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Creating a Custom Recipe

Step 1: Open the Recipe Builder

There are two ways to begin creating a new recipe:

Option A: From a Specific Connector

  1. Go to Integrations > Connectors.
  2. Select the connector you want to work with.
  3. Then click Create New Recipe

Option B: From the Recipes Tabs

  1. Go to Integrations > Connectors.
  2. Open either the Recipe Templates or Saved Recipes tab.
  3. In the upper right corner, click the Create Recipe button.

This opens the Recipe Builder, your visual workspace for automation.

Step 2: Set Up a Trigger

Every recipe starts with a trigger. This is the "IF" in the IF–THEN structure of a recipe. It defines the event that must occur to initiate the workflow.

Type

What It Means
Example

What It Means
Example

Real-time

Instant reaction to a change

A new vendor is added to ServiceNow → Recipe starts

Polling

Checks at regular intervals

Every 10 minutes, check if a new vendor was added.

Scheduled

Runs on a fixed schedule

Every Monday at 8AM, add any new vendors.

NOTE: For heavy data jobs, use bulk triggers. These fetch multiple records at once and prevent delays when handling thousands of rows.

To set up a trigger, 

  1. Click on the trigger box (1) and click Edit (2) on the Choose a trigger panel. This shows a list of all triggers to choose from.

  1. Search for or select a trigger from the list.

  1. In the Connection step, search for or select from the list of connections, or create a new connection.

  1. In the Setup page, select the event type, select a date to pick up events from, and set trigger condition (optional).

Step 3: Add Actions

After setting up a trigger, you can now add actions to the recipe. These represent the "THEN" in the IF–THEN logic or the steps the recipe performs after the trigger fires. Common actions include:

  • Updating a record
  • Sending a message or email
  • Creating a task in another system
  • Transferring a file or exporting data

To add an action:

  1. Click on the + sign and select the action type.

  1. Configure the fields and logic.

Step 4: Add Logic (Optional)

Use conditions and loops to control your recipe’s flow.

Conditions (IF/THEN):

  • Create branches based on field values (e.g., risk score > 7 triggers escalation)

Loops:

  • Repeat For Each: Iterate through a list (e.g., multiple vendors)
  • Repeat While: Continue until a condition changes (e.g., all systems confirmed)

Example: If a vendor uses AI and has a high risk score, tag it and alert your privacy team.

Step 5: Add Error Handling

Improve your recipe's reliability with structured error handling:

  • Retry for temporary failures (e.g., network issues)
  • Fallback actions when the main path fails
  • Stop and alert if required data is missing

Use Monitor blocks to isolate and handle errors effectively.

Step 6: Test the Recipe

Before enabling:

  1. Run a test job.
  2. Review the job log to see each step’s outcome.
  3. Fix any configuration or logic issues.

Step 7: Save and Enable

Once your test is successful:

  1. Click Save at the top of the builder.
  2. Click Enable to activate the recipe.
  3. Monitor job execution from the Usage tab.

NOTES:

  • Each job is one run of the recipe.
  • Each action is one task counted toward your usage.