Version: Latest (4.8.0)

PlaybookDefinition

Creates a ServiceNow Playbook: a guided multi-step process that operates on a record (sys_pd_process_definition). Composed of lanes, activities, triggers, inputs, and outputs with inline startRule ordering.

Signature

PlaybookDefinition(
    config: PlaybookConfig,
    triggers: PlaybookTriggerDeclaration,
    body: PlaybookBody
)

API Structure

The Playbook DSL follows a 3-argument pattern:

PlaybookDefinition(
    config,        // PlaybookConfig - top-level playbook properties, inputs, outputs
    triggers,      // PlaybookTriggerDeclaration - { triggers: [...] }
    body           // PlaybookBody - lanes and activities with inline startRule ordering
)

This pattern mirrors the Flow API while accommodating playbooks' need for multiple triggers. Declarative state (inputs, outputs) lives on the 1st-arg config alongside other top-level properties; the 2nd arg carries the playbook's triggers.

Parameters

config: PlaybookConfig Top-level playbook properties, plus declarative inputs and outputs. See PlaybookConfig below.
triggers: PlaybookTriggerDeclaration Object containing a triggers array of wfa.playbook.trigger(...) instances. See PlaybookTriggerDeclaration below and wfa.playbook.trigger() for trigger construction.
body: PlaybookBody Object defining lanes and activities with inline startRule ordering. See PlaybookBody and PlaybookBodyParams below.

Imports

import {
    // Main definition function
    PlaybookDefinition,

    // wfa namespace contains playbook helpers under wfa.playbook.*
    // (lane, activity, trigger, run, dataPill, currentActivity)
    wfa,

    // Trigger types (used as first argument to wfa.playbook.trigger())
    PlaybookTriggerTypes,

    // OOTB activity definitions
    ActivityDefinitions,
} from '@servicenow/sdk/automation'

import {
    // Column types for inputs/outputs
    StringColumn,
    ReferenceColumn,
    IntegerColumn,
    BooleanColumn,
    DateTimeColumn,
    // ... other column types
} from '@servicenow/sdk/core'

PlaybookConfig

PlaybookConfig

Top-level playbook properties (maps to sys_pd_process_definition). Properties:

$id (required): Now.Internal.ExplicitKey | string | number Unique identifier.
label (required): string Display name (max 240 chars).
name (optional): string Internal name. Must be unique across playbooks. If not provided, auto-generated from label by converting to lowercase and replacing non-alphanumeric characters with underscores. Acts as the record's stable identity — once a playbook is deployed, avoid changing name on subsequent edits, as a changed name is treated as a new record rather than an update to the existing one.
description (optional): string Description (max 1000 chars).
restartable (optional): 'RESTARTABLE_TRUE' | 'RESTARTABLE_FALSE' Whether playbook can be restarted. Default: 'RESTARTABLE_FALSE'.
allowAsNested (optional): boolean Can be used as a nested playbook. Default: false.
access (optional): 'package_private' | 'public' Visibility scope. Default: 'public'.
runStrategy (optional): 'run_once' | 'run_if_not_running' | 'run_always' Execution strategy. Default: 'run_once'.
executionType (optional): 'record_driven' Execution type. Default: 'record_driven'.
processType (optional): string Playbook type name. Must exist in the SDK process type mapping. Currently supported value is 'Standard playbook'. Default: 'Standard playbook'.
parentTable (optional): TableName Table whose records this playbook operates on. When set, auto-generates a parent_record process input typed as a Reference to this table. The triggering record is then accessible in the lanes callback via params.parentRecord, dot-walkable to all fields. Required for record-driven playbooks that need to read fields from the triggering record.
inputs (optional): Record<string, Column> Playbook input schema declared on the config object. Maps to sys_pd_process_input. See Inputs and Outputs below.
outputs (optional): Record<string, Column> Playbook output schema declared on the config object. Maps to sys_pd_process_output. See Inputs and Outputs below.
dataRetentionPeriodOverride (optional): '2_week' | '6_week' | '6_month' | '1_year' Data retention period override.

