Add and configure Manual Step

Manual steps allow you to track steps in your workflows that are performed outside of ArcGIS Workflow Manager; for example, fieldwork for GPS data collection, requests pending approval from a manager, or documentation. If User Prompt and Step Help aren't configured for the step, the step completes automatically when it is run.

When the step is run, the following actions can be performed:

• The step can be paused by clicking Pause.
• The step can be finished by clicking Finish.

Note:

If the step isn't optional, the step must be run or paused at least once before it can be finished.

Configure the step

Do the following to configure the step:

1. Create or edit a workflow diagram to access the Step Library panel.
2. Drag Manual Step from the Step Library panel to a connection arrow of a step on the workflow canvas.

   Learn more about adding steps to a workflow diagram

   The Step Details panel appears.

3. Provide a name for the step in the Step Name text box.
4. Optionally, add the message that you want to appear when the step is run in the User Prompt text box.

   If the user prompt contains plain text and Arcade expressions, format the text as follows:

   'This job is currently assigned to ' + JobOwner($Job) + '.'

   Tip:

   Click This input supports Arcade Expressions and choose an ArcGIS Arcade expression to add it to its associated text box.

5. Click the Options tab.
6. Optionally, check the Enabled check box in the Step Commenting section to allow a user to add a comment to the step when the step is run.
7. Optionally, if you enabled step commenting, check the Required check box in the Step Commenting section to require a comment to be added to the step before it can be completed.
8. Configure Step Options as necessary.
   • Manual—Run the step manually.
     • Optional—Allow the step to be finished without being run.
   • Automatic—Run the step as soon as it becomes active.

     Note:

     If your workflow diagram is configured to automatically run a sequence of steps that includes the Evaluate Data Quality or the Run GP Service step, steps that attempt to run after the user token that started the sequence of steps expires will not run automatically. You must have a license for the ArcGIS Workflow Manager Server Advanced role to continue running more automated steps without manual intervention.

   • Run on a Schedule—Run the step according to a schedule you set.

     Learn more about scheduling options

9. Optionally, choose one of the following options to configure help in the step:
   • None—Configure the step without step help.
   • Text—Configure help text for the step in the Text text box.

     You can use ArcGIS Arcade expressions to provide a dynamic value for the step help. If the step help contains plain text and Arcade expressions, you must format the text as follows:

     
     'For further assistance, please contact' + JobCreator($Job) + '.'

   • URL—Configure the step with a link to a help resource in the URL text box.

     Note:

     Steps run in the web app only support HTTP and HTTPS URL formats. Steps run in ArcGIS Pro support HTTP, HTTPS, and file formats.

     You can also use Arcade expressions to provide a dynamic value. If the URL contains plain text and Arcade expressions, you must format the text as follows:

     
     'https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/tool-reference/' + JobExtendedProperty($Job, 'tools', 'toolbox') + '/' + jobExtendedProperty($job, 'tools', 'alias') + '.htm'

     Configure the Automatically Encode Arcade Result check box:

     • If an Arcade expression returns special characters that must be escaped when converted to a URL, such as a space or a forward slash, ensure that the Automatically Encode Arcade Result check box is checked.
     • If an Arcade expression is used to form the base URL, uncheck the Automatically Encode Arcade Result check box.

10. Optionally, click the Style tab to change the shape and color of the step.
11. Optionally, click the About tab and provide a description for the step in the Step Description text box.

    Tip:

    The About tab also contains the step's ID that can be used with dynamic job properties to obtain a step's output. Click Copy Step ID to copy the step ID to your clipboard.

Return value

When the step is completed, its return value is stored to indicate the result of the step. The return value can be immediately evaluated using paths to determine the next steps in the workflow. You can also retrieve the return value for completed steps throughout the workflow using ArcGIS Arcade expressions. The following table lists the step's return values:

Return value	Description
S000001	The step completed successfully.
F000001	The step failed to complete successfully.