Manual workflow tasks
A manual task is a workflow step that cannot be completed automatically and that the workflow hands off to a specific person. Until the task is completed, the workflow waits at this step. That is why manual tasks are the place where automation "stops at a human", and they need to be handled with the same discipline as regular work tasks.
The manual task queue is available at /automation/workflows/tasks.
What a manual task is
When a workflow reaches a task node, it creates a manual task and addresses it to an assignee. The task describes what needs to be done, which object and process instance it relates to, and by what due date it is expected. The workflow will not move on until the assignee closes this step — completes or cancels it.
Where to handle them
The /automation/workflows/tasks section gathers the task queue. It is convenient to sort it by due date and filter it by assignee or with search to see your own or your team's steps. It is useful for a manager to review the queue regularly: stuck tasks show where workflows are waiting on people.
What you see in a task
A task shows:
- name and description — what needs to be done;
- assignee — who the step is addressed to;
- due date — by what time the result is expected;
- linked object — a task, deal, or another work object;
- process instance — a link to the run within which the step was created;
- state — pending, completed, or canceled.
Before completing, look not only at the name but also at the linked object and instance: this shows which workflow the step is part of and why it is needed.
Complete a task
Complete a task only after the work has actually been done. After it is marked "completed", the workflow continues from the next step. Do not close a step formally "just so it doesn't hang" — this moves the workflow forward on false data and breaks the procedure further down the graph.
Cancel a task
If a step cannot or does not need to be completed, it is canceled. Canceling closes the task without completion; the workflow handles this according to its own logic. State why the step was canceled (in a comment on the linked object or to the workflow owner) — otherwise later it is unclear whether it was a decision or a mistake. Repeatedly canceling the same task is a signal that the template has the wrong trigger or recipient.
Queue and control
The task queue is a working control tool. When reviewing it, look at:
- who the assignee is and whether they are overloaded;
- whether tasks are overdue;
- whether a task on which the whole workflow stands is stuck;
- whether the same task keeps repeating because of a faulty template.
A stuck manual task is a common cause of a "stuck" process instance: the workflow is not broken, it is simply waiting for a person.
States and limitations
- a task in the "pending" state — the workflow stands at this step;
- a task is completed — the workflow has moved on;
- a task is canceled — the step is closed without completion;
- a task is overdue — the due date has passed, the step is still open;
- no rights to handle it — the task is available for viewing only.
Good practices
- Handle workflow tasks as carefully as work tasks.
- Complete a step only after real execution.
- When canceling, record the reason.
- Regularly review overdue and stuck tasks.
- Fix repeating or faulty tasks in the workflow template, not by hand.
Common mistakes
Closing a task formally. The workflow moves on with false data, and the error surfaces later.
Canceling without explanation. Later you cannot tell a deliberate decision from a mistake.
Not noticing stuck tasks. The whole workflow stands still because one step has not been handled.
Fixing the symptom by hand. If the same task keeps repeating, the problem is in the workflow template.
How to verify the result
- after "completed", the process instance moved to the next step;
- canceled tasks have a clear reason;
- there are no unnoticed overdue and stuck steps in the queue;
- repeating faulty tasks have been resolved in the template.