Note: When a playbook is deployed, changes are not applied to running instances automatically. To make new changes take effect at runtime, open Playbook Designer and activate the playbook again. The build/deploy output logs this reminder.

triggers

PlaybookTriggerDeclaration

The playbook's trigger instances.

Properties:

triggers (required): PlaybookTriggerInstance[] Trigger instances created with wfa.playbook.trigger(). Maps to sys_pd_trigger_instance. See wfa.playbook.trigger() below for trigger types, trigger inputs, and trigger mapper behavior.

The triggers array is required even when a playbook has no triggers — pass an empty array explicitly:

{ triggers: [] }

Inputs and outputs are declared on the 1st-arg config (see Inputs and Outputs below), not here.

Inputs and Outputs

Playbook inputs and outputs are declared on the 1st-arg config and use the same Column types as table fields. Inputs feed values into the playbook at launch time (from triggers or from a caller); outputs publish values when the playbook completes.

Declaring inputs

Inputs are declared using the inputs object on the config. Each trigger can provide values for these inputs via its trigger mapper — the 4th argument to wfa.playbook.trigger() that maps trigger data or literal values to the declared input schema.

{
    $id: Now.ID['my_playbook'],
    label: 'My Playbook',
    parentTable: 'incident',
    inputs: {
        record: ReferenceColumn({
            label: 'Record',
            referenceTable: 'incident',
            mandatory: true,
        }),
        priority: IntegerColumn({
            label: 'Priority Override',
            default: 3,
        }),
        summary: StringColumn({
            label: 'Summary',
            maxLength: 1000,
        }),
    },
}

Column options:

label: Display name shown in the designer.
mandatory: When true, the playbook fails to launch if the input is unmapped. Build-time error fires if a trigger mapper omits a mandatory input.
default: Default value applied when no caller value is provided.
maxLength: Maximum length (string columns).
referenceTable: Target table (reference columns).

Declaring outputs

{
    $id: Now.ID['my_playbook'],
    label: 'My Playbook',
    outputs: {
        resolvedBy: ReferenceColumn({
            label: 'Resolved By',
            referenceTable: 'sys_user',
        }),
        closureCode: StringColumn({
            label: 'Closure Code',
            maxLength: 40,
        }),
    },
}

Outputs are declarative schema only at this layer — they describe the shape the platform will publish when the playbook completes. There is no Fluent-side helper for assigning values to outputs from inside an activity; the wiring must be done using the "Set Playbook Outputs" activity in Playbook Designer.

Outputs are also not consumable in the Fluent DSL at this time — you cannot reference them from activity inputs, experience properties, or conditions. Support for consuming outputs is planned as future work.

Declared inputs surface inside the lanes callback via params.inputs.<name>. See PlaybookBodyParams below for the callback shape and playbook-datapills-guide for valid pill usage and format.

Maps to: sys_pd_process_input, sys_pd_process_output

body

PlaybookBody

A PlaybookBody object that declaratively defines lanes and activities. Execution ordering is declared inline on each lane and activity config via startRule.

interface PlaybookBody<I> {
    lanes: (params: PlaybookBodyParams<I>) => Record<string, LaneDefinition | ActivityInstance<any>>
}

Properties:

lanes (required): (params: PlaybookBodyParams<I>) => Record<string, LaneDefinition | ActivityInstance<any>> A function that receives params and returns a record of lane definitions and/or stage-level activities (typically a Decision) keyed by name. Mixing lanes and stage-level activities in the same returned record is how stage-level Decision routing is expressed. The callback form is required — the plugin extracts the lane/activity definitions from the arrow function body, not from a plain record.

Lane input shape (`wfa.playbook.lane`)

wfa.playbook.lane() accepts an object with config (a plain LaneConfig) and activities (a callback that receives params and returns the activity instances).

type LaneFunction = <A extends Record<string, ActivityInstance<any>>>(definition: {
    config: LaneConfig
    activities: (params: PlaybookBodyParams) => A
}) => LaneDefinition & LaneDataReference<A>

Properties:

config: Lane configuration. Must be a plain LaneConfig object — the plugin reads its properties statically and does not invoke a callback.
activities: Function receiving params (the same PlaybookBodyParams the lanes callback receives) and returning a record of activity instances keyed by name. Must use const + explicit-key return { name: name, ... } form so the build transformer can read the property keys statically.

