Automated Send Email activity

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Automated Send Email activity

    The Automated Send Email activity enables you to create and send emails automatically within a playbook using previously gathered or generated data. It sends the email immediately upon execution without pausing for user input, then proceeds to the next activity. This streamlines communication workflows by automating email notifications based on playbook logic.

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    Roles and Availability

    This activity is available as a common activity and can be added to a playbook by users with the admin, playbook.admin, or pdauthor roles.

    Inputs

    You configure the activity inputs via the properties panel, using either fixed values or dynamic data via the pill-picker for variable content. Key inputs include:

    • Label: Title displayed on the activity and playbook card.
    • Description: Information about the activity's usage or outcome.
    • Run condition: Conditions that control whether the activity runs, based on prior data.
    • Start Rule: Defines when the activity or its containing stage starts, such as at playbook start or after specific stages or activities.
    • Start with delay: Optionally delay execution of the activity.
    • To List of Users: Recipient list, configurable as static email addresses or dynamic references using pill-picker for variable recipients.
    • Cc List of Users: Carbon copy recipients, configurable similar to the To list.
    • Subject: Email subject line.
    • Body HTML: Email body content in HTML format.

    Advanced Inputs

    Additional optional inputs can be configured to further customize the email and its context:

    • To Email Address / Cc Email Address: Comma-separated strings for recipient addresses.
    • Bcc List of Users / Bcc Email Address: Blind carbon copy recipients as lists or strings.
    • Target Record: Reference to a task record to attach the email within ServiceNow.
    • Table: Name of the table containing playbook or activity data.

    Outputs

    This activity provides outputs that can feed into subsequent playbook steps:

    • Record: Reference to the task record created or updated.
    • Email: Reference to the email notification record generated by this activity.

    These outputs support chaining activities and tracking email actions within the playbook workflow.

    Create an email from previously gathered or generated data without pausing the playbook to ask for user input. When the activity runs, it immediately sends the email and continues to the next activity in the playbook.

    Roles and availability

    This activity is available as a common activity. Users with the admin, playbook.admin, or pd_author can add this activity to a playbook.

    Inputs

    Open the activity properties panel and configure your activity to add values for the following inputs. If the input value varies, use the pill-picker to show where to get the value. To learn more about the pill-picker, see Dot-walking examples.
    Input Type Description
    Label String Title to display as activity and playbook card.
    Description String Information to display about activity usage or outcome.
    Run condition Condition Builder Conditions that must be met to run an activity or stage. You can use data from prior activities to build conditions.
    Note:
    Show additional options to see this field.
    Start Rule Choice Under Schedule > Start Rule, select a start rule for when your stage should start running:
    • When process starts: Your stage starts running as soon as the playbook starts.
    • After specific stages: Your stage starts running after specified stage(s) have finished running.
    Under Schedule > Start Rule, select a start rule for when your activity should start running:
    • When stage starts: Your activity starts running as soon as its stage starts running. Your stage starts running when your playbook is triggered.
    • After specific activities: Your activity starts running after specified activities have finished running.
    Start with delay True/False Option to wait for a duration of time before running an activity or stage. When enabled, this input displays the Start with delay input properties.
    Note:
    Show additional options to see this field.
    To List of Users Recipient list for the email. There are 2 ways to configure this field:
    • Enter email addresses as strings if you want the emails to go to the same addresses every time.

    • When the email address value varies, use the pill picker to indicate where to find the recipient email address. For example, you would use the pill picker if you wanted to automatically notify credit card applicants of a rejection, because each applicant has a different email.

      You would select the customer record from the trigger (when the application was submitted), because that is where the applicant's email address is found.


      Using the pill picker to reference the email address.
    Cc List of Users Cc recipient list for the email.
    Subject String Subject of the email.
    Body HTML Body of the email.

    Advanced inputs

    After configuring the required inputs for your activity, you can also choose to configure additional inputs. In the side panel, select Show additional options to display these advanced inputs. For more information, see Activity experience.
    Input Type Description
    To Email Address String Comma-separated list of email addresses.
    Cc Email Address String Comma-separated list of copied email addresses.
    Bcc List of Users Bcc blind copy recipient list for the email.
    Bcc Email Address String Comma-separated list of blind copied email addresses.
    Target Record Reference.Task [task] Reference to the record that the system attaches the email to.
    Table Table Name Table containing activity or playbook data.

    Outputs

    These outputs can provide data to other activities in your playbook. You can access this data as activity inputs when you configure your activity:
    Output Type Description
    Record Reference.Task[task] Reference to record created.
    Email Reference.Notification[sysevent_email_action] Reference to the newly created email notification record