Workflow activities reference
concept australia Updated Sep 10, 2026 5 min read wf-activity-overview.md
Workflow activity reference, organized by category.
Each activity performs a different task, such as running a script, sending notifications, or requesting approvals.
Workflow runs activities as the user session that starts or advances them. Workflows started from record operations will run activities as the user session that performed the record operation. Workflows started from schedules or restarted from timers run activities as the System user. Workflows started from script calls run activities as the user session that started the script.
Approval and rollback activities
Approval and rollback activities generate and manage approvals. Not all workflows can include approval activities. For more information, read .
Note: Approval activities run as the user whose actions match the approve or reject conditions the workflow was waiting for and advances the workflow.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The Approval Action activity performs an approval action on the current task. | |
| The Approval Coordinator activity creates an approval whose outcome depends on the outcome of one or more child activities, including one or more Approval - User, Approval - Group, and/or Manual Approval activities. | |
| The Approval - Group activity creates approval records for each member of a specified group. | |
| The Approval - User activity creates one or more individual user approvals. | |
| The Generate activity immediately creates task or approval records from any task or approval activities placed after the Generate activity in the workflow path. These pre-generated tasks and approvals start when the task and approval activities are reached during flow execution. This allows a task to have a set of associated pre-generated sequential tasks or approvals, but still require them to be completed in order. | |
| The Manual Approvals activity watches and manages any approvals that users add manually outside of the workflow process. This activity only selects approvals that are in the Not requested state. | |
| The Rollback To activity transitions directly to the activity specified by the outgoing transition line arrow. |
Condition activities
Condition activities provide conditional branching and logical operation functionality for workflows.
Note: Condition activities run as the user whose actions match the conditions the workflow was waiting for and advances the workflow.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The If activity checks a condition or script to determine if a Yes or No transition should be taken. | |
| The Switch activity checks if the value of a passed field or variable is equivalent to one of several case values. | |
| The Wait for condition activity causes the workflow to wait at this activity until the current record matches the specified condition. | |
| The Wait for WF Event activity causes the workflow to wait at this activity until the specified event is fired. |
Notify activities
Notify workflow activities manage calls and SMS messages in Notify.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The Forward Call activity forwards a Notify call to an E.164-compliant phone number. | |
| The Input activity creates a phone menu by presenting a list of options on a Notify call. | |
| The Hangup activity disconnects an active Notify phone call. | |
| The Play activity plays a sound file on a Notify call. | |
| The Record workflow activity records audio from a user on a Notify call. | |
| The Reject workflow activity rejects an incoming Notify call. | |
| The say workflow activity allows you to play a message, using text to speech, on a Notify call. | |
| The forward to notify client workflow activity connects a phone call to a Notify WebRTC client. | |
| The Call activity makes outbound phone calls using a Notify workflow. This workflow activity can be added to any table. | |
| The Join Conference Call activity connects an incoming or outgoing call to a Notify conference call. | |
| The send SMS workflow activity to send short text messages using Notify to users' phones. This workflow activity can be added to any table. | |
| The Queue activity places an active Notify call in a queue. |
Notification activities
Notification workflow activities notify users of events that occur during the workflow.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The Create Event activity adds an event to the event queue, but does not immediately fire the event. | |
| The Notification activity sends an email or SMS message to specified users or groups. |
Subflow activities
Subflow activities run and manage workflows from a parent workflow.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The Parallel Flow Launcher activity launches multiple subflows in parallel. |
Task activities
Task activities create and modify workflow tasks.
Note: Task activities run as the user whose actions complete the task the workflow was waiting for and advances the workflow.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The Add Worknote activity adds text to the Worknotes field of the current incident record. | |
| The Attachment Note activity adds an attachment to the current record. | |
| The Catalog Task activity creates a service catalog task record. | |
| The Create Task activity generates a record on any of the tables that extend Task [task]. |
Timer activities
Timer activities pause workflows for set periods of time.
