Triggers

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Triggers

    Triggers in ServiceNow Playbooks define when a playbook should start running based on specific record operations and conditions. They enable automated workflows to begin in response to user actions such as creating or updating records within the ServiceNow AI Platform. You configure triggers during playbook creation in Workflow Studio to align with your business processes.

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    Trigger Types

    Triggers are based on record operations and include the following default types:

    • Record Created: Activates the playbook when a user creates a new record.
    • Record Updated: Activates the playbook when a user updates an existing record.
    • Record Created or Updated: Activates on either creation or update of a record.

    Note that triggers only fire on interactive user actions, not on non-interactive system operations such as imports or update sets.

    Conditions and Options to Refine Trigger Execution

    After selecting a trigger type, you can specify conditions to control when the playbook runs. Key options include:

    • Conditions: Use the condition builder to set field-level filters for triggering.
    • Run My Process: Choose how often the playbook runs, options include:
      • Once: Runs a single time per triggering record.
      • For each unique change: Runs for every unique update to non-system fields, avoiding repeated triggers for identical changes.
      • Only if not currently running: Runs only if the playbook is not already active for the record.
      • For every update: Runs on every update regardless of existing executions.
    • Run on Extended: Allows triggering on tables that extend the selected table, enabling broader scope (e.g., triggering on all Configuration Item subclasses).

    Design Considerations

    • Create unique filter conditions when multiple playbooks trigger on the same table to prevent conflicts or overwriting.
    • Avoid duplicating triggers already used in Workflow Studio flows, as both will run if conditions are met.
    • Triggers ignore records modified via imports or update sets because these operations affect multiple records at once.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    Understanding and configuring triggers empowers you to automate business processes precisely when relevant record changes occur. By defining trigger types and conditions thoughtfully, you can ensure that playbooks execute at the right moments without conflicts or redundancies. This leads to more efficient workflows, better process control, and reduced manual intervention.

    To implement triggers effectively, start by creating or selecting a trigger definition, then add and configure it within your playbook to align with your operational needs.

    Triggers specify when to start running your playbook.

    In Playbooks, triggers indicate when your playbook should start running. Each trigger has a type and conditions that, when met, start running your activated playbook.

    You can choose a trigger when you create a playbook in Workflow Studio. Start by adding a trigger, which defines the trigger type. Then, set conditions and other options to refine your trigger so that it fires in a way that makes sense for your business process. For more information, see Create a process definition.

    If there are no triggers that fit your use case, you can create your own trigger definition instead. For more information, see Create a trigger definition.

    Figure 1. How triggers work
    When the conditions specified in your trigger are met anywhere in the ServiceNow AI Platform, your automated playbook starts running.

    Trigger types

    In your Trigger Definition [sys_pd_trigger_definition] record, you can choose a trigger type, which determines when your trigger fires. These trigger types represent record operations that can occur in the ServiceNow AI Platform®. The following trigger types are available in your instance by default:

    Record Created
    The playbook runs when a user creates a record anywhere in the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    Record Updated
    The playbook runs when a user updates an existing record anywhere in the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    Record Created or Updated
    The playbook runs when a user creates a record or updates an existing record anywhere in the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    Note:
    Triggers only fire for record operations that are interactive, or made by users. Triggers don't fire for non-interactive record operations. For more information, see Non-interactive sessions.

    Conditions to run

    After you add a trigger to your playbook, you can then set conditions and other options that determine when and how your trigger fires.

    Option Action
    Conditions Use the condition builder to create field conditions for when your playbook runs. See Condition builder.
    Run my process Choose an option for when your playbook runs. Options include:
    • Once: Triggers the playbook once for the life of the triggering input record.
    • For each unique change: Triggers the playbook for every unique update to a non-system field even if the flow is currently running. The system stores a history of every change to a record and determines whether the change is unique. For example, if an incident record's State field changes from In Progress to On Hold, the playbook runs. However, if the State field then changes back to In Progress, the playbook doesn't run.
      Note:
      Playbooks that have a trigger that runs For each unique change can produce recursions when run in a non-interactive session. When such playbooks make a change to the trigger record, the change meets the playbook's trigger conditions and causes a recursion.
    • Only if not currently running: Triggers the playbook for every unique change if a process execution is not currently running.
    • For every update: Triggers the playbook every time the input record is updated, regardless of whether there has already been or there currently are any running process executions.
    Run on extended Select this option to trigger the playbook on tables that extend from your selected table. For example, if you enable this option and select the Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] table, your playbook runs when record operations occur on the Server [cmdb_ci_server], Computer [cmdb_ci_computer], and other extended tables. For more information, see Table extension and classes.

    Design considerations

    Refer to these design considerations when working with triggers:
    Create unique filter conditions for record triggers on the same table
    To prevent playbooks from overwriting each other, create unique filter conditions for each playbook that runs on the same table. If multiple playbooks on the same table have the same filter, there is no way to know the order in which the playbooks will run.
    Avoid duplicating triggers used in Workflow Studio flows
    Playbooks triggers do not override Workflow Studio triggers. For both applications, when the trigger conditions are met, the automated processes run.
    Ignore records added or updated by import and update sets
    Record triggers ignore records that were added or updated by applying an update set or importing an XML file. These operations apply to the entire application or table instead of an individual record.