State changes for event tasks in groups

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of State changes for event tasks in groups

    This document outlines the state transitions for original and duplicate event tasks within the Similar tasks group in ServiceNow. Understanding these states is crucial for effective task management during events.

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    Key Features

    • Original Task Assignment: When an event starts, the Original task field in the Similar tasks group is auto-assigned to the first task of the event.
    • State Transitions: The original task can move through various states (On hold, Open) based on dependencies among grouped tasks, which influences the state of duplicate tasks.
    • Unlinking Tasks: Users can unlink an event task from the Similar tasks group using the Unlink similar tasks group UI action.
    • Manual Task Re-triggering: The original task can be re-triggered as a manual task, allowing it to complete its workflow like a standard event task while the duplicate task remains in a Closed duplicate state.

    Key Outcomes

    By understanding and managing the state transitions of event tasks, ServiceNow customers can ensure proper workflow execution, maintain task dependencies, and automate the closure of duplicate tasks, enhancing overall event management efficiency.

    The original and duplicate event tasks in the Similar tasks group move through different states until the original task is closed.

    The state transitions of the original and duplicate event tasks are explained in the following table.

    Table 1. State transitions of the event task
    Description Task state
    An event contains similar tasks grouped together.

    The event from the list where similar event tasks are grouped together is shown in the example.

    Similar tasks group.
    State the Original task field before starting the event.

    Before starting the event, the Original task field in the Similar tasks group is empty and in the read-only state.

    Original task empty.
    After an event is started, the original task is auto-assigned.

    The first task of the event, such as t4 (EVNTSK0010020) of group 2 in the example, becomes the original task of the Similar tasks group. The following example shows that task 4 (t4) does not have any dependency.

    Original task Open.Original task updated.
    States of original and duplicate tasks

    The original task is updated to the On hold state and the duplicate task is in the Pending state.

    On hold state.

    For context, the worknote for the original task is updated such that the task has been moved to On hold because it was grouped by the similar task groups.

    Worknote.
    The dependencies in the similar tasks group are closed.

    Task 4 is dependent on task 3, task 3 is dependent on task 2, and task 2 is dependent on task 1. Therefore, it is closed first.

    Original task Open.
    After closing t1, t2 moves to the Open state. The task, t2, is open.
    After closing t2, t3 moves to the On hold state. The task, t3, is on hold.
    Since all tasks in the group are On hold, the original task (t4) moves to the Open state. The task, t4, is open.
    Final step. After closing the original task, the duplicate task moves to the Closed duplicate state automatically.

    The duplicate task (t3) moves to the Closed duplicate state automatically.

    Closed duplicate.

    You can unlink an event task from the similar tasks group by selecting the Unlink similar tasks group UI action in the event task.

    You can re-trigger an original task as a manual task and complete its workflow like a regular event task by selecting the Re-trigger as a manual task UI action in the event task. It moves the original task to the Open state, but its duplicate task stays in the Closed duplicate state.