Integrate AEM Adaptive Form with AEM Workflow: Streamlining Business Processes

Last update: Fri Aug 08 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
  • Applies to:
  • Experience Manager as a Cloud Service

CREATED FOR:

  • User
  • Developer

The Invoke an AEM Workflow Submit Action associates an Adaptive Form with an AEM Workflow. When a form is submitted, the associated workflow starts automatically on the Author instance. You can save the data files, attachments, and Document of Record to the payload location of the workflow or to a variable. If the workflow is marked for external data storage and configured for an external data storage, then only the variable option is available. You can select from the list of variables available for the workflow model. If the workflow is marked for external data storage at a later stage and not at the time of workflow creation, then ensure that the required variable configurations are in place.

NOTE
Learn how to create a workflow model to define the series of steps executed when a user starts the workflow. You can also define model properties, such as whether the workflow is transient or uses multiple resources.

AEM as a Cloud Service offers various out of the box submit actions for handling form submissions. You can learn more about these options in the Adaptive Form Submit Action article.

Advantages

Some of the advantages of integrating AEM workflow with Adaptive Forms are:

  • AEM Workflow integration allows for the automation of complex business processes involving form submissions.
  • AEM Workflow supports conditional logic, thus allowing dynamic decisions based on form data or external factors.
  • AEM Workflow routes tasks based on predefined rules and conditions, ensuring tasks are assigned to the right individuals or groups.

Integrate AEM Workflow with Adaptive Forms steps-to-integrate-workflow-with-af

Foundation Component

To set up automated process with AEM Workflow for an Adaptive Form based on Foundation Components, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the Adaptive Form for editing and navigate to Submission section of the Adaptive Form Container properties.

  2. From the Submit Action drop-down list, select Submit Action as Invoke an AEM workflow.

  3. Select workflow model from the Workflow Model drop-down list.

  4. Select option from the Store Data file using drop-down list.

    Data file: It contains data submitted to the Adaptive Form. You can use the Data File Path option to specify the name of the file and path of file relative to the payload. For example, the /addresschange/data.xml path creates a folder named addresschange and places it relative to payload. You can also specify only data.xml to send only submitted data without creating a folder hierarchy. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

    invoke-workflow-fc

  5. Select option from the Store attachments using drop-down list.

    Attachments: You can use the Attachment Path option to specify the folder name to store the attachments uploaded to the Adaptive Form. The folder is created relative to the payload. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  6. Select option from the Documents of record using drop-down list.

    Document of Record: It contains the Document of Record generated for the Adaptive Form. You can use the Document of Record Path option to specify the name of the Document of Record file and path of file relative to the payload. For example, the /addresschange/DoR.pdf path creates a folder named addresschange relative to the payload and places the DoR.pdf relative to payload. You can also specify only DoR.pdf to save only Document of Record without creating a folder hierarchy. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  7. Click Done.

    note note
    NOTE
    Learn more about Forms-centric AEM Workflows - Step Reference to automate business processes.
Core Component

To set up automated process with AEM Workflow for an Adaptive Form based on Core Components, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the Content browser, and select the Guide Container component of your Adaptive Form.

  2. Click the Guide Container properties Guide properties icon. The Adaptive Form Container dialog box opens.

  3. Click the Submission tab.

  4. From the Submit Action drop-down list, select Invoke an AEM Workflow .

    Action configuration of Send Email

  5. Select workflow model from the Workflow Model drop-down list.

  6. Select option from the Store Data file using drop-down list.

    Data file: It contains data submitted to the Adaptive Form. You can use the Data File Path option to specify the name of the file and path of file relative to the payload. For example, the /addresschange/data.xml path creates a folder named addresschange and places it relative to payload. You can also specify only data.xml to send only submitted data without creating a folder hierarchy. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  7. Select option from the Store attachments using drop-down list.

    Attachments: You can use the Attachment Path option to specify the folder name to store the attachments uploaded to the Adaptive Form. The folder is created relative to the payload. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  8. Select option from the Documents of record using drop-down list.

    Document of Record: It contains the Document of Record generated for the Adaptive Form. You can use the Document of Record Path option to specify the name of the Document of Record file and path of file relative to the payload. For example, the /addresschange/DoR.pdf path creates a folder named addresschange relative to the payload and places the DoR.pdf relative to payload. You can also specify only DoR.pdf to save only Document of Record without creating a folder hierarchy. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  9. Click Done.

    note note
    NOTE
    Learn more about Forms-centric AEM Workflows - Step Reference to automate business processes.
Universal Editor

To set up automated process with AEM Workflow for an Adaptive Form authored in Universal Editor, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the Adaptive Form for editing.

  2. Click the Edit Form Properties extension on the editor.
    The Form Properties dialog appears.

    note note
    NOTE
    • If you do not see the Edit Form Properties icon in your Universal Editor interface, enable the Edit Form Properties extension in the Extension Manager.
    • Refer to the Extension Manager Feature Highlights article to learn how to enable or disable extensions in the Universal Editor.

  3. Click Submission tab and select Invoke an AEM Workflow submit action.

    Action configuration of Send Email

  4. Select workflow model from the Workflow Model drop-down list.

  5. Select option from the Store Data file using drop-down list.

    Data file: It contains data submitted to the Adaptive Form. You can use the Data File Path option to specify the name of the file and path of file relative to the payload. For example, the /addresschange/data.xml path creates a folder named addresschange and places it relative to payload. You can also specify only data.xml to send only submitted data without creating a folder hierarchy. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  6. Select option from the Store attachments using drop-down list.

    Attachments: You can use the Attachment Path option to specify the folder name to store the attachments uploaded to the Adaptive Form. The folder is created relative to the payload. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  7. Select option from the Documents of record using drop-down list.

    Document of Record: It contains the Document of Record generated for the Adaptive Form. You can use the Document of Record Path option to specify the name of the Document of Record file and path of file relative to the payload. For example, the /addresschange/DoR.pdf path creates a folder named addresschange relative to the payload and places the DoR.pdf relative to payload. You can also specify only DoR.pdf to save only Document of Record without creating a folder hierarchy. If the workflow is marked for external data storage, use the variable option and select the variable from the list of variables available for the workflow model.

  8. Click Done.

    note note
    NOTE
    Learn more about Forms-centric AEM Workflows - Step Reference to automate business processes.
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