What Are Workflow Inputs?
When a workflow needs information to run - like a username, date, or selection from a list - you define inputs. Users provide these values before the workflow executes.Any workflow with form inputs automatically appears as a catalog item in the Catalog. Users can browse these items by clicking New Request → Browse Catalog → All Services and submit structured requests directly from the catalog. See Catalog for more details.
- Email address (text)
- Department (dropdown)
- Start date (date)
- Is contractor (checkbox)
How To Collect Inputs?
Form Fill
Collect inputs via a form, including fields that appear only when relevant
Natural language
Collect inputs from the user via conversation
Input Types
Serval supports several input types:Configuring Inputs
When building a workflow, Serval automatically detects inputs based on your description. You can instruct Serval to change the inputs needed:1
Review auto-detected inputs
When Serval generates your workflow, it identifies required parameters as inputs
2
Adjust input types
Change input types if needed:
- Convert text to dropdown for constrained choices
- Change text to textarea for long-form input
- Add date/time pickers for temporal values
3
Add branching logic (optional)
Describe branching logic in plain language so fields show or hide based on earlier answers on the web app, in Slack, and on hosted forms (for Teams and email campaigns).
4
Set required vs optional
Mark inputs as required or optional:
- Required - User must provide a value
- Optional - User can leave blank (workflow uses default or skips)
5
Add descriptions
Write clear descriptions for each input to guide users
Form Confirmation
For sensitive workflows, enable form confirmation to require users to review their inputs before execution:1
Enable confirmation
Turn on “Require form confirmation” in workflow settings
2
User fills form
User completes all input fields
3
Review screen
User sees a summary of all inputs and must confirm
4
Execution
Workflow runs only after explicit confirmation
Form confirmation adds an extra step but helps prevent accidental execution with incorrect values.
Breakdown: Input Type Options
Text input
Single-line text for short values. Best for:- Usernames and email addresses
- IDs and identifiers
- Short strings
- Set placeholder text for guidance
- Add description explaining expected format
Textarea
Multi-line text for longer content. Best for:- Descriptions and notes
- Business justifications
- Comments and feedback
- Consider setting a character limit if needed
- Provide example text in the description
Number
Numeric input with validation. Best for:- Counts and quantities
- Duration (days, hours)
- Amounts
- Set min/max values if applicable
- Specify units in the description (e.g., “Duration in days”)
Date
Calendar date picker. Best for:- Start and end dates
- Deadlines
- Scheduled dates
- Consider default values (today, tomorrow, next week)
- Specify date format expectations in description
Time
Time selection. Best for:- Meeting times
- Schedule times
- Time-specific events
- Clarify timezone expectations
- Offer common presets if applicable
Select (Dropdown)
Choose from predefined options. Best for:- Environment selection (prod/staging/dev)
- Role or permission level
- Department or team
- Any constrained set of choices
- Define all available options
- Set a default selection if appropriate
- Order options logically
Checkbox
Boolean true/false toggle. Best for:- Feature flags
- Confirmation checkboxes
- Optional features
- Set clear label describing what the toggle controls
- Consider default state (checked or unchecked)
Entity reference
A searchable dropdown backed by a Serval assets table, so the requester picks a real record instead of typing free text. New records appear automatically, so the options stay current without manual updates.In the workflow builder, this input currently appears as Item ref (or Item ref (multi)).
- Select the assets table (entity type) the options come from.
- Optionally, set which field shows as the label and which value the workflow receives
- Optionally, filter which records appear, or restrict options to the current recipient
- Use Entity reference to let the requester pick one record, or Entity reference list to let them pick several.
Input Validation
Serval validates inputs before workflow execution:- Required fields - Must be filled before submission
- Type validation - Numbers must be numeric, dates must be valid
- Format validation - Email fields check for valid email format
Handling validation errors
When validation fails:- User sees an error message on the invalid field
- Workflow does not execute
- User corrects the value and resubmits