Troubleshoot a flow

---
title: Troubleshoot a flow
description: Analyze a failed flow to check for data issues, identify potential conflicts, and receive targeted recommendations to resolve the error.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/troubleshoot-a-flow.html
release: australia
product: Workflow Studio
classification: workflow-studio
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 3
keywords: [task, troubleshoot, flow execution, error]
breadcrumb: [Build flows, Flows, subflows, and actions, Workflow Studio, Build workflows]
---

# Troubleshoot a flow

Analyze a failed flow to check for data issues, identify potential conflicts, and receive targeted recommendations to resolve the error.

## Before you begin

-   Role Required: sn\_troubleshoot.flow\_troubleshooting\_agent\_user to access the Flow Troubleshooting Agent
-   Role required: The flow\_designer or flow\_admin role to access the flow execution details page
-   A flow execution that has an error or requires diagnosis
-   ServiceNow Otto enabled in your instance. For setup instructions, see [Overview tab in AI Admin Hub](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/intelligent-experiences/configuring-now-assist.md).

## About this task

When a flow produces an error or unexpected results during execution, the Flow Troubleshooting Agent provides conversational debugging to help you understand what went wrong. The agent analyzes flow steps, data transformations, and checks for conflicts with business rules or other workflows.

## Procedure

1.  Navigate to **All** > **Process Automation** > **Workflow Studio** > **Operations** > **Flows**

2.  Navigate to **Monitoring** > **All Executions** > **.**

3.  Open the flow execution details that you want to troubleshoot.

    \[Omitted image "example-flow-troubleshooting-01.png"\] Alt text: Flow execution details for a flow with two Ask for Approval actions

4.  Select **Troubleshoot** to open ServiceNow Otto.

    \[Omitted image "example-flow-troubleshooting-02.png"\] Alt text: Flow troubleshooting agent in ServiceNow Otto

5.  Open the Flow Troubleshooting Agent.

    Select the **Troubleshoot Flow** button at the top of the flow execution details page to launch the agent.

    Alternatively, select the **ServiceNow Otto** button from any screen and request access to the Flow Troubleshooting Agent.

6.  Describe the issue you're experiencing with your flow, or ask the agent to analyze the failed execution.

    \[Omitted image "example-flow-troubleshooting-03.png"\] Alt text: Conversation with the flow troubleshooting agent.

7.  Review the agent's flow summary.

    \[Omitted image "example-flow-troubleshooting-04.png"\] Alt text: Flow summary provided by the agent.

    The agent provides a summary of your flow steps, their purpose, and their sequence. This helps you understand the context and identify where the failure might have occurred.

8.  Analyze the data used and generated by each step.

    The agent analyzes and displays the data flowing through each step in your flow. Review:

    -   Input data to each step
    -   Data transformations and mappings
    -   Output data produced by each step
    -   Any data validation errors or missing values
9.  Identify potential conflicts with business logic.

    \[Omitted image "example-flow-troubleshooting-05.png"\] Alt text:

    The agent scans for and reports potential conflicts with:

    -   Other workflows or flows that may be running against the same data
    -   Business rules that might be triggered by your flow's actions
    -   Field-level security or ACL restrictions that could block data access
    -   Integration configurations or API limits that might affect external actions
10. Review the agent's recommendations.

    \[Omitted image "example-flow-troubleshooting-05-Next-Steps.png"\] Alt text:

    The agent provides specific, evidence-based actions you can take to resolve the error. Each recommendation includes:

    -   The recommended action or fix
    -   The evidence or reasoning behind the recommendation
    -   The potential impact of implementing the recommendation
11. Edit the flow or other workflow business logic to apply recommendations.

    Based on the agent's suggestions, make changes to your flow, business rules, or configurations. Return to the flow designer or relevant configuration page to implement the fix.

    After making changes, run your flow again to verify that the error is resolved. If needed, return to the Flow Troubleshooting Agent to continue the analysis with new execution data.


## Result

You have successfully used the Flow Troubleshooting Agent to diagnose your flow error, identify potential conflicts, and apply targeted recommendations to resolve the issue.

## Example: Troubleshooting a failed approval action

You have a flow that creates an approval record but the approval is not sending notifications. You:

1.  Navigate to the failed flow execution and select **Troubleshoot**.
2.  The agent summarizes your flow steps and identifies the approval action that failed.
3.  The agent analyzes the data sent to the approval action and finds that the `recipient` field is empty.
4.  The agent identifies a potential conflict: a business rule is clearing the recipient field before the approval sends.
5.  The agent recommends reordering your flow steps to map the recipient field after the business rule runs, or modifying the business rule to exclude your flow's records.
6.  You implement the recommended fix and re-run your flow; the approval now sends successfully.

## What to do next

Test your flow to determine if the issue is resolved.

**Parent Topic:**[Building flows](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/build-workflows/workflow-studio/flows.md)