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

Workflow drawing canvas keyboard commands

Use keyboard commands to navigate and operate the Workflow Editor canvas.

Image omitted: WorkflowCanvasAccesibilityArrows.png
Workflow Editor Drawing Canvas - Tab Sequences / Elements
Task or ActionKeyboard Commands
Select Workflow Actions menu command (for example, Validate Workflow or Publish Workflow)
  1. Press Tab until the context menu (
    Image omitted: WFEditorCanvasContextMenu.png
    ) is highlighted.</li>
  2. Press Enter to open the context menu.
  3. Use the down arrow key to move to the command, then press Enter to select it.
Set general workflow properties
  1. Press Tab until
    Image omitted: WorkflowPropertiesIcon.png
    Information icon is highlighted.</li>
  2. Press Enter to open Workflow Properties.
Navigate from activity box to activity box.Simply press Tab or use the arrow keys (right, left, up and down) to navigate from activity to activity within the workflow. Note: Depending on the complexity and number of activity boxes in the workflow, the sequence of navigation is not always predictable. Depending on how you are navigating within the workflow, the navigation sequence is generally (but not always) row-by-row, and focus is usually placed on the nearest activity box.
Modify a selected activity.
  1. Navigate to the activity box, then press Enter to select it and place it in Edit mode. When you select an activity box, it appears as highlighted.
  2. Once in Edit mode, use Tab to move around within the activity box to change or access elements such as:

  3. Activity Properties (

    Image omitted: NodeActivityProperties.png
    )</p>
  4. Title
  5. Node context menu
  6. Delete Node (
    Image omitted: DeleteNode.png
    )</li>
  7. Condition Properties (
    Image omitted: ConditionProperties.png
    )</li>
  8. Node conditional context menu (
    Image omitted: NodeContextMenu.png
    )</li>
  9. Node conditional port options (

    Image omitted: NodeConditionalPortOptions.png
    )
    Note: All elements in a selected activity are only accessible when working with a checked out workflow. When working with a published workflow, you can only access its activity properties and title,
  10. Press Enter to select an element, or press Esc to escape an element without making changes.

Add a condition to an activity.
  1. Within an activity box, select
    Image omitted: ConditionProperties.png
    Condition Properties icon to access <strong>Condition Properties</strong>.</li>
  2. In Condition Properties, specify the conditions for the activity.
Create a connection from a condition on one activity to the next activity that follows
  1. Within an activity box, select Node conditional context menu (
    Image omitted: NodeContextMenu.png
    ).</li>
  2. Select Link to... to create a connection to the next activity box that follows, or select Delete to delete an existing connection.
Add a core or custom activity
  1. Within an activity box, select Node conditional port options (
    Image omitted: NodeConditionalPortOptions.png
    ).</li>
  2. Select Add Core Activity to access Workflow Activity Definitions to add a new core activity, or select Add Custom Activity to add a custom activity to the workflow.
Move an activity box
  1. Press Tab to navigate to the activity box, enter press Enter to select it.
  2. Use the arrow keys to move the activity box. To move the activity box one pixel at a time, press Shift while using the arrow keys.
Validate a workflow
  1. Press Tab until
    Image omitted: ValidateWorkflowIcon.png
    Validate icon is highlighted.</li>
  2. Press Enter to validate the workflow.

You can also select Validate from the Workflow Actions menu.

Run a workflow
  1. Press Tab until
    Image omitted: RunWorkflowIcon.png
    Run icon is highlighted.</li>
  2. Press Enter to run the workflow.

Note: If the workflow is tied to a database table, this function is disabled. The workflow runs when the proper table conditions are activated (for example, insertion of a new record into the table).

Close workflow drawing canvas
  1. Press Tab until
    Image omitted: CloseWFEditorCanvas.png
    Close icon (on the right side of the tab that contains the name of the workflow) appears.</li>
  2. Press Enter to close the canvas.
Publish a workflow
  1. Press Tab until the context menu (
    Image omitted: WFEditorCanvasContextMenu.png
    ) is highlighted.</li>
  2. Press Enter to open the context menu.
  3. Use the down arrow key to move to the Publish command, then press Enter to select it.
Jump to TopAfter tabbing through the entire workflow,
Image omitted: JumptoTop.png
The Jump to top button appears at the bottom of the listing. Press <strong>Enter</strong> to jump to the top of the Workflow drawing canvas.</td></tr></tbody>

Parent Topic:Workflow editor keyboard navigation

sndocs is an independent community mirror and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ServiceNow.

ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

© 2026 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved.

Documentation content is redistributed under the Apache License 2.0 from the ServiceNowDocs repository.