Building actions

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Building actions

    Workflow Studio is the default AI Platform process automation builder in ServiceNow, replacing the Workflow Editor. It enables customers to create, edit, test, and publish custom actions to automate processes within their instance. Core actions provided by ServiceNow are not editable in Workflow Studio, but spoke actions from applications can be copied and customized.

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    Key Features

    • Core and Spoke Actions: Core actions are built-in and not editable; spoke actions come from applications and can be customized after copying.
    • Custom Actions: Create reusable actions with a fixed configuration to streamline flow design and ensure consistency.
    • Action Design Environment: Define inputs, add action steps, test actions to verify successful execution, and review runtime values.
    • Action Management Options: Use the More Actions menu to copy actions, toggle inline scripting, generate code snippets, manage API security, and edit natural language titles.
    • Testing: Users with actiondesigner or admin roles can test actions by providing input values; testing should be done in non-production instances to avoid unintended data changes.
    • Roles Required: The actiondesigner or admin role is necessary to create and modify custom actions.
    • Action Status: Monitor the current runtime status of actions via data pills containing codes and messages for error handling and diagnostics.
    • Conversational Integration: Create conversational action skills, configure settings to enable actions in conversational interfaces, and select LLMs to auto-generate descriptive content for conversational inputs and outputs.
    • Complex Data Handling: Utilize a graphical interface to manage structured data collections, facilitating easier design and configuration of complex data elements.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    ServiceNow customers can leverage Workflow Studio to build scalable and reusable automation components that align with their business processes. By creating custom actions, customers reduce repetitive configuration efforts and enhance consistency across flows. The ability to test actions safely in non-production environments helps mitigate risks. Integration with conversational interfaces and large language models enables richer user interactions, while graphical tools for complex data simplify development of advanced workflows. Overall, these capabilities empower customers to automate tasks more efficiently and improve operational agility.

    Workflow Studio is the default ServiceNow AI Platform process automation builder used to create actions. Workflow Studio replaces the Workflow Editor.

    Core actions

    ServiceNow Core actions that come with your instance cannot be viewed or edited from the Workflow Studio interface. Some applications include spokes which include application-specific actions. Spoke actions are typically read-only but can be copied and customized.

    Custom actions

    Unlike core actions where flow designers must manually configure flow logic, custom actions always use the same configuration when added to a flow. If your flow designers often use an action with the same configuration, you might create a reusable action.

    Action design environment

    Action Designer interface

    Create and edit actions by defining inputs and adding action steps. Test actions to verify if they complete successfully and review the runtime values they generate. Copy actions to use existing actions as templates. Publish actions to activate them, which makes them available to activated flows and to preserve their current action steps, variables, and sequence as a snapshot separate from further configuration changes.

    More Actions

    Click the More actions icon (More actions icon) to access additional options for the action.

    Copy action
    Create a copy of the open action in an application you specify.
    Configurations
    Enable or disable the Show inline script toggle option.
    Code Snippet
    Generate a code snippet for the action.
    Manage security
    Enable or disable the Callable by Client API option.
    Manage natural language title
    Create or edit an action title with styled or dynamic text. For more information, see Manage natural language titles.

    Testing actions

    After adding inputs and action steps, users with the action_designer or admin role can test an action. To test an action, provide the required inputs. Action designers should always test actions on non-production instances containing relevant demonstration data because testing an action can make significant changes to records on your instance.

    Roles

    To create custom actions, you must have the action_designer or admin role.

    Action status

    Every action has an Action Status data pill in the Data pane. This object data pill contains the current runtime details about the action. The Action Status object consists of a code and message.

    Action Status > Code
    Integer data pill containing the code returned by the first matching error condition or the last step run. You can return your own code when you create a custom error condition. See Action error evaluation.
    Action Status > Message
    String data pill containing the message produced by a matching error condition or the last step run. You can return your own message when you create a custom error condition. See Action error evaluation.