How to generate a unique URL that can be used to open a process.

You can start/initiate a process from another system using a web API. This is described here:

https://docs.appian.com/suite/help/25.2/Publishing_Process_Models_as_Web_Services.html

Not sure what you mean with the term "open". A process cannot be opened, but you can show a list of tasks to the user. Clicking such a task then opens the UI specific to that task.

Appian is more than a UI toolkit, and has a very specific opinion on how things work. The business process is the center. We attach these processes to records, then we assign UIs to tasks in processes to allow people to complete such a task.

Hello Stefan,

I apologize for the unclear wording.
I am hoping to implement the following process.

1. When I click a button in an external system, use the API to start an Appian process. (The started process instance is called Process X.)
2. When I click a URL link for Process X from the "Appian Process List" in the external system, the screen of the currently active task of Process X is opened in a new tab in the browser.
*I used the word "open" to mean Process 2.

Is it possible to implement the above?
Thanks.

I would not want to recommend such a design, but yes.

I already shared how to start a process. To open a task, you create a process report that creates the list of tasks. Then you create another API in which you use that process report to return the list of tasks. Use the a!urlfortask() function to create that link. This other system calls the API and shows the linked tasks in a list.

To make this work seamlessly, you will have to make sure there is a common single sign on in place.

As Stefan says, you can do it with the urlfortask() function, but it's true that I find the approach a bit confusing..."

So to launch a specific Appian process screen from an external system, two actions are required: "generating a URL using the API" and "clicking on the URL to open the tab."
As David says, I find this procedure a bit confusing.

Is it possible to implement the following process?
Generate a unique URL associated with the process → Click on the URL and be redirected to the page of the currently active task by Appian's internal processing.

takuyak0088 said:

Generate a unique URL associated with the process → Click on the URL and be redirected to the page of the currently active task by Appian's internal processing.

Yes, you can generate a task link using the a!urlForTask() function. Any authenticated user with viewer access permissions will be able to access that task.

Sorry, I was unclear.

I understand that the urlfortask() function can be used to obtain a URL to open the currently active task screen in a browser.

However, I understand that this is a function that needs to be executed each time. I understand that in order to open the Appian screen from the task list of an external system, two actions are required each time: "executing the API to generate a URL" and "clicking the URL."

What I wanted to say was, is it possible to implement the following:

"When an Appian process is executed from an external system via API, a unique URL is generated and returned as a return value. Clicking on the generated URL will redirect to the page of the currently active task (no matter which user input task in the process or even if it is in a subprocess)"

You can create a process report to store record id and active Task id. Now with first API call you can query the process report using a!queryProcessAnalytics(). Then in API output use a!urlfortask(taskIds:{TaskID})) to get the Unique url for the task e.g.

<https://ENV_URL.appiancloud.com/suite/tempo/tasks/task/taskID> 

Clicking on this generated URL will open the task. Only issue is this opens in Appian Tempo, so if you want it to be embedded into another system itself it will need additional configuration. But if idea is to click on link and navigate to Appian to complete the task then it will work after authentication.

Thanks, Harsha
Does the method you described meet the following requirements I have stated?

- Generate a URL as a return value when executing a process using the API, and then click on that URL to open the currently active task in a new tab in the browser, regardless of the stage of the process task.

takuyak0088 said:

regardless of the stage of the process task.

No. The UI of a task can only be "opened" if it's active.

Also, I didn't explain it well enough.
What I meant was, even if the currently active task is different from the task that was active when the urlfortask() function was used, or different from the task specified as an argument when the urlfortask() function was used, or even if it is a task in a subprocess, is it possible to open the same task with a unique URL?
I'm not a native English speaker, so please forgive me if I can't explain it well.

Also, I didn't explain it well enough.
What I meant was, even if the currently active task is different from the task that was active when the urlfortask() function was used, or different from the task specified as an argument when the urlfortask() function was used, or even if it is a task in a subprocess, is it possible to open the same task with a unique URL?
I'm not a native English speaker, so please forgive me if I can't explain it well.

No. Each task has a different URL.

Your explanations are very good, it is just that you try to force Appian into something it is not made for. I think that there might be a solution for most of your requirements, but that takes a lot of experience, effort and development.

So, I see two options. Either adapt your solution design to Appian, or invest a lot of time and money trying to force Appian into your existing solution design.

Thank you for your reply.
I found that the following requirements are unlikely to be implemented.
- Generate a URL as a return value when executing a process using the API, and then click on that URL to open the currently active task in a new tab in the browser, regardless of the stage of the process task.

I will consider whether it is possible to issue a URL and open the Appian process page in a new tab in a single action in the system that is calling the API.
Thank you.