The returned value carries the declared activity names via LaneDataReference<A>, which is how cross-lane references like intake.review.outputs.record type-check. LaneDefinition itself is a marker interface; the developer-visible surface lives on LaneDataReference<A>.

LaneConfig

interface LaneConfig {
    $id: Now.Internal.ExplicitKey | string | number
    label: string
    name?: string                  // Optional internal name (auto-generated from label if not provided)
    order: number
    startRule: LaneExecutionRule       // Required - wfa.playbook.run.Immediately() or wfa.playbook.run.After(...)
    restartRule: RestartRule           // Required - 'RUN_ALWAYS' | 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE' | 'RUN_ONLY_ON_RESTART'
    description?: string
    conditionToRun?: string
    startWithDelay?: StartWithDelay    // Optional delay before the lane starts
}

Properties:

$id (required): Now.Internal.ExplicitKey | string | number Unique identifier.
label (required): string Display name shown in Playbook Designer. Also used to auto-generate name.
order (required): number Display position in Playbook Designer. Controls visual layout only — use startRule for execution order.
startRule (required): LaneExecutionRule When this lane starts. wfa.playbook.run.Immediately(): no dependencies; wfa.playbook.run.After(...deps): starts after all listed dependencies complete.
restartRule (required): 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE' | 'RUN_ALWAYS' | 'RUN_ONLY_ON_RESTART' Re-execution behavior when the playbook is restarted. 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE': skipped on restart; 'RUN_ALWAYS': re-runs on restart; 'RUN_ONLY_ON_RESTART': skipped on first run, runs only on restart.
name (optional): string Internal name. If provided, it is used verbatim. If omitted, the name is auto-generated by slugifying the label; when sibling lanes produce duplicate slugs, a suffix is appended: lane_name, lane_name_1, lane_name_2, etc. The name is the lane's stable identity — once deployed, ideally do not change it on subsequent edits, as a changed name is treated as a new lane rather than an update to the existing one.
description (optional): string Optional description.
conditionToRun (optional): string Encoded query evaluated at runtime. The lane is skipped when the condition is false. Use wfa.playbook.dataPill() to interpolate runtime values.
startWithDelay (optional): StartWithDelay Optional delay applied after startRule is satisfied. See startWithDelay below.

startWithDelay

Optionally delays the start of a lane or activity after its startRule is satisfied. Maps to a sys_pd_timer_attributes descendant record. Discriminated by type.

type StartWithDelay =
    | { type: 'explicit'; duration: Duration }
    | { type: 'relative'; duration: Duration; relativeDatetime: string; relativeOperator: 'before' | 'after' }
    | { type: 'percentage'; percentage: number; percentageDatetime: string }

type Duration = {
    days?: number
    hours?: number
    minutes?: number
    seconds?: number
}

type: 'explicit' — Fixed delay specified as a duration.

Properties:

type (required): 'explicit' Discriminator.
duration (required): Duration How long to delay. Accepts a Duration object or a data pill.

type: 'relative' — Delay relative to a datetime, before or after it.

Properties:

type (required): 'relative' Discriminator.
duration (required): Duration How far before or after relativeDatetime to start. Accepts a Duration object or a data pill.
relativeDatetime (required): string Reference datetime in 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss' format. Accepts a data pill.
relativeOperator (required): 'before' | 'after' Whether the delay falls before or after relativeDatetime.

type: 'percentage' — Delay as a percentage of the time window up to a reference datetime.

Properties:

type (required): 'percentage' Discriminator.
percentage (required): number Percentage of the time window (exclusive 0, inclusive 100; decimals allowed, e.g. 10.5). Accepts a data pill.
percentageDatetime (required): string Reference datetime in 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss' format. Accepts a data pill.

Duration properties:

days (optional): number Days component.
hours (optional): number Hours component.
minutes (optional): number Minutes component.
seconds (optional): number Seconds component.

All Duration fields are optional; omit any component that is 0. At least one must be provided. Duration is stored internally as an epoch-relative datetime string (e.g., '1970-01-05 03:02:01') but the API accepts the friendly object form.

