Advanced Instruction activity

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Advanced Instruction activity

    The Advanced Instruction activity in ServiceNow Zurich release allows you to display detailed, customizable instructions to guide end users through your playbook. It is a common activity accessible to users with admin, playbook.admin, or pdauthor roles, enabling them to add and configure this activity within a playbook to enhance user guidance and task completion.

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    Configuration Inputs

    To set up the Advanced Instruction activity, you configure various inputs in the activity properties panel:

    • Label and Description: Define the title and information displayed about the activity’s usage or outcome.
    • Run Condition: Use condition builders to specify when the activity or stage should run, based on prior activity data.
    • Start Rule: Choose when the stage or activity starts, either immediately upon playbook or stage start or after specific stages or activities complete.
    • Start with Delay: Optionally delay the start of the activity or stage.
    • Title and Description for End Users: Customize the message shown to end users during the activity.
    • Wait for User Input: Optionally pause the playbook until an end user manually completes or skips the activity. This setting is editable only by playbook.admin role users.

    Advanced Inputs

    Additional optional inputs enhance task assignment and user experience:

    • Assignment Group and Assigned To: Specify the group or user responsible for completing the associated task, facilitating clear ownership.
    • Tagline and Footer: Add header and footer text to improve visual presentation and provide extra context to end users.

    Outputs

    The activity outputs a reference to the record associated with the activity (a task record), which can be used as inputs for subsequent activities in the playbook, enabling data flow and continuity within your process automation.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Enhances guidance for end users by providing clear, detailed instructions within playbooks.
    • Improves task tracking and accountability through assignment controls.
    • Enables flexible automation by controlling activity start conditions, delays, and user interactions.
    • Supports robust playbook design by allowing data sharing between activities via outputs.

    Display detailed instructions to guide end users through your playbook.

    Roles and availability

    This activity is available as a common activity. Users with the admin, playbook.admin, or pd_author can add this activity to a playbook.

    Inputs

    Open the activity properties panel and configure your activity to add values for the following inputs. If the input value varies, use the pill-picker to show where to get the value. To learn more about the pill-picker, see .
    Input Type Description
    Label String Title to display as activity and playbook card.
    Description String Information to display about activity usage or outcome.
    Run condition Condition Builder Conditions that must be met to run an activity or stage. You can use data from prior activities to build conditions.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.
    Start Rule Choice Under Schedule > Start Rule, select a start rule for when your stage should start running:
    • When process starts: Your stage starts running as soon as the playbook starts.
    • After specific stages: Your stage starts running after specified stage(s) have finished running.
    Under Schedule > Start Rule, select a start rule for when your activity should start running:
    • When stage starts: Your activity starts running as soon as its stage starts running. Your stage starts running when your playbook is triggered.
    • After specific activities: Your activity starts running after specified activities have finished running.
    Start with delay True/False Option to wait for a duration of time before running an activity or stage. When enabled, this input displays the Start with delay input properties.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.
    Title String Title displayed to end users.
    Description String Details to display in the message to end users.
    Wait for user input Choice Option to pause the playbook until the end user manually completes or skips the activity. Only users with the playbook.admin role can edit this field. By default, the activity waits for user action or data before it completes.

    Advanced inputs

    After configuring the required inputs for your activity, you can also choose to configure additional inputs. In the side panel, select Show additional options to display these advanced inputs. For more information, see Activity experience.
    Input Type Description
    Assignment Group Reference.Group [sys_user_group] Group responsible for completing the task associated with the activity.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.
    Assigned To Reference.User [sys_user] User responsible for completing the task associated with the activity.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.
    Tagline String Header tagline to display to end users.
    Footer String Footer text to display to end users.
    Note:
    Select Show additional options to see this field.

    Outputs

    These outputs can provide data to other activities in your playbook. You can access this data as activity inputs when you configure your activity:
    Output Type Description
    Record Reference.Task [task] Reference to the record associated with the activity.