Notifying Respondents

Since web inputs are created by a user and typically request a response from a different user, flows does not email respondents itself notifying them that web inputs are awaiting their response (to avoid undesirable and unsolicited email blasts from globus).

This page demonstrates how a flow author could implement custom automatic email notifications using their own email credentials alongside the builtin web input functionality.

Example Flow

The following flow will create a web input, notify its respondent using SMTP credentials, then wait for a response.

This flow assumes a Globus group of approving sysadmins exists with UUID aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-eeeeeeeeeeee and can be reached at sysadmins@university.edu. It holds placeholder values for a false SMTP server at smtp.university.edu with sending email automations@university.edu.

To use this yourself, replace these values with your own valid ones. See Action Provider: Send Notification Email for more specifics on using the notify action provider.

{
  "StartAt": "CreateApprovalRequest",
  "States": {
    "CreateApprovalRequest": {
      "Comment": "Create a web input.",
      "Type": "CreateWebInput",
      "Parameters": {
        "InputType": "Selection",
        "Options": [
          {
            "Value": "approve",
            "Label": "Approve"
          },
          {
            "Value": "deny",
            "Label": "Deny"
          }
        ],
        "Context": {
          "Title": "Approval Required",
          "PresentationStyle": "Text",
          "Text": "A flow run requires your approval before it can continue."
        },
        "RespondentUrns": [
          "urn:globus:groups:id:aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-eeeeeeeeeeee"
        ]
      },
      "ResultPath": "$.create_result",
      "Next": "NotifyRespondents"
    },
    "NotifyRespondents": {
      "Comment": "Email respondents, notifying them of an awaiting response.",
      "Type": "Action",
      "ActionUrl": "https://actions.globus.org/notification/notify",
      "Parameters": {
        "body_mimetype": "text/plain",
        "body.=": "'A flow run requires your approval.\n\nVisit the Globus Web App at https://app.globus.org/flows/web-inputs/' + $.create_result.web_input_id + ' to respond.'",
        "destination": "sysadmins@university.edu",
        "subject": "Action required: flow run awaiting your approval",
        "sender": "automations@university.edu",
        "__Private_Parameters": [
          "send_credentials"
        ],
        "send_credentials": [
          {
            "credential_type": "smtp",
            "credential_value": {
              "hostname": "smtp.university.edu",
              "username": "email@.university.edu",
              "password": "password_or_api_key",
              "port": 587
            }
          }
        ]
      },
      "ResultPath": "$.notify_result",
      "Next": "WaitForApproval"
    },
    "WaitForApproval": {
      "Comment": "Wait for a response to the web input.",
      "Type": "AwaitWebInput",
      "Parameters": {
        "WebInputId.$": "$.create_result.web_input_id"
      },
      "ResultPath": "$.await_result",
      "End": true
    }
  }
}