Quick start guide

Introductory training course

The best way to begin understanding Nintex CE Platform is by completing the Automation Specialist for Nintex Workflow - Level I Nintex University learning path (login required).

Navigate the UI

The Home page is the first screen you'll see when you sign into your Nintex CE Platform tenant. It provides navigation to key areas including the main menu, recent work, starter solutions, help, and support resources. The menu on the left gives access to all pages and features.

• Solutions: Use solutions to organize, manage, package, and deploy assets across environments. A solution is a collection of related assets that work together to solve a business problem. Solutions can include workflows, apps, document packages, tables, table forms, agents, and orchestrations.

• Integrations: Create and manage connections that allow your workflows and apps to securely connect to external services, such as Salesforce, Microsoft services, and other third-party applications.

• Agents: Build agentflows to automate complex processes and manage decision-based logic.

  • All agentflows (Agentflows list): View a list of agents you own and those shared with you.

  • Instances: View agentflow instances.

  • Tasks: View active and completed tasks for which you have permission.

  • Connections: Set up and manage connections for passing data between workflows and agentflows on your tenancy and third party services (connectors).

  • Document Stores: Upload, split, and prepare datasets in a single location. You can manage different file types and make the data available for use in agents.

• Apps: Create applications that connect with data repositories and services.

  • Apps (Apps list): View a list of apps to which you have permission.

  • Design Systems: Use the Design System Studio (DSS) is a tool for designing and configuring styles for Nintex Apps applications and pages.

  • Files: Manage resources used by Nintex Apps, including static files and certificates.

• Documents: Use a Documents connection and document packages to allow the apps designer to add a document generation function to a page.

• Forms: Create forms to capture and submit accurate and current data from wherever you are.

  • All forms (Forms list): View a list of your table forms (forms linked to a table) and those shared with you. You can view the list of table forms you have access to and manage your forms.

  • Data lookups: Create and manage data lookups, which can be used to retrieve data from third-party services.

  • Form plugins: Create plugins to add new controls like star ratings or sliders; add alternative versions of native control; visualize information in tables, charts, and generated images; provide workarounds and new functionality; and add complex solutions to your forms.

• Orchestrations: Orchestration in Nintex Workflow enables you to build long-running processes that are structured, flexible, and centered around a case.

  • All orchestrations (Orchestrations list): View the list of all orchestrations you have access to.

  • Orchestration instances: View the list of orchestration instances.

• Tables: Store and manage your process-related data in tables.

• Workflows: The Workflows menu gives access to the Workflows page and features related to workflows. The following pages are available via Workflows:

  • All workflows (Workflows list): View a list of your workflows and those shared with you.

  • Instances: View a list of all workflow instances.

  • Tasks: View active and completed tasks for which you have permission, search for tasks using custom filters, test or modify your workflow design, and override tasks in tenants (Administrator role required).

  • Connections: Set up and manage connections for passing data between workflows on your tenancy and third party services (connectors).

  • Xtensions: Define custom connectors.

  • Events: View event names, record IDs, connectors, connections, and the time events were received for workflows.

  • Upgrade center: Import your SharePoint on-premises workflows to upgrade them to workflows in Nintex Workflow. To import your workflows, run the Nintex Workflow extraction script and import the created package file.

• My Nintex: A central destination for participants to access information and interact with workflows, forms, and their tasks. The following pages are available via My Nintex:

  • Dashboard: The landing page that is displayed when you click on My Nintex. It provides a summary of the user’s most recent interactions.

  • Tasks: View all the tasks that are assigned to you and draft forms in separate sections.

  • Submit a form: View a list of all forms that are assigned to you and draft forms in separate sections.

  • Form submissions: View details of forms that you have submitted.

  • Tables: Access and manage your tables.

  • Workflow tracking: View all the workflows that you're a business owner of.

  • Nintex MCP: Use the Nintex MCP page to copy the server URL, download the skills file, and view setup steps for supported clients, and review MCP tool history. After setup, you can ask your LLM client to complete tasks using Nintex MCP tools

• Nintex Gallery: Access pre-built process maps, automating templates, workflows, RPA botflows, connectors, and plugins.

