Assign a task to multiple users
Use the Assign a task to multiple users action to assign a task to multiple users at the same time and direct subsequent workflow logic based on the assignees' responses.
When you configure an Assign a task to multiple users action, a Form-based task type is created. The workflow sends the task to the recipients and then pauses until an outcome is decided. Depending on the completion rule you select, the task can be completed by assignees when the rule is satisfied, otherwise the default outcome is used.

Variables allow you to store and manipulate data and files in your workflows. They can be created by start events, forms, tasks, workflow actions, or automatically created when a workflow is run. See Variables.
Configure the Assign a task to multiple users action

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Add the Assign a task to multiple users action to the workflow and open the configuration panel.
- Find the action in the Communication action group in the action toolbox.
or
Type the action name in the Search field at the top of the action toolbar.
- Drag the Assign a task to multiple users action onto the designer canvas.
- Click the action to open the configuration.
- Enter a Task name.
- Enter a Task description.
- Configure the form.
- Click Design form to open the forms designer.
- Define controls, rules, and styles as required for this task form.
- Click Apply changes.
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Specify the task outcomes.
- If you want to use task outcomes, enable Multiple outcomes.
- Type the Outcomes you want.
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If you want to add more outcomes, click Add outcome.
Each new outcome adds a new branch to the action.
- Select a Completion rule.
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If you want users to sign in to Nintex Workflow Cloud to access the task form, enable Assignee authentication.
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Specify the Assignees.
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Select an Assignment behavior.
- In the Message section, type the Subject.
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Type the Message body of the email.
For more options in the Message body toolbar, click
.
Note: The Default outcome, Required percentage, and Required outcome fields that are displayed depend on the completion rule you choose.
For more information on the fields, see Assign a task to multiple users fields, buttons, and settings.

With Assignee authentication, you can configure the requirement for the assignees to sign into Nintex Workflow Cloud to access the task form.
- User directory lookup configuration is recommended for assignee authentication. The prerequisite to user directory lookup is to configure Identity federation. For more information, see User Management.
- At the moment, you can only connect to Azure Active Directory to assign tasks to users in your directory.
If Assignee authentication is enabled, the assignees will have to sign in to Nintex Workflow Cloud to access the form and complete the task. If disabled, the assignees don't need to sign in to Nintex Workflow Cloud to access the form.
In the Designer page:
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Add the Assign a task to multiple users action to the workflow and open the configuration panel.
- Find the action in the Communication action group in the action toolbox.
or
Type the action name in the Search field at the top of the action toolbar.
- Drag the Assign a task to multiple users action onto the designer canvas.
- Click the action to open the configuration.
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In the Assignee section, enable Assignee authentication (enabled by default).
- Type in the Assignees field to filter and select a user. Only the following users can be selected for assignee:
- Users who are already listed in the User Management page.
- Users from your Azure Active Directory, provided, you have configured User directory lookup. Once an assignee is selected from the Azure Active Directory, the assignee's account will be auto-onboarded into the User Management page.
The selected users will need to sign into Nintex Workflow Cloud to access the task form.
Note: If you're using a variable instead of selecting users, the variable should be in the email address format.
For more information on the fields, see Assign a task to multiple users fields, buttons, and settings.

You can configure the Assign a task to multiple users action to retrieve one or more files from previous points in the workflow, and then send the files as attachments with the task email to the assignees.
In the Designer page:
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Add the Assign a task to multiple users action to the workflow and open the configuration panel.
- Find the action in the Communication action group in the action toolbox.
or
Type the action name in the Search field at the top of the action toolbar.
- Drag the Assign a task to multiple users action onto the designer canvas.
- Click the action to open the configuration.
- In the Message section, click the File attachments field.
- Click + Insert.
- Click the variables representing the files you want to attach. You can use Collection and File type variables.
- Click Insert.
Note: If there are no existing variables, you may need to create a variable first before you can insert it.
For more information on the fields, see Assign a task to multiple users fields, buttons, and settings.

Outcomes are responses from the assignees that direct the workflow along a particular path. You can add, remove, or rename outcomes. Reject and Approve are the default outcomes.
In the Designer page:
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Add the Assign a task to multiple users action to the workflow and open the configuration panel.
- Find the action in the Communication action group in the action toolbox.
or
Type the action name in the Search field at the top of the action toolbar.
- Drag the Assign a task to multiple users action onto the designer canvas.
- Click the action to open the configuration.
- Enable Multiple outcomes.
- Edit the Reject or Approve Outcomes as required.
- To add a new outcome, click Add outcome.
- Type the new outcome name.
Each outcome is displayed as a new branch on the canvas.
For more information on the fields, see Assign a task to multiple users fields, buttons, and settings.

