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

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

takuyak0088 — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:08:26 GMT

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.

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

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:55:49 GMT

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.

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

takuyak0088 — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:49:40 GMT

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.

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

Stefan Helzle — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:42:22 GMT

[quote userid="257691" url="~/discussions/f/general/39288/how-to-generate-a-unique-url-that-can-be-used-to-open-a-process/149103"]regardless of the stage of the process task.[/quote]

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

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

takuyak0088 — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:39:47 GMT

Thank you for considering this.
This does not appear to be an implementation for calling a task of a currently running process in a browser, but rather starts a new process each time and progresses the process to the "currently running task" managed in a database.
There are many elements that need to be considered, such as how to link the input values from the previous user input task and how to manage the progress of the process, making it complicated.
If possible, I would like to execute this without unnecessarily increasing the number of process instances and process objects.

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

takuyak0088 — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:32:58 GMT

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.

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

Harsha Sharma — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:17:05 GMT

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.

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

Harsha Sharma — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:08:10 GMT

Instead of using tasks its better to configure processes like cascading related processes and use a!startprocess() in the API. It can be like :

1. Break your process model into smaller processes. Each sub process will have activity chained User input task as the first node and parameters to provide data from previous steps into the sub process.

2. Configure web apis to start process using a!startprocess(). For the value within start process you can maintain a backend status in database storing till which UI the process is complete and what should be the next step. You can build an expression to return the process model to start depending on the request (primary key).

Example: A process model having 5 user input tasks should be break into 5 sub processes. Each process will have a UI node then automated nodes to store data, send email etc whatever process needs you have, lastly the process will end.

External system will call the Web API by passing a record id and using the expression rule logic, web api will start process showing the expected UI and related process will commence. One link trigger from external system will complete execution for one sub-action. So each api call will be like a related action showing one UI at a time.

Here instead of a unique URL API will be calling unique process model depending on the last step for the record.

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

takuyak0088 — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:19:26 GMT

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)"

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

Shubham Aware — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 05:34:59 GMT

[quote userid="257691" url="~/discussions/f/general/39288/how-to-generate-a-unique-url-that-can-be-used-to-open-a-process/148995"]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.[/quote]

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.

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

takuyak0088 — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 15:45:22 GMT

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.

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

David Jimenez — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 06:30:47 GMT

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

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

Stefan Helzle — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 15:46:39 GMT

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.

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

takuyak0088 — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 15:32:47 GMT

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.

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

Stefan Helzle — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 14:52:24 GMT

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.