Deadlines in workflows help you manage time-sensitive tasks and compliance obligations, such as internal approvals or regulatory reporting (e.g., NIS2). By setting deadlines, you can enforce actions, track whether they are completed on time, and maintain visibility across your workflows.
This article will walk you through what deadlines are, how they work, and how to configure them, so you can make the most of this new workflow capability.
What is a Deadline?
A deadline is a time-bound requirement within a workflow. It ensures that important actions or tasks are completed within a set timeframe, helping teams stay on top of critical compliance or operational processes.
Deadlines are triggered when a workflow reaches a node, but the countdown itself starts from when the workflow was triggered. This means you can design workflows where deadlines are tied to specific stages while still measuring time from the beginning of the workflow.
Each deadline includes:
Duration – how much time is allowed for completion.
Condition/s – one or more requirements that must be completed for the deadline to be considered met (e.g., a task is completed or a property is updated).
Once triggered, the system tracks whether the conditions are satisfied before time runs out and displays a status of “met” or “missed” on the entity or resource.
Deadline logic
Understanding the logic behind deadlines helps you design workflows that work as intended. Here’s how it works:
A deadline is met when:
All defined conditions are fulfilled (e.g., task completed), and
It occurs within the specified duration.
A deadline is missed if the required conditions are not fulfilled in time.
Deadlines can be based on:
Task status changes (e.g., “Completed”)
Other available entity/resources properties
A workflow is considered active and running if:
A deadline is currently running and not yet met, or
A “wait for” node is pending conditions
Practical Application: Where to use deadlines
Deadlines are particularly valuable in governance, risk, and compliance workflows where timing matters. Here are some common scenarios:
Regulatory Reporting (e.g., NIS2): Ensure required notifications are submitted within mandated timeframes and track whether reporting obligations are met on time.
Incident Response: Enforce time-bound actions such as containment, investigation, or follow-up activities after an incident is triggered.
Control Remediation: Track remediation tasks to ensure control gaps are resolved within defined deadlines.
Policy Approvals: Set timeframes for review and approval processes to avoid delays in governance cycles.
Internal SLAs: Monitor whether internal tasks or reviews are completed within agreed timelines.
If a process requires both accountability and a time limit, adding a deadline to your workflow can help enforce and track it.
How to Configure a Deadline action
Setting up a deadline is quick once you know the steps. Follow these instructions to add and configure deadlines in your workflow:
1. Add a Set Deadline Action
Click + in the workflow editor and select Action.
Give this step a name.
Click on Select action → Elements.
Choose Set Deadline from the dropdown.
Next, you will have to configure the duration and conditions. Remember: the countdown starts from when the workflow is triggered, not when you configure the deadline.
Give the deadline a title. Make sure it's meaningful, as this will help you keep an overview later on.
Then set the duration (minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months).
Lastly, choose what condition/requirement must be met before the duration expires. Keep in mind that a condition can only reference items created earlier in the workflow.
The condition/s define exactly what needs to happen for the deadline to be considered “met.”
After you configured your deadline, click save, and it is now added to your workflow!
View Deadlines
Deadlines appear in the entity/resource view once configured and triggered. In my example, I set a deadline when an incident is updated and/or created. So, a deadline overview will display inside the detail page of my incident. Here is how it looks, below.
If you click on Deadlines overview, you will see a calendar of all deadlines, including date, time, and status. This overview helps you monitor upcoming and completed deadlines at a glance, making it easier to stay on track.
Best Practices
Use clear, descriptive names for deadlines to make reporting easier.
Ensure the required task or property exists before the deadline node.
Use deadlines for actions that must happen within a defined timeframe, not for open-ended tracking.
We hope this article was helpful!
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