Standard Task With Timeout
Description
This activity creates a task for specified participants and waits for them to complete it using an external form similar to Standard Task.
You can design forms externally using standard technologies such as .NET, Java, or Windows Forms. But it's vital to remember that you should only use this activity to stop the form from starting the process.
It's similar to the Standard Task activity but with one key difference: if the person doesn't complete the Task within the allotted time, the process will automatically switch to another activity.
You can use this activity for time-based escalations. For instance, if a Tier 1 Customer Support agent fails to respond to a support inquiry within a designated time frame, the inquiry is escalated to Tier 2 Customer Support.
Common Capabilities
Process Data Support
This activity supports dynamic configuration using variables from the Process Data drawer.
You can bind values from Model Data, Form Data, System Data, Enterprise Variables, and Activity Outputs.
Learn more → Using Process Data
Design Time Configuration
Display Text
Specify the name of the activity to show in your process.
Title
Enter an optional title to use as the task name. You can also provide an expression in this field to generate the task name according to your requirements. Click on the vertical ellipse to choose the following options.
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| Default | When you select this option, specify the default name directly. |
| JavaScript | You can specify the name using the JavaScript expression. |
| Liquid | You can specify a name using a liquid expression. |
Form URL
Specify the external Form URL to use for this Task. The following options are available to specify the URL. Click on the vertical ellipse to choose the following options.
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| Default | When you select this option, you can specify the URL as a literal text value. |
| JavaScript | You can associate a URL using a JavaScript expression. |
| Liquid | You can associate a URL using a liquid expression. |
Time to Complete
When creating a task, you must indicate a completion time. If the completion time exceeds the specified time, the Task becomes overdue, highlighting the status overdue in the respective user's My Tasks tab. Click on the vertical ellipse to choose the following options.
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| Default | When you select this option, specify the completion time directly. |
| JavaScript | You can specify time using a JavaScript expression. |
| Liquid | You can specify time using a liquid expression. |
Time to Complete Unit
Specifies the maximum time allowed to complete the associated Task before it is overdue. The time unit can be week, day, hour, minute, or second.
Priority
Specify the priority of the created Task. It can be Low, Normal, or High.
Auto Complete
Enable the Auto Complete option, a boolean property, if you wish to have the Task completed automatically during its first execution. Leave it unchecked for manual task completion. By default, this option is disabled.
This feature is handy in scenarios where specific tasks can be auto-approved based on predefined conditions. For example, in an approval process, if the amount to be approved is less than 2K, the system can automatically complete the Task, streamlining the workflow. However, manual approval is required if the amount exceeds 2K, ensuring compliance and control.
By enabling Auto Complete, you can optimize workflows by reducing unnecessary manual interventions while maintaining oversight for critical decisions.
Use Business Time
Specifies whether the system calculates due dates and reminder notification schedules based on the Business Calendar applicable to the assigned user.
When enabled, the system uses the assigned user’s Business Calendar. If no user-specific calendar is defined, the group or default Business Calendar is applied, if available. If no Business Calendar exists, business-time calculations are not applied.
Participants
You can assign multiple participants to a task. Participants can be individual users, groups, or variables containing user/group lists.
If the specified participant is unavailable during task creation or assignment, the task is automatically assigned to the Administrator to maintain workflow continuity.
Adding Participants
Use the Participants tab to add participants:
- Add Groups and Users: Use the Group dropdown and Search field to find and add users or groups.
- Drag and drop: Add participants by dragging them from the available list to the Participants area.
- Variables: You can add variables containing lists of users or groups. Variables must be semicolon-separated.
Participant
This activity accepts a single participant, either a single user or a single group. If you select a group, you will get additional settings listed below.
- Max Participants — When you select a group to participate in the created Task, you can indicate the required number of group members who should complete it.
- All Participants – If you want all group members to complete this activity, turn on this setting. It ignores the Max Participants setting.
- Dynamic task pool – When enabled, the Group task pool updates in real time. Any changes to group membership take effect immediately: adding a user automatically creates a task for that user, and removing a user causes the Task to no longer appear in their task library.
- Reuse participants on subsequent executions of this activity — Specify whether the same participants should execute the Task each time the activity is repeated within the same process instance.
Participant Types
The activity supports three types of participants:
- Individual Users: Direct assignment of specific users.
- Groups: Assignment of groups; all group members become potential participants.
- Variables: Dynamic participant assignment using variables that contain user or group lists (semicolon-separated). For variables, you must specify whether they contain users or groups (not both).
Participant Options
Each participant in the list shows icons to:
- Switch between user assignment or group assignment (for variables).
- Assign to participant manager (available for all participant types).
- Remove the participant from the list.
Participant Settings
Max participants to complete this task
- Specify the number of participants required to complete the task (default is 1).
- This setting applies to the unique collection of all users from all participants (individual users, users from groups, and users/groups from variables).
- All Participants: When checked, requires all participants to complete the task and overrides the Max Participants setting.
Dynamic Task Pool
- When enabled, applies dynamic task pool behavior to all groups added to the participants list.
- This setting is now available for all participant types, not just groups.
Reuse participants on subsequent executions of this activity
- When enabled, the same participants are used each time this activity runs within the same process instance.
- This helps maintain consistency when a workflow loops back to the same task activity.
Email Notifications
You can utilize Email Templates and configure email notifications for the following task statuses.
- Initiation – Specify the task initiation via Email notification.
- Reminder – Specify the task reminder Email Notification to send as a reminder of the Task. It will send daily reminder notifications until the Task enters Overdue status.
- Reassignment – Specify the task reassignment via Email Notification. This email will be sent upon reassignment of this Task.
- Completion – Specify the Task completion via Email notification. It sends this email notification when the Task is complete.
- Overdue – Specify the Task overdue via Email Notification. It sends this email when a task is overdue.
Wait All Incoming
Controls how this activity behaves when multiple incoming execution paths converge.
Determines whether the activity executes when:
- any incoming path completes, or
- all relevant paths have completed before execution
Learn more → Execution Control
On Error
Defines how the workflow behaves if this activity encounters a runtime error.
Supported strategies include Fault, Continue, Suspend, and Retry.
Example
Refer to the example page for step-by-step instructions on connecting to the AI Command Center using the APIs.