Decision tree nodes
Summarize
Summary of Decision tree nodes
Decision trees in ServiceNow Zurich release consist of various node types—start nodes, question nodes, guidance nodes, and linking nodes—that structure the flow of agent interactions. These nodes guide agents through a sequence of questions and recommendations to efficiently resolve customer issues. Agents can navigate backward or edit previous responses to ensure accuracy during the decision-making process.
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Start nodes
The start node is the entry point of a decision tree, created when a decision tree is initialized. It requires basic metadata, including internal and external names, a title, description, and action label. The start node contains at least one question and includes a reference-type task input linked to the record type the agent is working on, enabling reuse across other nodes.
Decision or question nodes
Question nodes present agents with one or more questions or instructions to evaluate the customer's situation. Answers determine the subsequent path: another question node, a guidance node, or a linking node. These nodes support HTML formatting for enhanced clarity and can include typical troubleshooting or information-gathering queries. Proper input types must be used to avoid runtime errors.
Guidance nodes
Guidance nodes offer recommendations or actions for agents, such as suggesting knowledge articles, creating work orders, or escalating cases. They can only be followed by question nodes, allowing continued flow after the guidance is executed. Guidance nodes support output variables that can be mapped and used to drive further decisions in the decision tree. Users with the Decision tree author role can create custom guidances for reuse.
Linking nodes
Linking nodes reference another decision tree, enabling complex or multi-stage troubleshooting by connecting the current tree to child decision trees. They include input mappings to transfer context from the primary tree to the linked tree’s start node, allowing seamless continuation of the decision-making process based on defined conditions.
Decision trees include several types of nodes, including start nodes, question nodes, guidance nodes, and linking nodes.
A decision tree begins with a start node, which presents the first set of questions to an agent. The start node is typically followed by a question node, which asks another set of questions. A question node can be followed by another question node, a guidance node, which provides a recommendation to an agent, or by a linking node, which includes a reference to another decision tree.
You can enable agents to modify their responses in previous nodes:
- Agents can go back to the previous node by selecting the Back button.
- Agents can jump to any previous node by selecting the Edit icon
) in the View my responses tab.
For more information, see Create a decision tree in Core UI and Add questions or instructions to a decision tree.
Start nodes
A start node is the first node in a decision tree. When you create a decision tree, you provide internal and external names, a title and short description, and a name for the action label. After saving the record, the system creates the decision tree and the start node. You can use this start node to build the rest of the decision tree.
A start node includes a minimum of one question. A start node always has a task input of reference type so you can reuse the task input in other decision or guidance nodes via linking inputs. The task input includes a reference to the table that stores the record type that the agent is working on.
Decision or question nodes
A question node asks one or more questions. The answer to the question leads to an outcome, which can be another question, a guidance for the user to follow, or another decision tree.
- For resetting a password: "What is the customer's account ID?"
- For troubleshooting a faulty device: "What is the device type or model number?"
The answers to the questions are used to create path conditions.
For more information about the available answer types, see Answer types for questions.
Guidance nodes
A guidance node proposes a solution to a customer’s issue through a reference to a guidance, which provides a recommendation to an agent. Examples of a guidance include recommending a knowledge article, creating a work order, or escalating a case.
A guidance node can be followed only by a question node. The execution of the decision tree continues after the agent performs the guidance, and the guidance history is marked as complete. You can use a question node to connect two guidance nodes.
- Define output variables.
- Define values for the output variables, which are mapped in the Automation Plan flow for the guidance by the Assign Guidance Outputs flow action.
- Connect the guidance to the guidance node's next node.
- Map the outputs of the guidance to inputs for the guidance node's next node.
For descriptions of the available guidances, see Guidances included with Guided Decisions Experience application.
Users with the Decision tree author role can also create guidances to reuse in decision trees or recommended actions. For more information, see Create a guidance in the Core UI.
Linking nodes
A linking node includes a reference to another decision tree. This type of node connects the execution of the primary decision tree to another decision tree when a defined condition is met.
Linking to another decision tree is useful for complex troubleshooting or for troubleshooting that requires multiple stages.
- A linked decision tree, where the execution of the primary decision tree continues after this node is reached.
- Input mapping, which maps the inputs from the nodes preceding the linking node to the start node of the linked decision tree.
- A path, which connects the previous question node to the start node of the child tree.
- For Decision Tree Builder: Link an activated decision tree to this decision tree.
- For Core UI: Link another decision tree to this decision tree