PlaybookBodyParams

The params object available inside the lanes callback closure:

interface PlaybookBodyParams<I> {
    inputs: { [K in keyof I]: InputReference }
    state: string
    parentRecord: DataReference
}

Properties:

params.inputs.* : References to declared playbook inputs (dot-walkable for data pills).
params.state : Reference to the playbook's state field (dot-walkable for data pills).
params.parentRecord : Reference to the parent record (available when parentTable is set on config). Dot-walkable for data pills referencing fields on the parent record.

Activity Output References

Same-lane outputs use local variables within the activities callback; cross-lane outputs use the lane variable from the lanes callback (e.g. intake.review.outputs.record). See playbook-activities-guide for the full pattern with examples.

Helper Functions

wfa.playbook.trigger()

Creates a trigger instance with a 4-argument pattern.

wfa.playbook.trigger(
    triggerType: PlaybookTriggerType,
    config: TriggerConfig,
    triggerInputs: TriggerInputs,
    playbookInputs?: (trigger: TriggerOutputs) => Record<string, unknown>
): PlaybookTriggerInstance

TriggerConfig

interface TriggerConfig {
    $id: Now.ID
    label?: string
}

Properties:

$id (required): Now.Internal.ExplicitKey | string | number Unique identifier.
label (optional): string Display label.

PlaybookTriggerType

PlaybookTriggerTypes.RecordCreate          // Triggered when a record is created
PlaybookTriggerTypes.RecordUpdate          // Triggered when a record is updated
PlaybookTriggerTypes.RecordCreateOrUpdate  // Triggered on create or update
PlaybookTriggerTypes.Scheduled             // Triggered on a schedule

TriggerInputs

The 3rd argument specifies the table the trigger monitors and optional filtering conditions. Each trigger monitors a single table (record-based triggers can additionally include its extended tables via runTriggerOnExtendedTables). The structure varies by trigger type:

Record-based triggers (RecordCreate, RecordUpdate, RecordCreateOrUpdate) accept these properties:

RecordTriggerInputs properties:

table (required): string Table to monitor (for example, 'incident').
condition (optional): string GlideRecord encoded query condition used to filter matching records.
runTriggerOnExtendedTables (optional): boolean Whether the trigger also applies to extended tables. Default: false.

Scheduled triggers use these base properties:

ScheduledTriggerInputsBase properties:

table (required): string Table to query on each scheduled run.
condition (optional): string GlideRecord encoded query condition used to filter the scheduled record set.
limit (required): number Maximum number of records processed per run (1-1000).
startDateAndTime (required): string Timestamp for when the schedule starts, in yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss format.
timeZone (optional): string Time zone for the schedule. Defaults to the system time zone.

Additional schedule-specific fields depend on the schedule type:

once — runs a single time
daily — adds frequency and end fields
weekly — adds frequency, daysOfTheWeek (for example, '12345'), and end fields
monthly — adds frequency, daySelection (fixed_day or relative_weekday), and end fields
yearly — adds repeatMonth, daySelection, and end fields
periodically — adds repeat (dd HH:mm:ss) and end fields

playbookInputs

The optional 4th argument is only used when the playbook declares inputs or the trigger table differs from the playbook's parentTable. It maps declared playbook inputs and parentRecord from trigger data or hardcoded literal values:

wfa.playbook.trigger(
    PlaybookTriggerTypes.RecordCreate,
    { $id: Now.ID['trig_1'], label: 'On Incident Created' },
    { table: 'incident', condition: 'priority=1' },
    (trigger) => ({
        parentRecord: wfa.playbook.dataPill(trigger.current.assigned_to),
        record: wfa.playbook.dataPill(trigger.current),
        priority: wfa.playbook.dataPill(trigger.current.priority),
        status: 'in_progress', // hardcoded literal
    })
)

Use (trigger) => ({ ... }) when the mapper reads from trigger.current. Use () => ({ ... }) when every mapped value is hardcoded. Omit the 4th argument entirely when the playbook has no declared inputs and the trigger table matches the playbook's parentTable.