You can configure the due date for the task. If the assignees don't respond to the task within the timeframe you set, then the action does one of the following:
- Escalates by sending the task to another assignee.
- Autocompletes the task with a selected outcome.
In the Designer page:
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Add the Assign a task to multiple users action to the workflow and open the configuration panel.
- Find the action in the Communication action group in the action toolbox.
or
Type the action name in the Search field at the top of the action toolbar.
- Drag the Assign a task to multiple users action onto the designer canvas.
- Click the action to open the configuration.
- In the Escalation section, enable Escalation, and then do one of the following:
Use a date variable
- Click Use date variable.
- For Due date, select a date variable.
Calculate an amount of time
- Click Calculate date.
- For Number, type a value or select a variable (decimal or integer type).
- For Unit of time, select a time unit.
- Select an Activity on due date.
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If you select Escalate, do the following:
In the Escalation assignee field, type an email address.
Optionally, click Customize email to send a customized message when the task is escalated.
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If you select Autocomplete, do the following:
Select an Autocomplete outcome.
Note: You can choose an Autocomplete outcome only when Multiple outcomes is enabled. If Multiple Outcomes is disabled and Express approval is enabled, the Express approval term is selected automatically. If Multiple Outcomes is disabled and Express approval is disabled, the Autocomplete outcome is automatically set to Autocompleted.
For more information on the fields, see Assign a task to multiple users fields, buttons, and settings.

The Assign a task to multiple users task variables are available once you have configured the task form. To find them in the Insert variables or Variables panel, click the task name object for the Assign a task to multiple users action.
The available task variables include:
- The First Response object, which provides the responder name and the outcome of the first person to respond to the task.
- The Task Responses collection, which provides the responder name and outcomes of all people who responded to the task, including the first responder.
You can use a Loop for each action to access the variables in the Task Responses collection in your workflow.
For more information on using variables in workflows, see Variables.
Depending on your action configuration, the following variables are also generated:
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Form URL - The URL that an assignee can use to access the form.
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Task name (Form link) - A hyperlink to the form URL using the Task name.
You can only use these variables in the Assign a task to multiple users Message body.
Note: When you use Start event variables or workflow action variables in your workflow, the workflow object is dynamically added to the form toolbox. You can use the data from these object variables in a form. See Workflow Objects for more information.

