Nintex - Form

Use the start event The connector and event for triggering the workflow to run, including required configuration. An example is Box - New file, which triggers the workflow to run when a new file is uploaded to the specified folder. Nintex - Form to start your workflow when a user submits a form that you have designed. You can choose to make the form available in a web page, Nintex Mobile, and My Nintex > Forms page.

See Create form for more information on how to add form controls A form control that allows users to select from a drop-down list of values that have been fetched from a third-party service., convert controls, manage control references The internal name for a particular form control. For example, two email form controls might be referenced as "RecipientEmail" and "CcEmail.", set up form rules A Nintex Workflow Cloud user with permissions to create and manage workflows plus permissions of the Participant role. to dynamically define form behavior and appearance, and design the form style In Nintex Workflow Cloud, for a workflow instance a participant can be either the user who submitted the form or responded to a task. A participant has permissions to submit forms and close task forms via Nintex Mobile and My Nintex in Nintex Workflow Cloud..

To view video tutorials on how to use this Nintex capability, take the SELF: Introduction to Nintex Workflow Cloud course in Nintex University.
Before you start 

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.

An Object is a type of variable that stores multiple other variables, which can be of any type, including additional Object variables.

Objects are useful to:

  • Group variables together.
  • Organize variables in a hierarchical structure.

For example, you might have a "Building" Object variable. The Building Object variable has the following structure:

  • Building (Object)
    • Number of floors variable (Integer)
    • Number of elevators variable (Integer)
    • Architectural style variable (Text)
    • Address (Object)
      • Street number variable (Integer)
      • Street name variable (Text)
      • City variable (Text)

The only Object variable currently available to use in Nintex Workflow Cloud at the moment is the Workflow initiator Start event context variable, which has the following structure:

  • Workflow initiator (Object)
    • First name variable (Text)
    • Last name variable (Text)
    • Email variable (Text)

In the Variables or Insert variables dialog box (see Toolbar) there is now a new Start event context variable set. You can drill down into the Workflow initiator Object variable, and the variables within the Object.

You can start a workflow whenever a new or updated file is detected (example: Box - New file), upload files on start or at any point in the workflow, generate documents from tagged templates, send and receive files via email, and manipulate files. File handling can be set up in your workflow start event The connector and event for triggering the workflow to run, including required configuration. An example is Box - New file, which triggers the workflow to run when a new file is uploaded to the specified folder. and actions A tool for building the processes, logic, and direction within workflows..

Note: Your tenancy's default file storage location must be configured to hold files for later reference by the workflow. This location is used for uploaded files and for files stored as output from actions.

  • Generate documents from tagged templates using Generate document
  • Send and receive files via email; for example, see Assign a task
  • Manipulate files in services (see Connectors): 

  • For example, store any email attachments received by the task assignee.

    In the Designer page: 

    1. On the design canvas, click the action you want to configure.

    2. Find the output field for storing the file or set of files.

      For example, to store attachments received in task assignee email replies when they may attach multiple files, use the Assign a task Multiple file attachments option for the Store output field.

    3. In the output field, do one of the following: 

      • Select a variable.

        For output storing multiple files, select a collection variable. For output storing a single file, select a file variable.

        Note: Your tenancy's default file storage location must be configured to hold files for later reference by the workflow.

      • Specify a file path.

        You can use any combination of text and variables, beginning with the root folder. If available, use the folder browse icon on the right of the path field to navigate to the folder and any subfolders that you want, and then edit the path as desired to include variables and different text.

      Availability of variable or path options for storing files varies by action. See Connectors and Workflow actions.

  • For example, reference the new Box file that started the workflow to attach it to a task email notification or reference an image received by the task assignee to generate an invoice document.

    Note: Your tenancy's default file storage location must be configured to hold files for later reference by the workflow. This location is used for uploaded files and for files stored as output from actions.

    In the Designer page: 

    1. On the design canvas, click the action you want to configure.
    2. Find the field where you want to reference the stored file.
    3. In this field, do one of the following:

      • Select the file variable associated with the stored file.

        For example, select the variable for the new Box file that started the workflow or select the variable storing Multiple file attachments output from a task action.

      • Specify the file path where the file is stored.

        You can use any combination of text and variables, beginning with the root folder. If available, use the folder browse icon on the right of the path field to navigate to the folder and any subfolders that you want, and then edit the path as desired to include variables and different text.

        Both a file variable and a file path are used in the example image below for the Dropbox Business - Copy a file action. A file variable is selected for Source and a file path is specified for Destination.

        The variables "CountryVariable" and "Program" insert the values into the file path as determined by earlier workflow logic (in this case, fields in a submitted form). For example, if the person submitting the form selects Australia for country and specifies Inspire2017 for program, then the resulting file path is "/SpecialProgramNDAs/Australia/Inspire2017NDA.docx."

      Availability of variable or path options for referencing files varies by action and field. See Connectors and Workflow actions.

Select the Nintex - Form start event

  1. Open the Start event configuration panel: At the top of the designer canvas on the Designer page, click Start event.
  2. For Start from, select Nintex Form.

    3. Additional fields appear. To configure, see Configure the start event .

Configure the start event

In the Start event configuration panel, you can choose who can access the form and whether the form is available as a web form and/ or a Nintex Mobile form.

  1. Select an option for Give form access to.
    • Authenticated users in this tenant: to access a web-based form using its URL, users must log in with their Nintex Workflow Cloud username and password.

      • You can use an object called Workflow initiator in the start event variables. This object corresponds to the authenticated user and has the following structure:

      • Workflow initiator (Object)
        • First name variable (Text)
        • Last name variable (Text)
        • Email variable (Text)

      Note: If you select Authenticated users in this tenant, you cannot embed the form.

    • Anyone with the form URL: anyone who has the form URL can access and submit the form, and does not need to log in with a Nintex Workflow Cloud username and password.
  2. Select options for This form is available as:
    • URL
    • Nintex Mobileand My Nintex: to access the form in Nintex Mobile, users must log into the app with their Nintex Workflow Cloud username and password. Choosing this option also enables designers to manage participants' forms availability in the My Nintex > Forms page. For more information, see Submit a form.

      • Note: The Nintex Mobileand My Nintex option is enabled only if you select Authenticated users in this tenant.

  1. Click Design form. The form designer appears.

    2. For detailed information on how to design a form, see Designer.