Linking inputs in decision tree nodes
Summarize
Summary of Linking Inputs in Decision Tree Nodes
Linking inputs in decision tree nodes allows authors to reuse input values from previous nodes, enhancing efficiency and streamlining agent interactions. This functionality enables agents to bypass repeated questions, as linked inputs automatically fill values during runtime based on prior answers.
Show less
Key Features
- Linking Inputs in Question Nodes: When an input is linked to another input, the corresponding question is not displayed to the agent, as the value is reused. This is beneficial for inputs like credit card numbers already captured.
- Linking Inputs in Guidance Nodes: Inputs from previous nodes can be linked to guidance inputs, passing essential information, such as case numbers, directly to the agent without additional queries.
- Special Cases for Linking Inputs: The application supports specific input type linking, including:
- String Input Field Type: Can link to any field type (integer, decimal, choice, etc.).
- Reference Input Field Type: Only links to matching reference types across the same or child input tables.
- Choice Input Field Type: Accepts both choice and string types.
- Date and Date/Time Input Field Types: Accepts various date types, including glidedatetime and datetime.
Key Outcomes
By effectively linking inputs in decision trees, ServiceNow customers can improve the efficiency of their workflows, reduce redundancy in agent interactions, and ensure that the right information is readily available when needed, ultimately enhancing the customer service experience.
Linking of inputs enables decision tree authors to reuse input values (answers) from prior nodes.
Linking inputs in question and linking nodes
Most questions are presented to an agent to provide answers. When you link an input to another input, the question is not displayed to the agent. Because the input reuses values from the input it is linked to, the agent does not need to provide any answer.
Similar to other inputs, you can use linked inputs to create path conditions.
For example, if you have already asked the credit card number in the start node, you can reuse that input in the following question node. This question is not presented to the agent again and the value is automatically filled out during run time.
Linking inputs in guidance nodes
With linking inputs, you can reuse the answers that customer provided to supply input values to the guidance inputs. You can link the task input in the start node to the guidance inputs to pass the information about the record that the agent is working on.
For example, you can connect the start node’s task input to the following guidance. The task input holds a reference of the record the agent is working on in a workspace. You need a case number, which is provided by the task input, for reassigning the case to someone else.
Special cases for linking inputs
In most cases, you can only link inputs to other prior node’s inputs of the same type. For example, you can link a string input field type to another string input field type.
| Input type | Description |
|---|---|
| String input field type | Accepts any type of field to be linked. For example, string accepts integer, decimal, choice, and others. String is a text field which accepts any characters. |
| Reference input field type | Accepts only reference type of field. You can link reference input types only if the current question node’s input table matches the prior node’s input table at the same level or at the child level. For example, the Task table can be linked to the Task table or the Task table can be linked to the Case table, which is a child of the Task table. |
| Choice input field type | Accepts choice type and string type because a choice in a choice list is a string. |
| Date and Date/Time input field types | Accepts the following types:
|
glide_var type fields to map to any inputs.