflow that contains this activty, was canceled.
    Error A JavaScript error occurred. Review the logs for error details.