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Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Workflow Studio steps

A step performs a single operation in an action. You can use Workflow Studio to add steps to a custom action.

A step is a single reusable operation within an action. For example, the Create Record step allows action designers to specify the table and field values to use during record creation. Step configuration requires subject matter expertise with application tables, fields, and business logic. Application developers or IT generalists add steps to actions from the Workflow Studio action design environment. Workflow Studio provides a set of ServiceNow core steps to automate ServiceNow AI Platform processes. You can add application-specific steps by activating the associated spoke.

Search steps

You can use the Search steps filter to find a step by name or spoke. As you enter data consisting of at least three characters, Workflow Studio displays a list of steps that match your search criteria.

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The Steps menu displays a text box labelled Search Actions.

ServiceNow data

ServiceNow Data steps are available to all actions regardless of the spokes installed. Use these steps to perform record operations on your data.

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Menu of ServiceNow Data steps by name and description.

Utilities

Utility steps enable you to build payloads, compress data, run scripts, and send notifications.

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Menu of utility steps by name and description

Integrations

Enable custom actions to integrate with external systems by activating Integration Hub, which adds integration steps to the Workflow Studio interface.

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Menu of integration steps by name and description
  • Ask for Approval step
    Request approval for a record. Configure a set of rules to automatically approve, reject, or cancel an approval request without having to write script. Add a due date to automatically approve, reject, or cancel when a decision has not been made by a designated time.
  • Call Now Assist Skill step
    Run a published Now Assist skill from an action. Configure the Now Assist skill inputs and skill outputs from the step inputs and step outputs.
  • Create Record step
    Creates a record on any table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record.
  • Create or Update Record step
    Create or update a record in a ServiceNow table using a single operation. Update a record that exists, or create a record using the values provided.
  • Create Task step
    Create a task record in an extension of the Task table. After you choose the task table, you can dynamically select the fields to configure the action. Defining the Parent field associates the task to a parent record.
  • Delete Multiple Records step
    Look up and delete multiple existing records as a single operation. This Workflow Studio step removes the need to first look up a list of records and then delete each record in the list.
  • Delete Record step
    Deletes a record on any table.
  • Get Connection Info step
    Provide the connection and credential details from another step, such as a REST step, to other steps in your action.
  • Get Latest Response Text From Email step
    Provide the most recent reply or forward message in an e-mail chain to other steps in your action.
  • JDBC step
    Create a reusable action to send SQL commands to a relational database.
  • JSON Builder step
    Create a JSON payload to use in another step. Enter values or use data pills to produce a dynamic payload. This step supports several data types, including objects and arrays for nested structures.
  • Kafka Producer step
    Create an action that publishes events to a topic in your Kafka environment.
  • Log step
    Logs a message in the Workflow Studio log table sys_flow_log.
  • Look Up Record step
    Look up a record from any table based on defined conditions.
  • Look Up Records step
    Look up multiple records on any table using defined conditions.
  • Map and Transform Data step
    Map complex nested JSON objects to a target schema with dynamic field creation and data transformation.
  • Notification step
    Trigger a notification as a step within an action by selecting a record (such as an incident, change request, problem, or user record) to trigger a notification and defining the associated notification.
  • Payload Builder step
    Enable action designers to easily create name-value pairs in JSON and XML payloads using dynamic data.
  • PowerShell step
    Run PowerShell scripts on remote machines from your ServiceNow instance through a MID Server.
  • REST step
    Send an outbound REST web service request to an external system.
  • Script step
    Add custom JavaScript to execute within a reusable action. While most core actions and steps fit common use cases, you can build a Script step to execute behavior not satisfied by the core steps.
  • Send Email step
    Send an email to specified users or groups as an action in a flow.
  • SFTP step
    Create a reusable action to manage files and directories on an SFTP server and to move files from one SFTP server to another.
  • SSH step
    The SSH step executes SSH commands on an external *nix system through a ServiceNow® MID Server. The step also stores scripts and commands for the *nix systems.
  • SOAP step
    Enable action designers to send outbound SOAP web service requests to external systems.
  • Update Multiple Records step
    Look up and update multiple records as a single step. Using this step removes the need to separately look up a list of records and then process the list with a Script step. Set field values with a template or add and configure them using data pills.
  • Update Record step
    Update an existing record in a table. You can dynamically add and configure fields for the record, or use a template to set field values.
  • Wait For Condition step
    Pause an action until record values match a specific set of conditions.
  • ZIP step
    Manage the attachments in a record by performing archive operations such as zip and unzip. You can also view the details of a zipped file.

Parent Topic:Flows, subflows, and actions reference