Note: Timer activities run as the System user because the system scheduler advances the workflow.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The SLA Percentage Timer activity pauses the workflow for a duration equal to a percentage of an SLA. | |
| The Timer activity pauses the workflow for a specified period of time. |
Utility activities
Utility activities provide controls over the path of the workflow, and other useful tools.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| The Branch activity splits the workflow into multiple transition paths from a single activity. | |
| The Join activity unites multiple execution paths into one transition. | |
| The Lock activity prevents other instances of this workflow from continuing past this activity until the lock is released. | |
| The Log Message activity writes a message to the workflow log. | |
| The Log Trace Message activity writes a trace message to the workflow log. | |
| The legacy REST Message activity enables an administrator to override the REST endpoint or supply the variables configured in the REST Message module. | |
| The Return Value activity returns a value to a parent workflow, when run from a subflow. | |
| The Run Script activity runs the specified script in the scope of the workflow version. | |
| The Set Values activity sets values on the current record when the workflow quiesces or ends. | |
| The legacy SOAP Message activity uses SOAP messages defined in the System Web Services plugin and can call the messages using a MID Server. | |
| The Turnstile activity limits how many times a workflow can pass through the same point. | |
| The Unlock activity releases a lock that was previously placed by the Lock activity. |
Activities provided with Orchestration
The following activities are included with Orchestration.
- Active Directory activity pack
- Orchestration activities
- PowerShell activities
- Puppet activities
Templates provided for creating custom activities
If Orchestration is active on your system, users with the proper roles can create custom activities using the ServiceNow . For information about the templates Orchestration provides for creating custom activities that you can upload to the ServiceNow Store, see
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--- title: Workflow activities reference description: Workflow activity reference, organized by category. locale: en-US canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/build-workflows/workflow-activities/wf-activity-overview.html release: australia product: Workflow Activities classification: workflow-activities topic_type: concept last_updated: "2026-09-10" reading_time_minutes: 5 breadcrumb: [Workflow activities, Classic Workflow, Build workflows] --- # Workflow activities reference Workflow activity reference, organized by category. Each activity performs a different task, such as running a script, sending notifications, or requesting approvals. Workflow runs activities as the user session that starts or advances them. Workflows started from record operations will run activities as the user session that performed the record operation. Workflows started from schedules or restarted from timers run activities as the System user. Workflows started from script calls run activities as the user session that started the script. ## Approval and rollback activities Approval and rollback activities generate and manage approvals. Not all workflows can include approval activities. For more information, read . **Note:** Approval activities run as the user whose actions match the approve or reject conditions the workflow was waiting for and advances the workflow. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **Approval Action** activity performs an approval action on the current task.| ||The **Approval Coordinator** activity creates an approval whose outcome depends on the outcome of one or more child activities, including one or more **Approval - User**, **Approval - Group**, and/or **Manual Approval** activities.| ||The **Approval - Group** activity creates approval records for each member of a specified group.| ||The **Approval - User** activity creates one or more individual user approvals.| ||The **Generate** activity immediately creates task or approval records from any task or approval activities placed after the **Generate** activity in the workflow path. These pre-generated tasks and approvals start when the task and approval activities are reached during flow execution. This allows a task to have a set of associated pre-generated sequential tasks or approvals, but still require them to be completed in order.| ||The **Manual Approvals** activity watches and manages any approvals that users add manually outside of the workflow process. This activity only selects approvals that are in the Not requested state.| ||The **Rollback To** activity transitions directly to the activity specified by the outgoing transition line arrow.| ## Condition activities Condition activities provide conditional branching and logical operation functionality for workflows. **Note:** Condition activities run as the user whose actions match the conditions the workflow was waiting for and advances the workflow. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **If** activity checks a condition or script to determine if a **Yes** or **No** transition should be taken.| ||The **Switch** activity checks if the value of a passed field or variable is equivalent to one of several case values.