Section |
Field | Description |
Variable types |
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(Unlabeled)
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Task name |
The name of the task. See Tasks. |
Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection |
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Task description |
Description of the task the action sends to the assignee. |
Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection |
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Task Type |
Form |
Allows you to design the task form. Click Design form to open the forms designer. |
(n/a) |
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Express approval |
A toggle you can enable if a task does not have outcomes. This is applicable in cases when assignees do not need to select an outcome but are required to acknowledge that they have completed the task. When the toggle is enabled and Multiple outcomes is disabled, the Outcomes are not displayed and you can specify the Express approval term. When the toggle is disabled, you can configure the action to allow assignees to select an outcome. |
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Outcomes |
Multiple outcomes |
When Multiple outcomes is disabled and Express approval is enabled, the Express approval term field is displayed, which requires assignees to respond with the Express approval term. Note: Disabling Multiple outcomes deletes all branches and contained actions, and causes any form rule that references the outcomes to error. |
(n/a) |
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Express approval term |
The message that you want an assignee to respond with after completing a task. The Express approval term you specify is displayed in the Footer text of the email that is sent to assignees. This field is displayed only when Multiple Outcomes is disabled and Express approval is enabled. |
Text | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Outcomes |
The possible responses for completing the task. The outcomes you define here determine the branches of the action. By default, the Assign a task to multiple users action creates Reject and Approve outcomes. You can add, edit, and delete outcomes. To edit an outcome name, type in the outcome name field. If you add a new outcome, another branch is added to the action. The outcomes appear as options in the Required outcome and Default outcome drop-downs. |
(n/a) |
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Add outcome |
Click to add task outcomes. If you add a new outcome, another branch is added to the action. If you add an outcome while Multiple outcomes is disabled, the Multiple outcomes toggle switches to enabled. Note: For workflows in engine v2, the maximum you can add is 30. |
(n/a) |
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Deletes an outcome. The Delete icon is displayed only if you define more than two outcomes. |
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Completion rule |
The rule that determines the overall outcome of the task based on the response from assignees. Select one of the following options:
Note: The Default outcome, Required percentage, and Required outcome fields that are displayed depend on the completion rule you choose. |
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Default outcome |
The outcome to use if the required outcome is not received or if the required percentage of a response is not achieved. The Default outcome field is displayed only if you select one of the following completion rules:
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(n/a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Required percentage |
The percentage of a specific response from assignees that must be achieved. The Required percentage field is displayed only when you select Wait for percentage of a response. |
Integer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Required outcome |
The response that must be received or achieved before a task is completed. The Required outcome field is displayed only if Multiple outcomes is enabled and options for the required outcome depend on the outcomes you specify. |
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assignee | Assignee authentication |
If Assignee authentication is disabled and Express Approval is enabled, the Verify responder's email address is displayed. |
(n/a) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Verify responder's email address |
Requires assignees to respond only from their email address. Responses received from other email addresses will not be accepted. This field is available only if you enable Express Approval and disable Assignee authentication. |
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Assignees |
Recipients of the task. Type in the Assignees field to filter and select users. Use semicolons to separate multiple email addresses. Note:
Tip: If you use a variable for the Assignee field, we recommend using the assignee's email address in a Text format instead of a combination of the user's first name and last name. |
Text | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assignment behavior |
The order that a task is assigned to users.
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(n/a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Message |
Sender display name |
The From name in the email that the action sends. The sender display name is followed by the default sender. For example, if your Sender display name is "Marketing Team" and the default sender is nintex@workflowcloud.com, the From field in the email displays as: Marketing Team <nintex@workflowcloud.com>. If you don't enter a sender display name, then the email shows the default sender in the From field. |
Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection |
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Subject |
Subject of the email message that the action sends. |
Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection |
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File attachments |
Variables representing files to attach to the email that the action sends. |
Collection, File |
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Message body |
Body of email message that the action sends. ![]()
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Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection |
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Footer text |
When you enable Footer text, the email the action sends includes one or a combination of the following information in the footer of the email:
When you do not enable Footer text, the email the action sends does not include text after the message body. You should add your own Task form links using variables so your assignees can access the forms and respond appropriately. |
(n/a) |
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Reminders
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Reminders |
When you enable Reminders, the action sends reminders to the assignees at intervals you specify. When you do not enable Reminders, reminders are not sent to the assignees. Example: If you enable Reminders, set Number to 1 and Unit of time to Hour(s), a reminder will be sent 1 hour from the start of the task assignment. |
(n/a) |
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Number |
Displays when you enable Reminders. The quantity of Unit of time before the action sends the first email reminder to the assignees. |
Decimal, Integer |
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Unit of time |
Displays when you enable Reminders. Time unit used with the Number field for the first email reminder. |
(n/a) |
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Customize email |
Displays when you enable Reminders. Presents the Custom email section and fields for reminder emails the action sends. See the Subject, Message body and Footer text information above. |
Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection |
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Subsequent reminders |
When you enable Subsequent reminders, the configuration panel presents additional Number and Unit of time fields. The action sends subsequent reminder emails for the task to the assignees as frequently as you define in the Number and Unit of time fields until the task is completed. When you do not enable Subsequent reminders, the action does not send additional reminders for a task. Example: If you enable Subsequent reminders, set Number to 2 and Unit of time to Hour(s), subsequent reminders will be sent for every 2 hours after the first reminder. |
(n/a) |
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Number |
Displays when you enable Subsequent reminders. The quantity of Unit of time before the action sends subsequent email reminders to the assignees. |
Decimal |
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Unit of time |
Displays when you enable Subsequent reminders. Time unit used with the Number field for the subsequent email reminders. |
(n/a) |
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Escalation
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Escalation |
When you enable Escalation, the configuration panel presents additional fields. The action escalates and sends the task to the recipient you specify, or completes the task with the selected Autocomplete outcome. By default, Use date variable is selected, which presents Due date and Escalation assignee fields. When you do not enable Escalation, the action does not escalate nor autocomplete. |
(n/a) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Use date variable / Calculate date |
Select to either use a date variable from your workflow or a set amount of time after the task is first created to escalate the task. This is selected, by default. |
(n/a) |
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Due date |
Displays when you select Use date variable. The date the action escalates or autocompletes the task. |
DateTime |
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Number |
Displays when you select Calculate date. The quantity of Unit of time before the action escalates or auto-completes the task. Example: If you enable Escalation with Calculate date, set Number to 2 and Unit of time to Hours(s), an escalation email will be sent 2 hours after the start of the Assign a task to multiple users action. |
Decimal |
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Unit of time |
Displays when you select Calculate date. Time unit used with the Number field for the escalation email that is sent to the assignees. |
(n/a) |
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Activity on due date |
Defines the activity that occurs when an assignee fails to respond to a task by the due date. Select one of the following:
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(n/a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Escalation assignee |
The recipient of the task escalation. This field is displayed only when Activity on due date is set to Escalate. |
Text |
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Customize email |
Presents the Custom email section and fields for escalation. See the Subject, Message body and Footer text information in the Message section above. This field is displayed only when Activity on due date is set to Escalate. |
(n/a) |
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Autocomplete outcome |
The outcome that is applied automatically when an assignee fails to respond to a task. These are the options for the Autocomplete outcome:
This field is displayed only when Multiple Outcomes is enabled, Escalation is enabled, and Activity on due date is set to Autocomplete. When a task is autocompleted, the status of the task in the Tasks page is displayed as Autocompleted. |
(n/a) |