Mapper keys must match declared playbook input names or parentRecord. To map values from the triggering record, wrap trigger.current references in wfa.playbook.dataPill(...).

See playbook-triggers-guide for detailed mapper examples, whole-record pills, template literals, dot-walk usage, and diagnostics.

Maps to: sys_pd_trigger_instance

wfa.playbook.activity()

Creates an activity instance. Returns an ActivityInstance — a plain data object with .outputs and .branches properties but no builder methods.

wfa.playbook.activity(
    activityDefinition: ActivityDefinition,
    config: ActivityConfig,
    inputs?: Record<string, unknown>,
    experienceProperties?: Record<string, unknown>
): ActivityInstance<TBranches>

Parameters

Properties:

activityDefinition (required): ActivityDefinition The activity definition to instantiate.
config (required): ActivityConfig Activity configuration (ID, label, order, startRule, etc.).
inputs (optional): Record<string, unknown> Automation inputs passed to the underlying flow/action.
experienceProperties (optional): Record<string, unknown> UI component configuration — controls how the activity is rendered and what data is displayed to users.

ActivityConfig

interface ActivityConfig {
    $id: Now.Internal.ExplicitKey | string | number
    label: string
    order: number           // Required - display order within the parent scope (lane or lanes body)
    startRule: ActivityExecutionRule  // Required - wfa.playbook.run.Immediately() or wfa.playbook.run.After(...)
    description?: string
    conditionToRun?: string
    restartRule: 'RUN_ALWAYS' | 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE' | 'RUN_ONLY_ON_RESTART'  // Required
    startWithDelay?: StartWithDelay // Optional delay before the activity starts
}

Note: sys_pd_activity also has AI-agent fields (enableAiAgent, aiAgentObjective, aiAgentExecutionMode, aiAgentRunWithRoles, aiAgentRunAs, aiAgentUser, aiAgentObjAdditionalDetail, conversationalAgents, launchAgentWhenActivityStart). These are internal and not part of the authoring surface — they are preserved when you transform an existing activity to Fluent, but are not intended to be set by hand.

Properties:

$id (required): Now.Internal.ExplicitKey | string | number Unique identifier.
label (required): string Display name.
order (required): number Display order within the parent scope (lane for in-lane activities, lanes body for stage-level Decision activities).
startRule (required): ActivityExecutionRule wfa.playbook.run.Immediately() — no dependencies; wfa.playbook.run.After(...deps) — starts after all listed dependencies complete.
restartRule (required): 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE' | 'RUN_ALWAYS' | 'RUN_ONLY_ON_RESTART' 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE': skipped on restart; 'RUN_ALWAYS': re-runs on restart; 'RUN_ONLY_ON_RESTART': skipped on first run, runs only on restart.
name (optional): string Internal name. If provided, used verbatim; otherwise auto-generated from label. See Field notes below for details.
description (optional): string Description.
conditionToRun (optional): string Encoded query evaluated at runtime.
startWithDelay (optional): StartWithDelay Same shape as LaneConfig.startWithDelay — delays the activity start after startRule is satisfied.

Field notes:

name — Optional internal name. If provided, it is used verbatim. If omitted, it is slugified from label and deduplicated across sibling activities within the same lane. The name is the activity's stable identity — once deployed, ideally do not change it on subsequent edits, as a changed name is treated as a new activity rather than an update to the existing one.
lane — Automatically set to the parent lane's sys_id.
process_definition — Automatically set to the playbook's sys_id.
active — Defaults to true.

Decision Activity

The Decision activity evaluates an ordered list of branch conditions and routes execution to matching branches.

wfa.playbook.activity(
    ActivityDefinitions.Core.Decision,
    { $id: Now.ID['decision_route'], label: 'Route by Priority', order: 1, startRule: wfa.playbook.run.Immediately() },
    {
        type: 'match_first',    // 'match_first' | 'match_all'
        branches: [
            { id: 'critical', label: 'Critical', condition: `${wfa.playbook.dataPill(params.inputs.record.priority)}=1` },
            { id: 'high',     label: 'High',     condition: `${wfa.playbook.dataPill(params.inputs.record.priority)}=2` },
            { id: 'else',     label: 'Else' },   // ELSE branch - must be last, no condition
        ],
    },
)

DecisionInputs properties:

type (required): 'match_first' | 'match_all' Branch selection mode. match_first runs only the first matching branch; match_all runs every matching branch in parallel.
branches (required): DecisionBranch[] Ordered list of branches. Branch display order follows array position.