• Help: Access Nintex CE Platform help documentation.

• Settings: View information about your license and subscription, add users to your tenancy, set up default file storage, turn off connectors, and sort action groups in the actions toolbox. The following pages are available via Settings:

  • Environment: View and modify tenant settings.

  • Organization: View and modify organization settings.

• User profile menu: Change the language, view what's new information, provide feedback, view the status page, or sign out.

Set up users and roles for the tenant

Administrators of Nintex CE Platform can add new users and define user roles. You can create specific roles for users to specify what actions they can do in Nintex CE Platform, for example, whether they are only permitted to view and submit forms or also create and manage workflows.

For information, see Add, edit, and remove tenant users.

Create connections

An action is either a core or connector action.

• Core action: An action that performs a basic function, such as assigning a task or sending an email. Most core actions operate without connecting to an external system and don't require a connection.

• Connector action: An action that interacts with a third-party application. When configuring a connector action, you must create a connection to connect the action to a third-party application.

If you're are using a connector action, you must create a connection so you can interact with the third-party application. Connections can be created and used for both start events and connector actions.

Nintex provides connectors to over a hundred third-party services. You can also create your own connectors to additional third-party services using Xtensions.

For more information about creating connections, see Manage connections.

Create a workflow, agentflow, or orchestration

Each workflow in Nintex Workflow consists of a start event—a trigger that starts the workflow—and a series of workflow actions. Start building your workflow by configuring a start event and then drag-and-drop the workflow actions onto the workflow designer canvas.

• Workflow start events: When designing a workflow, the first step is to configure the start event to define what will trigger the workflow to start. The workflow may be designed to start at a scheduled time, when a form is submitted, from another workflow, or from an event that occurs in a third-party application.

• Workflow actions: After you specify the start event of the workflow, add the actions to define what you want the workflow to do. Actions are the steps that the workflow performs to complete a process. If an action is a connector action A software component that allows seamless integration with third-party services, business applications, and content stores. Examples include Salesforce, Box, and Microsoft SharePoint. Connectors are used to create connections required for workflow actions and start events. , you must create a connection so the action can interact with a third-party application.

For more information on creating and publishing a workflow, see Create a workflow.

Similar to creating a workflow, you can also create an agentflow. An agentflow consists of actions that define its behavior and processing logic. You can configure the actions to design and publish the agentflow to achieve the required outcome. The first step is to define the agentflow, then add and configure actions to complete it. For more information, see Create an agentflow.

You can also create orchestrations that enable you to build long-running processes that are structured, flexible, and centered around a case, for example, a customer request, claim, investigation, or employee onboarding process. Instead of building extensive workflows to handle every possible path, you can divide work into clearly defined phases. Each phase contains related activities that contribute to progressing the case. For more information, see Orchestrations.

Data in workflows, agentflows, and orchestrations

• Variables: Variables are used to store and pass data. You can define, use, and update variables as many times as you need. Objects can be created for connector actions and events, which are automatically defined based on the action or event configuration. For more information, see Variables (workflow), Variables (agentflows), and Orchestration variables.

• Data lookups: Create data lookups to retrieve data from third-party services. After you create the data lookup, you can use the Data lookup form control or Data variables on your form to display data from third-party services. For more information, see Data lookups.

Use forms in your workflow

You can build forms within your workflow in Nintex CE Platform. Forms commonly serve as start events in workflows, initiating the workflow actions when a customer completes and submits the form, or they can also be used as part of a task action for assignees. The user-friendly designer canvas, drag-and-drop controls, and advanced business logic make it easy to customize your forms for every business need. If you need advanced customization, you can use Form plugins to create your own functionality.

For more information, see Forms.

Additional resources

• Nintex University: Provides a self-service, on-demand learning environment to learn the skills you need to automate your end-to-end business processes with Nintex Workflow.

• Nintex Customer Central: Provides a host of tools and interfaces for managing your interactions with Nintex.