Where to Use Records

Overview

Record types make it easy to work with data throughout your applications. Once you've configured your record type, you can use it to power AI Copilot and different interface components, pass data in a process model, and display record data in sites. You can even allow business users to leverage your record data in Process HQ.

This page explains the different places where developers and business users can reference record data. See Interface Recipes to learn how to achieve common user-interface designs using records.

AI Copilot

Record types make your data AI-ready since they seamlessly integrate with powerful AI features:

• Data Fabric Chatbot, Records Chat, and Documents Chat: Chatbots that let application users interact with conversational AI to get quick insights from their business data.
• AI Copilot for data fabric: A chatbot in Process HQ that lets business users ask questions and get insights from their data.
• Smart search: AI-powered semantic search that works across your record data. It understands intent and returns more relevant results than a keyword search.

Interface components

There are numerous interface components that allow you to use a record type as the data source. Components that use a record type as the source are referred to as records-powered components.

Learn more about the different records-powered components.

Process models

Record types can be used as variables in a process model. This allows you to use record data in your process model as a process variable or an activity class parameter.

You can use record types as process variables to manage the full lifecycle of your business data and power a variety of workflows. For example, record data can be used to:

• Update and sync changes using the Write Records and Delete Records smart services.
• Pass in data from a start form that uses a record type as a rule input.
• Sync external data changes using the Sync Records smart service.
• Examine record data to make decisions in a gateway node.
• Determine who needs to be informed of the process and send them an email or push notification.

See Create a new record using a process model for an example.

Sites

In sites, you can associate record types with site pages.

When a site page is associated with a record type, the user sees the record list for the associated record type when accessing that page.

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Display records on a site

To associate a record type with a site page:

1. Create a site or open an existing site.
2. Click Add Page.
3. From the Type dropdown, select Record List.
4. Use the Content dropdown to select a record type from the list of available records.
5. Click OK.

Show record news

When you associate a record type with a site page, you can choose whether or not to show the News view on the records displayed on the site.

By default, a site is configured to show record news. This means that each record will have a view that displays the 20 most recent news events related to the record. However, the News view will only display on the site if Show News view is selected for the record type object.

Learn how to hide default record views.

Process HQ

Process HQ is a unified, self-service workspace that provides business users with unprecedented visibility into their enterprise so they can make data-driven decisions and improvements.

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In this workspace, business users can explore data from your synced record types by:

• Analyzing business processes and uncovering new ways to improve those processes to save the organizations time and money.
• Building custom reports and dashboards to answer their common business questions and share with colleagues.

Tempo

Tempo is an end-user workspace where users can explore the records, reports, tasks, and actions that make up their enterprise. In Tempo, record types are displayed as a list of cards on the Records tab. Each record type has an associated icon and color.

By default, Tempo will display a preconfigured record type called Users. This record type contains a directory of all Appian users. To make changes to the Users record type, see Modify the User Record Type.

Users can click a record to view the record list.

Display a record type in Tempo

By default, new record types do not display on the Records tab in Tempo.

To display record types in Tempo:

1. In your record type, go to Workspaces.

2. Select the Show this record type on the Records tab in Tempo checkbox.

   

3. For Icon, select an icon relevant to your record type so that users can find it faster in the list. Review styling and sizing recommendations for these icons.
4. For Icon Color, choose a color to help differentiate your record type from others.
5. Save your record type.

Record type icon recommendations

Use an icon that represents a distinguishing attribute of the record type, such as a company logo. This will allow users to quickly identify a record by viewing the associated icon.

Record icons should feature simple shapes that are easily recognized at small display sizes. Use a transparent or white background for empty areas of the icon and avoid adding borders.

Photorealistic or highly-detailed images are not appropriate for icons.

The recommended dimensions for custom record icons are 124px (h) x 124px (w). This size allows for sharp rendering of icons on high-pixel-density screens such as Apple’s Retina displays.

The rendered, visible bounds of the displayed icon are 62(h) x 62(w) device-independent pixels (dip).

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