Wait For Message action

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Wait For Message action

    The Wait For Message action in ServiceNow's Workflow Studio enables you to pause a flow until it receives a specific string message via thesendMessage()API. This action is useful for controlling flow execution based on external events or inputs, allowing the flow to resume only when the expected message arrives or after a defined timeout period.

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    Key Features

    • Message Input: Specify the string message that the flow is waiting to receive from the sendMessage() API to resume execution.
    • Timeout Option: You can enable a timeout to prevent the flow from waiting indefinitely. If enabled, the flow continues after the specified duration even if the message is not received.
    • Duration Configuration: Define the waiting period in hours, minutes, and seconds when timeout is enabled.
    • Outputs: The action outputs a Payload string (data sent along with the message) and a State status code indicating success (0) or error (1). These outputs can be used as inputs for other flow actions or logic.
    • Role Availability: Accessible to users with the flowdesigner or admin role.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    • Convert existing classic workflows that use the "Wait for WF Event" activity into flows using the Wait For Message action by setting the event name as the message text.
    • Create messages to resume flows using the sendMessage() API. This can be done through custom actions with scripts inside the flow or external script logic such as events.
    • Prevent flows from stalling indefinitely by leveraging the timeout feature to automatically proceed if the expected message is not received within the specified time.

    Example Use Case

    In an approval flow, if the approval state is rejected or skipped, the flow can pause using the Wait For Message action until a corrective message is received via sendMessage(). For instance, after a rejected approval, a user addresses the feedback and triggers the sendMessage() API with the message "Resume Flow" and a payload such as "Resubmitted for approval." Once the API message matches the configured wait condition, the flow resumes and can rerun the approval step or continue processing.

    Benefits

    • Improves flow control and responsiveness by waiting for explicit user or system input.
    • Enables integration with external processes and scripts to dynamically control flow execution.
    • Reduces risk of indefinite pauses with configurable timeout settings.
    • Provides outputs that can influence subsequent flow actions and logic decisions.

    Pause a flow until it receives a specific message from the flow API. Specify the string message that resumes running the flow, and optionally provide a time out value to resume the flow if no message is received after a specific amount of time.

    Roles and availability

    Available as a Workflow Studio ServiceNow core action. Users with the flow_designer or admin role can add an action to a flow and define configuration details.

    Inputs

    Provide a value for each input that your action needs. To add dynamic values, you can also drag pills from the Data panel or select them from the pill picker.

    Message
    Data type: String

    The text string that the flow is waiting to receive from the sendMessage() API. The action uses this message to resume running the flow. For more information about the sendMessage() API, see .

    Enable timeout
    Data type: True/False
    Option to limit the amount of time that the flow waits for the action to be completed before continuing.
    Note:
    Use the Enable timeout option to help prevent the flow from infinitely waiting. If the message isn't received, a timeout value specifies when the system can skip the Wait for Message action and go to the next item in the flow. You must set a Duration value to enable a timeout.
    Duration
    Data type: Duration

    Amount of time that the flow 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 flow doesn’t wait.

    Outputs

    These outputs appear in the Data panel. You can use them as inputs elsewhere in your flow.

    Payload
    Data type: String

    A text string returned by the sendMessage() API. The parent flow can use payload values as inputs for other actions or flow logic.

    State
    Data type: Choice
    The completion status of the action as a numeric value.
    • 0 (success)
    • 1 (error)

    General Guidelines

    Use these general guidelines when creating flows that wait for a message.
    Convert workflow event waiting activities using this action
    Convert classic workflows that use the Wait for WF Event activity to flows that use the Wait For Message action. You can use the event name as the message text that resumes the flow.
    Use the sendMessage() method to create messages
    Create messages for waiting flows using the sendMessage() method. If you want the flow to generate the message to resume running, create a custom action with a Script step to generate the message. Alternatively, create some script logic that runs outside the flow such as an event to generate the message. For more information about the sendMessage() API, see .

    Wait for message to run Go back to flow logic

    Execution details of the Wait for Message action in the Waiting state. The other steps of the flow are in the Not Run state.

    In this example flow, the approval state determines whether to run the Wait for Message action. If the approval state is skipped or rejected, the flow waits for a message from the sendMessage() API before continuing. You could use this logic to fix a rejected approval request and resubmit it for approval.

    In this example, Fred Luddy rejected the approval and requested more information. To resume the flow, someone has to address Fred's comments, and then run the sendMessage() API to send the proper message Resume Flow.

    Execution details of the Wait for Message action in the Completed state. The payload has a runtime value of Resubmitted for approval.

    After fixing the change request, someone ran the sendMessage() API to send the message Resume Flow and also send the flow a Payload value of Resubmitted for approval. For more information about the sendMessage() API, see .

    Since the API message value matched the conditions of the Wait for Message action, the flow resumed running. In this case, the flow used a Go back to flow logic block to rerun the Ask for Approval action.

    Example activity stream of a change record with the text Resubmitted for approval.

    Here is the activity log of the change request. The payload value Resubmitted for approval was added to the Additional comments field.