Manage workflow constants

This topic describes how to create, edit, and delete workflow constants, edit permissions for workflow constants, and enable and disable manual entry of credentials.

Administrator privileges for the selected level (web farm, site collection, or site) are required for some procedures in this topic; for more information, see Security page.

Workflow constants are globally set values available to all workflows at the specified level (web farm, site collection, or site). Use workflow constants to store credentials, URLs, LDAP paths, SQL connection strings, and any other values that need to be used in multiple workflows. The values contained within the workflow constant are not made visible to workflow designers. Users who are designing workflows are only shown the names of the workflow constants.

Permissions for workflow constants determine the users and groups who are able to insert workflow constants when designing workflows. Permissions are checked when the user publishes the workflow.

Note: If an existing workflow is modified by another workflow designer who does not have permissions to see and use a workflow constant being used in that workflow, then the workflow will save; however, republishing of the workflow will not be allowed. Only workflow designers who have been granted permission to see and use the workflow constant will be able to publish the workflow. Because this security check is performed when the workflow is published, no currently published workflow using workflow constants can be re-published by someone without permissions to the referenced workflow constants. Therefore, if the permissions for a workflow constant are changed, a workflow that is already using the constant will continue to use the value successfully.

Credentials can be manually defined in the Manage workflow constants page and the action configuration dialog box according to settings enabled for the web farm. In addition, credentials can be defined using Secure Store Service on SharePoint. For more information about Secure Store Service on SharePoint, see the Microsoft article Configure the Secure Store Service in SharePoint 2013.

To access the Manage workflow constants page

• Do one of the following, depending on the level that you want.

  • Web farm level: On the Central Administration Home page, click Nintex Administration and then click Workflow Constants under Workflow environment.

  • Site collection level: 
    1. From the top site level home page, click and select Site settings to display the Site Settings page.
    2. Under Nintex Workflow, click Workflow Constants to display the Workflow constants page.
    3. On the Workflow constants ribbon, click Site collection settings.
  • Site level:
    1. From the top site level home page, click and select Site settings to display the Site Settings page.
    2. Under Nintex Workflow, click Workflow Constants to display the Workflow constants page.

To create a workflow constant

1. Access the Manage workflow constants page.

   For instructions, see the procedure above.

2. Click New in the Workflow constants ribbon to display the Add Workflow Constant dialog box.
3. Define properties and then click Save to save changes.

To edit a workflow constant

1. Access the Manage workflow constants page.

   For instructions, see the procedure above.

2. Click the constant name (or select the constant and then click Edit in the Workflow constants ribbon) to display the Edit Workflow Constant dialog box.
3. Update properties and then click Save to save changes.

To delete a workflow constant

1. Access the Manage workflow constants page.

   For instructions, see the procedure above.

2. Select the constant and then click Delete in the Workflow constants ribbon.

To edit permissions for a workflow constant

1. Access the Manage workflow constants page.

   For instructions, see the procedure above.

2. Select the constant and then click Edit permissions to display the Edit Workflow Constant Permissions dialog box.

3. Under Permissions, select an option and then click OK to save changes and close the dialog box.

   For more information about this dialog box, see Edit Workflow Constant Permissions dialog box.

To enable or disable entry of manually defined credentials

1. On the Central Administration Home page, click Nintex Administration and then click Security under Workflow environment.

2. On the Security page, under Allow entry of user credentials, select the appropriate option and then click OK to save changes.

   For more information about the options on this page, see Security page.

Related information

Insert workflow constants

Add Workflow Constant and Edit Workflow Constant dialog boxes

Edit Workflow Constant Permissions dialog box