DecisionBranch properties:

id (required): string Unique identifier within the decision. Used in decision.branches.<id> references in wfa.playbook.run.After(). 'else' is reserved for the fallback branch.
label (required): string Display name. For the else branch this must be the exact string 'Else'.
condition (optional): string Encoded query with optional data pills. Omit for the else branch.

ELSE branch: id: 'else', label: 'Else' (exact string), must be the last entry in branches, no condition.

Branch IDs are typed automatically in wfa.playbook.run.After(...). See playbook-anti-patterns-guide for the as const convention and playbook-guide for branching examples.

wfa.playbook.run Namespace

Execution rule helpers used in startRule properties on lane and activity configs. Accessed via the wfa namespace imported from @servicenow/sdk/automation.

import { wfa } from '@servicenow/sdk/automation'

wfa.playbook.run.Immediately()

Activity or lane starts immediately with no dependencies.

wfa.playbook.run.Immediately(): ExecutionRule

Use for the first activity in a lane or the first lane in a playbook.

wfa.playbook.run.After(...deps)

Activity or lane starts after all specified dependencies complete.

wfa.playbook.run.After(...deps: Dependency[]): ExecutionRule

Accepts varargs (not an array). Each argument can be an ActivityInstance, ActivityReference, LaneReference, or BranchReference.

// Single dependency
startRule: wfa.playbook.run.After(validate)

// Multiple dependencies (all must complete)
startRule: wfa.playbook.run.After(notify, log)

// Lane-level dependency
config: { ..., startRule: wfa.playbook.run.After(intake) }

// Branch dependency (Decision activity)
startRule: wfa.playbook.run.After(routeCase.branches.critical)

wfa.playbook.dataPill()

Creates runtime references to playbook data for use in trigger mappers, activity inputs, experience properties, conditions, and timer fields.

wfa.playbook.dataPill(reference: DataReference): string

See playbook-datapills-guide for additional details on usage, what is allowed in pills, and where pills are allowed.

Type Definitions

Run Namespace

declare namespace Run {
    function Immediately(): LaneExecutionRule & ActivityExecutionRule
    function After(...deps: Dependency[]): LaneExecutionRule & ActivityExecutionRule
}

Both helpers return a value assignable to either LaneConfig.startRule or ActivityConfig.startRule.

ExecutionRule

interface LaneExecutionRule {
    readonly __laneExecutionRule: true
}

interface ActivityExecutionRule {
    readonly __activityExecutionRule: true
}

type ExecutionRule = LaneExecutionRule | ActivityExecutionRule

Dependency

type Dependency = ActivityInstance<any> | ActivityReference | LaneReference | BranchReference

ActivityInstance

interface ActivityInstance<TBranches = never> extends ActivityReference {
    readonly branches: TBranches
}

outputs, state, and sysId come from ActivityReference. branches is never for non-Decision activities and a record of typed BranchReferences for Decision activities.

ActivityReference

interface ActivityReference {
    readonly __activityRef: true
    readonly outputs: any
    readonly state: string
    readonly sysId: string
}

LaneReference

interface LaneReference {
    readonly __laneRef: true
}

BranchReference

interface BranchReference {
    readonly __branchRef: true
    readonly id: string
}

PlaybookTriggerTypes Namespace

namespace PlaybookTriggerTypes {
    const RecordCreate: PlaybookTriggerType
    const RecordUpdate: PlaybookTriggerType
    const RecordCreateOrUpdate: PlaybookTriggerType
    const Scheduled: PlaybookTriggerType
}

ActivityDefinitions Namespace

namespace ActivityDefinitions {
    namespace Core {
        // Interactive
        const Instruction: ActivityDefinition
        const TwoStepInstruction: ActivityDefinition
        const RecordForm: ActivityDefinition
        const NewRecordForm: ActivityDefinition
        const AutocompletingRecordForm: ActivityDefinition
        const KnowledgeArticle: ActivityDefinition
        const ChecklistTask: ActivityDefinition