| ||The **Wait for condition** activity causes the workflow to wait at this activity until the current record matches the specified condition.| ||The **Wait for WF Event** activity causes the workflow to wait at this activity until the specified event is fired.| ## Notify activities Notify workflow activities manage calls and SMS messages in Notify. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **Forward Call** activity forwards a Notify call to an E.164-compliant phone number.| ||The **Input** activity creates a phone menu by presenting a list of options on a Notify call.| ||The **Hangup** activity disconnects an active Notify phone call.| ||The **Play** activity plays a sound file on a Notify call.| ||The **Record** workflow activity records audio from a user on a Notify call.| ||The **Reject** workflow activity rejects an incoming Notify call.| ||The **say** workflow activity allows you to play a message, using text to speech, on a Notify call.| ||The **forward to notify client** workflow activity connects a phone call to a Notify WebRTC client.| ||The **Call** activity makes outbound phone calls using a Notify workflow. This workflow activity can be added to any table.| ||The **Join Conference Call** activity connects an incoming or outgoing call to a Notify conference call.| ||The **send SMS** workflow activity to send short text messages using Notify to users' phones. This workflow activity can be added to any table.| ||The **Queue** activity places an active Notify call in a queue.| ## Notification activities Notification workflow activities notify users of events that occur during the workflow. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **Create Event** activity adds an event to the event queue, but does not immediately fire the event.| ||The **Notification** activity sends an email or SMS message to specified users or groups.| ## Subflow activities Subflow activities run and manage workflows from a parent workflow. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **Parallel Flow Launcher** activity launches multiple subflows in parallel.| ## Task activities Task activities create and modify workflow tasks. **Note:** Task activities run as the user whose actions complete the task the workflow was waiting for and advances the workflow. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **Add Worknote** activity adds text to the Worknotes field of the current incident record.| ||The **Attachment Note** activity adds an attachment to the current record.| ||The **Catalog Task** activity creates a service catalog task record.| ||The **Create Task** activity generates a record on any of the tables that extend Task \[task\].| ## Timer activities Timer activities pause workflows for set periods of time. **Note:** Timer activities run as the System user because the system scheduler advances the workflow. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **SLA Percentage Timer** activity pauses the workflow for a duration equal to a percentage of an SLA.| ||The **Timer** activity pauses the workflow for a specified period of time.| ## Utility activities Utility activities provide controls over the path of the workflow, and other useful tools. |Activity|Description| |--------|-----------| ||The **Branch** activity splits the workflow into multiple transition paths from a single activity.| ||The **Join** activity unites multiple execution paths into one transition.| ||The **Lock** activity prevents other instances of this workflow from continuing past this activity until the lock is released.| ||The **Log Message** activity writes a message to the workflow log.| ||The **Log Trace Message** activity writes a trace message to the workflow log.| ||The legacy **REST Message** activity enables an administrator to override the REST endpoint or supply the variables configured in the REST Message module.| ||The **Return Value** activity returns a value to a parent workflow, when run from a subflow.| ||The **Run Script** activity runs the specified script in the scope of the workflow version.| ||The **Set Values** activity sets values on the current record when the workflow quiesces or ends.| ||The legacy **SOAP Message** activity uses SOAP messages defined in the System Web Services plugin and can call the messages using a MID Server.| ||The **Turnstile** activity limits how many times a workflow can pass through the same point.| ||The **Unlock** activity releases a lock that was previously placed by the **Lock** activity.| ## Activities provided with Orchestration The following activities are included with Orchestration. - Active Directory activity pack - Orchestration activities - PowerShell activities - Puppet activities ## Templates provided for creating custom activities If Orchestration is active on your system, users with the proper roles can create custom activities using the ServiceNow . For information about the templates Orchestration provides for creating custom activities that you can upload to the ServiceNow Store, see
| title | Workflow activities reference |
| description | Workflow activity reference, organized by category. |
| locale | en-US |
| canonical_url | https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/build-workflows/workflow-activities/wf-activity-overview.html |
| release | australia |
| product | Workflow Activities |
| classification | workflow-activities |
| topic_type | concept |
| last_updated | 2026-09-10 |
| reading_time_minutes | 5 |
| breadcrumb | Workflow activitiesClassic WorkflowBuild workflows |