Nintex - Component workflow

Use the Nintex - Component workflow start event An event that triggers a workflow to run when it occurs. An example is Box - New file, which triggers the workflow to run when a new file is uploaded to the specified folder.  to start your workflow from another workflow or from an HTTP-capable service or application.

You can start a Component workflow using:

  • Another workflow in your Nintex Workflow tenancy, by using the Call a web service action.

  • A workflow in another Nintex Workflow product, by using the Call a workflow action in Nintex Workflow (sends an HTTP Post request).

  • Any HTTP-capable application, by sending an HTTP Post request.

The workflow or external application that starts the Component workflow A workflow that can be started from outside the tenancy; the workflow uses the "Component workflow" start event. must provide the start variables A variable associated with the start event. Often referenced by actions in the workflow. For example, a start event variable might capture input in a form field. defined by the Component workflow start event, including any required files.

Configure the Nintex - Component workflow start event

By selecting Nintex Component workflow, you are defining that this individual workflow can be started by authorized applications or workflows. Credentials used to obtain authorization are made available after you publish the Component workflow.

  1. Open the Workflow designer. For more information, see Open the Workflow designer.

  2. If the Start event configuration panel does not automatically open, click Start event. For more information, see Start event configuration panel.

    Important: 

    If invalid variables are detected, a message is displayed at the top of the Start event configuration panel. It can be due to changes that have been made to the start event, such as:

    • The start event configuration may have been changed.

    • The start event may have been changed completely. For example, the start event connector changed to a new connector or changed from a connector to a Nintex event.

    • The source configured in the start event configuration may have been changed or deleted. For example, after a workflow is configured to start when a new item is added to a SharePoint list, a column in the SharePoint list is deleted or the list is deleted.

    If you see this message it is recommended that you update the variables. You can update the variables or delete them as required in the Variables panel.

    If there are invalid references they will be deleted when the workflow is published. Deleting variables may result in unconfigured actions and you will have to update the configuration of the impacted actions.

  3. In Start from, select Component workflow.

    Caution: After you have selected and configured your start event and you begin designing the workflow and using start event variables in any of your actions, you can no longer change Start from.

    A warning message appears when one or more start event variables are referenced by actions within the workflow. The connector cannot be changed until the variables are no longer referenced within the workflow.

  4. Create and add variables that can be passed as parameters in the HTTP call to start the workflow. To view existing variables, see View start event variables. To create new variables, see Create start event variables.

View start event variables

Start event variables A variable associated with the start event. Often referenced by actions in the workflow. For example, a start event variable might capture input in a form field. are automatically added to the workflow. They are passed as parameters in the HTTP call to start the workflow.

At the top of the Start event configuration panel, click Show variables. The list of start event variables is populated.

Alternatively, click Hide variables to hide them.

To create variables, see Create start event variables.

Create start event variables

Start event variables A variable associated with the start event. Often referenced by actions in the workflow. For example, a start event variable might capture input in a form field. are automatically added to the workflow. They are passed as parameters in the HTTP call to start the workflow.

  1. Open the Start event configuration panel. For more information, see Nintex - Component workflow.

  2. Click Create variable.

  3. If you have previously created a variable, click Create.

  4. Tip: Click Reorder to reorder the list of variables. The order of start event variables determines the order of the associated fields in a generated form.

  5. Enter a user-friendly Name for the new variable.

  6. Select the variable Type.

  7. Click Create. Every start event variable is rendered as a workflow input and is available later in the workflow.

  8. Close the Variables panel after creating variables.

Design and publish your workflow

Tip: If you want to refer to the workflow identifier within the workflow itself (for example, adding it to an email to identify which workflow sent that email), use the "Workflow ID" variable.

  1. Open the Workflow designer. For more information, see Open the Workflow designer.

  2. Configure your Component workflow.

  3. Select the data that your Component workflow should return when complete. To designate output variables for your workflow:
    1. On the toolbar at the top of the designer canvas, click Variables.

    2. Click Workflow.

    3. For each variable that you want to be an output, select the Output check box. Variables set as output variables are passed to the parent workflow when the Component workflow is completed.

  4. After designing your workflow, publish your Component workflow.
    1. On the toolbar at the top of the designer canvas, click Publish.

    2. Complete the fields in the dialog box that appears.

    3. Click Publish. A new window appears showing the authorization credentials used to call the Component workflow.

    4. Use the Component workflow's credentials in your external applications or workflow to obtain authorization to successfully call the Component workflow.

      Note: 

      If you want to view the credentials later on, you can do the following:

  5. A window is displayed with details when a Component workflow is successfully published.

Regenerate Component workflow tokens

Component workflow tokens expire after one (1) year. The tokens of Component workflows that are close to expiring or have already expired must be regenerated. Component workflows that are close to expiring will have a warning icon and workflows that have already expired will have a red error icon appearing against the workflow name to make them easily identifiable.

If your Component workflows have either of these icons, you can refresh the token on the Environment> Component workflow tokens page if you are a user with an administrator role or via the Workflows list in the Workflows > All workflows page if you are the workflow owner.

For information about refreshing and revoking Component workflow tokens, see View, revoke, refresh, regenerate, and delete Component workflow tokens.

Start your Component workflow

A Component workflow can be triggered to start by calling it via Nintex Workflow or from another Nintex platform such as Nintex for SharePoint. Another method is calling it from an external service or application.

Note: The workflow that calls the Component workflow is referred to as the parent workflow.