> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flowx.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Service Task node

> A service task node refers to a task that utilizes various services, such as Web services, automated applications, or other similar services, to accomplish a particular task.

The service task node executes automated work with no user interaction: when the process token reaches it, the node's configured actions, business rules, subprocess starts, or data transfers, run and the flow moves on.

![Task node](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docx.flowx.ai/5.x/task_node.png)

This type of node finds application in multiple scenarios, including:

* Executing a [**business rule**](../actions/business-rule-action/) on the process instance data
* Initiating a [**subprocess**](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/actions/start-subprocess-action.md)
* Transferring data from a subprocess to the parent process
* Transmitting data to frontend applications

## Configuring task nodes

One or more actions can be configured on a task node. The actions are executed in the configured order.

Node configuration is done by accessing the **Node Config** tab. You have the following configuration options for a task node:

#### General Config

* **Node name**: The name of the node.
* **Can go back**: Allows users to return to a previous step after completing current step.

![](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docx.flowx.ai/5.x/task_node_config.png)

#### Integration Output

Add a data stream (**Add Stream**) and pick its **Source**:

* **Workflow**: Select a workflow in the **Select workflow** dropdown, then configure its output mapping - see [Integration Output](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/node/message-send-received-task-node.md#integration-output) on the Receive Message Task page for the mapping steps.

![Node Config panel with Integration Output, Source set to Workflow, a selected workflow, and the output mapping for the End and End failure nodes](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docx.flowx.ai/cookbooks/dst_wkflw_workflow.png)

* **Custom Topic**: The **Topic Name** where the [process engine](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/platform-deep-dive/core-components/flowx-engine.md) listens for the response (this should be added to the platform and match the topic naming rule for the engine to listen to it) - available for UPDATES topics (Kafka receive events)

* **Key Name**: Will hold the result received from the external system, if the key already exists in the process values, it will be overwritten

#### Task Management

* **Update task management**: Force the Task Management Plugin to update the information after this node. Update the Base URL, title, stage, priority, or business filters using business rules.

#### Data Search

* **Update data search**: Send updates to the Data Search service after this node, allowing you retrieve data from various process instances.

![](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docx.flowx.ai/5.x/update_tm_ds.png)

## Configuring task nodes actions

Multiple options are available when configuring an action on a task node. To configure and add an action to a node, use the **Actions** tab at the node level, which has the following configuration options:

* [Action Edit](#action-edit)
* [Parameters](#parameters)

#### Action Edit

> [!NOTE]
>
> Depending on the type of the [**action**](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/actions/actions.md), different properties are available, let's take a [**business rule**](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/actions/business-rule-action/business-rule-action.md) as an example.

1. **Name**: Used internally to differentiate between different actions on nodes in the process. We recommend defining an action naming standard to be able to quickly find the process actions.

2. **Action type**: Defines the appropriate action type

3. **Trigger**:
   * **Manual**: manually (triggered by the user)
   * **If switched off**: triggered automatically (when the process flow reaches this step)

4. **Execution**:
   * **Optional**: the action is optional
   * **If switched off**: the action is mandatory

5. **Navigation**:
   * **Allow back to this action**: When turned on, the action can be executed again when the token returned from a downstream node (can be switched on only if the trigger type is **Manual**).

![](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docx.flowx.ai/5.x/action_edit.png)

#### Parameters

> [!NOTE]
>
> Depending on the type of the [**action**](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/actions/actions.md), different properties are available. We refer to a **Business rule** as an example

1. **Business Rules** - business rules can be attached to a node by using actions with action rules on them, these can be specified using MVEL expressions, or scripts written in Javascript, Python, or Groovy.

> [card] [Supported scripting languages](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/supported-scripts.md)

### Business Rule action

A [business rule](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/actions/business-rule-action/business-rule-action.md) is a Task action that allows a script to run. For now, the following script languages are supported:

* **MVEL**
* **JavaScript**
* **Python**
* **Groovy**

For more details about node actions, check the following section:

> [card] [Node actions](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/actions/actions.md)


## Related topics

- [Creating and uploading a new document](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/platform-deep-dive/core-extensions/content-management/documents-plugin/uploading-a-new-document.md)
- [Collection Prototype](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/ui-designer/ui-component-types/collection/collection-prototype.md)
- [Reference types in resources usage](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/projects/reference-types.md)
- [BPMN integration](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/ai-platform/using-agents/bpmn-integration.md)
- [User task node](https://docs.flowx.ai/6.x/docs/building-blocks/node/user-task-node.md)


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