        // Automation
        const UpdateRecord: ActivityDefinition
        const CreateNewRecord: ActivityDefinition
        const NewRecordFormWithList: ActivityDefinition
        const SendEmail: ActivityDefinition
        const EmailForm: ActivityDefinition
        const WaitForCondition: ActivityDefinition
        const Placeholder: ActivityDefinition

        // Approval
        const RequestManagerApproval: ActivityDefinition
        const RequestAdHocApproval: ActivityDefinition
        const AskForMultiLevelApproval: ActivityDefinition

        // Branching
        const Decision: DecisionActivityDefinition

        // List
        const RecordList: ActivityDefinition
    }
}

Definition source: src/api/playbook/built-ins/activity-definitions/index.ts.

Data Model Mapping

Fluent Concept	ServiceNow Table	Key Fields
`PlaybookDefinition` config	`sys_pd_process_definition`	label, name, description, status, run_strategy, etc.
`wfa.playbook.trigger()`	`sys_pd_trigger_instance`	trigger_type, trigger_inputs, launcher_inputs
Lane	`sys_pd_lane`	label, name, order, description, start_rule_name, starts_after_lanes, condition_to_run, restart_rule, permission
Lane or Activity `startWithDelay`	`sys_pd_timer_attributes`	source (FK to lane or activity), source_type (`sys_pd_lane` or `sys_pd_activity`), duration_type, timer_duration, timer_relative_duration_datetime, etc.
`wfa.playbook.activity()` config	`sys_pd_activity`	activity_definition, label, name, order, lane (auto-set), process_definition (auto-set), start_rule, etc.
`wfa.playbook.activity()` inputs/experienceProperties	`sys_variable_value`	document, document_key, variable, value
`wfa.playbook.dataPill()` in inputs/experienceProperties	`sys_element_mapping`	field, id, table, value
`inputs`	`sys_pd_process_input`	(extends var_dictionary)
`outputs`	`sys_pd_process_output`	(extends var_dictionary)

See

ServiceNow Playbook Documentation

Examples

Example with 1 trigger

import { PlaybookDefinition, PlaybookTriggerTypes, ActivityDefinitions } from '@servicenow/sdk/automation'
import { wfa } from '@servicenow/sdk/automation'

PlaybookDefinition(
    {
        $id: Now.ID['p1_incident_notes'],
        label: 'P1 Incident Notes',
        name: 'p1_incident_notes',
        parentTable: 'incident',
    },
    {
        triggers: [
            wfa.playbook.trigger(
                PlaybookTriggerTypes.RecordCreate,
                { $id: Now.ID['p1_trig'], label: 'On P1 Incident' },
                { table: 'incident', condition: 'priority=1' }
            ),
        ],
    },
    {
        lanes: (params) => ({
            stamp_note: wfa.playbook.lane({
                config: {
                    $id: Now.ID['p1_lane'],
                    label: 'Stamp Note',
                    order: 1,
                    startRule: wfa.playbook.run.Immediately(),
                    restartRule: 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE',
                },
                activities: () => {
                    const stamp = wfa.playbook.activity(
                        ActivityDefinitions.Core.UpdateRecord,
                        {
                            $id: Now.ID['p1_act'],
                            label: 'Stamp Note',
                            order: 1,
                            startRule: wfa.playbook.run.Immediately(),
                            restartRule: 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE',
                        },
                        {
                            table_name: 'incident',
                            record: wfa.playbook.dataPill(params.parentRecord),
                            values: TemplateValue({ work_notes: 'Priority 1 received'}),
                        }
                    )
                    return { stamp: stamp }
                },
            }),
        }),
    }
)

Example with 1 trigger and inputs and outputs

import { PlaybookDefinition, PlaybookTriggerTypes, ActivityDefinitions } from '@servicenow/sdk/automation'
import { wfa } from '@servicenow/sdk/automation'
import { ReferenceColumn, IntegerColumn, StringColumn } from '@servicenow/sdk/core'

