Send Email activity

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

    The Send Email activity in ServiceNow Yokohama enables you to create and send emails using data collected or generated within a playbook. This activity requires defining the recipients, subject, and body of the email. It allows end users to review and confirm the email content before sending, ensuring accuracy and control. This activity is accessible to users with roles such as admin, playbook.admin, or pdauthor and can be added as a common activity in any playbook.

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    How to Configure

    Configure the activity through the properties panel by setting essential inputs:

    • Label and Description: Define the title and usage information displayed on the playbook card.
    • Run Condition: Set conditions based on prior activity data to control when the activity runs.
    • Start Rule: Specify when the activity or stage should begin, with options such as "When process starts," "After specific stages," or "After specific activities."
    • Start with delay: Optionally delay execution for a set duration.
    • Recipients ("To", "Cc", "Bcc"): Enter static email addresses or dynamically select them using the pill-picker to pull addresses from relevant records, enabling personalized notifications.
    • Email Content: Provide the subject, HTML body, tagline, and footer. Footers and additional record fields can use data references but cannot be edited during playbook execution.
    • Form View: Optionally specify a form view for sending the email; otherwise, the default view is used.
    • Wait for User Input: Control whether the playbook pauses until the end user confirms or skips the email sending step, editable only by playbook.admin role.

    Advanced Inputs

    Additional configuration options include assigning the activity task to a user or group, specifying comma-separated email addresses for To, Cc, and Bcc fields, and linking the email to a target record. These allow precise control over task ownership and email tracking within the system.

    Outputs and Integration

    After execution, the activity provides outputs that can be used by subsequent playbook activities:

    • Automated: Indicates if the activity completed automatically or required user input.
    • Record: References the task record created for this activity.
    • Email: References the email notification record generated.

    Practical Benefits

    This activity streamlines sending emails within automated workflows, ensuring messages are accurate and contextually relevant by leveraging dynamic data. It also supports compliance and operational needs by allowing approvals or manual confirmation before sending. By integrating email communication directly into playbooks, organizations can improve response times and maintain clear audit trails in ServiceNow.

    Create an email from previously gathered or generated data. Use this activity to send an email. This activity requires the playbook author to define who the email should be sent to, the subject, and the body. This activity surfaces the pre-defined content for the email to the end user so that the end user can confirm before sending the email.

    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.
    Wait for user input Choice Option to pause the playbook until the end user manually completes or skips the activity. Only users with the playbook.admin role can edit this field. By default, the activity waits for user action or data before it completes.
    Tagline String Activity tagline to display to end users.
    Record fields Reference Any additional record fields you want in the email.
    Note:
    This field cannot be edited during a playbook run.
    Footer String Footer content for your email. You can enter a footer as a string, or use the pill picker to reference data (e.g. a timestamp) that you want to display at the bottom of the email.
    Note:
    This field cannot be edited during a playbook run.
    Form View String Form view to use for sending an email. If you don't provide a form view, the system uses the default view. Use the new tab button a button that opens a new tabto open and edit a form view with Form Builder in a new Workflow Studio tab.
    Note:
    Many form views are not supported in Workspace.
    Form fields Reference Any additional fields you want in the playbook activity card.
    Note:
    This field cannot be edited during a playbook run.

    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
    Assigned To Reference.User [sys_user] User responsible for completing the task associated with the activity.
    Note:
    Show additional options to see this field.
    Assignment Group Reference.Group [sys_user_group] Group responsible for completing the task associated with the activity.
    Note:
    Show additional options to see this field.
    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
    Automated True/False Whether the flow automatically completes or requires user input. If set to True, the activity card in Playbook Experience displays a Automated Task tagline.
    Record Reference.Task[task] Reference to record created.
    Email Reference.Notification[sysevent_email_action] Reference to the newly created email notification record