PlaybookDefinition(
    {
        $id: Now.ID['p1_incident_notes_with_inputs_outputs'],
        label: 'P1 Incident Notes with Inputs and Outputs',
        name: 'p1_incident_notes_inputs_outputs',
        parentTable: 'incident',
        inputs: {
          record: ReferenceColumn({
              label: 'Record',
              referenceTable: 'incident',
              mandatory: true,
          }),
          priority: IntegerColumn({
              label: 'Priority Override',
              default: 3,
          }),
          summary: StringColumn({
              label: 'Summary',
              maxLength: 1000,
          }),
        },
        outputs: {
          resolvedBy: ReferenceColumn({
              label: 'Resolved By',
              referenceTable: 'sys_user',
          }),
          closureCode: StringColumn({
              label: 'Closure Code',
              maxLength: 40,
          }),
      },
    },
    {
        triggers: [
            wfa.playbook.trigger(
                PlaybookTriggerTypes.RecordCreate,
                { $id: Now.ID['p2_trig_inp_out'], label: 'On P2 Incident Creation' },
                { table: 'incident', condition: 'priority=2' }
            ),
        ],
    },
    {
        lanes: (params) => ({
            stamp_note: wfa.playbook.lane({
                config: {
                    $id: Now.ID['p2_lane'],
                    label: 'Stamp Note',
                    order: 1,
                    startRule: wfa.playbook.run.Immediately(),
                    restartRule: 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE',
                },
                activities: () => {
                    const stamp = wfa.playbook.activity(
                        ActivityDefinitions.Core.UpdateRecord,
                        {
                            $id: Now.ID['p2_act'],
                            label: 'Stamp Note',
                            order: 1,
                            startRule: wfa.playbook.run.Immediately(),
                            restartRule: 'RUN_ONLY_ONCE',
                        },
                        {
                            table_name: 'incident',
                            record: wfa.playbook.dataPill(params.parentRecord),
                            values: TemplateValue({ work_notes: 'Priority 2 incident received'}),
                        }
                    )
                    return { stamp: stamp }
                },
            }),
        }),
    }
)

Signature​

API Structure​

Parameters​

Imports​

PlaybookConfig​

triggers​

Inputs and Outputs​

Declaring inputs​

Declaring outputs​

body​

Lane input shape (wfa.playbook.lane)​

LaneConfig​

startWithDelay​

PlaybookBodyParams​

Activity Output References​

Helper Functions​

wfa.playbook.trigger()​

TriggerConfig​

PlaybookTriggerType​

TriggerInputs​

playbookInputs​

wfa.playbook.activity()​

Parameters​

ActivityConfig​

Decision Activity​

wfa.playbook.run Namespace​

wfa.playbook.run.Immediately()​

wfa.playbook.run.After(...deps)​

wfa.playbook.dataPill()​

Type Definitions​

Run Namespace​

ExecutionRule​

Dependency​

ActivityInstance​

ActivityReference​

LaneReference​

BranchReference​

PlaybookTriggerTypes Namespace​

ActivityDefinitions Namespace​

Data Model Mapping​

See​

Examples​

Example with 1 trigger​

Example with 1 trigger and inputs and outputs​

Signature

API Structure

Parameters

Imports

PlaybookConfig

triggers

Inputs and Outputs

Declaring inputs

Declaring outputs

body

Lane input shape (`wfa.playbook.lane`)

LaneConfig

startWithDelay

PlaybookBodyParams

Activity Output References

Helper Functions

wfa.playbook.trigger()

TriggerConfig

PlaybookTriggerType

TriggerInputs

playbookInputs

wfa.playbook.activity()

Parameters

ActivityConfig

Decision Activity

wfa.playbook.run Namespace

wfa.playbook.run.Immediately()

wfa.playbook.run.After(...deps)

wfa.playbook.dataPill()

Type Definitions

Run Namespace

ExecutionRule

Dependency

ActivityInstance

ActivityReference

LaneReference

BranchReference

PlaybookTriggerTypes Namespace

ActivityDefinitions Namespace

Data Model Mapping

See

Examples

Example with 1 trigger

Example with 1 trigger and inputs and outputs