Process Model Properties

The Process Model Properties dialog is where you configure how a process model behaves, including its general settings, variables, start form, deadlines, alerts, and data management policy. This page describes each tab of the dialog.

Open process model properties

To open the process model properties, select File > Properties in the Process Modeler, or click the Properties button in the Process Modeler toolbar.

The tabs you see depend on the view you are in for the process model (Process Designer, Process Analyst, Edit Mode, Monitor Process).

General tab

The General tab of process model properties contains the following properties:

Field	Description
Process Model ID	(Read Only) The local identifier of the process model. The ID number is assigned when the process model is first saved. If the process model is imported and exported, this ID number is reassigned by the system. The process model ID can be called as pm!id in process model expressions.
Process Model UUID	(Read Only) The universally unique identifier (UUID) of the process model, which is assigned when the process model is first saved. If the process model is imported and exported, the UUID property remains unchanged.
Process Model Name	The name of the process model as it appears in Appian Designer and various process model pickers. The process model name can be called as pm!name in process model expressions.
Description	Describes what the process does. The process model description can be called as pm!description in process model expressions.
Process Display Name	The name of the process as it appears to users after a process has been started. To make process display names unique, use a logical expression. The process display name can be called as pp!name in process model expressions.
Autoscale	Runs the process model with autoscale, an Appian Cloud capability that dynamically adjusts process execution capacity for high-volume automation. To enable autoscale, select the Use process autoscaling checkbox.
MCP Server	Makes the process model available as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool on Appian MCP Server. When the Enable MCP Server Access checkbox is selected, external AI applications can start the process model and check its execution status through natural language requests. For setup, security, and design considerations, see Make Design Objects Available as MCP Tools.
Process Priority	The priority of the process model. When selected, the checkbox associated with process priority allows this value to be changed after the process has started. The process priority can be called as pp!priority in process model expressions.
Email Attachments Folder	Email attachments are placed in this folder when starting a process via an email.
Public Events	Enables anonymous users to start processes. Must be enabled to allow emails to start processes.
Time Zone	Specify the time zone context used for each process instance, indicated by the pp!timezone process property. Select the Override with Initiator's Time Zone checkbox to run each process using the time zone of the user who launches it.

Variables tab

The Variables tab of the process model properties lists the current process variables defined for this process model. Process variables allow you to transfer data between nodes in a process model. Variables that are required at the start of the process are called process parameters.

You can add new process variables and view the following information about existing process variables:

Property	Description
Name	The name for the process variable used within the process model. Only letters, numbers, and underscores are accepted. Follow the recommended naming standard.
Type	The data type of the variable, such as Text, Boolean, Number (Integer), or a record type.
Value	The default value assigned to the variable when the process starts. Displays (No Value) if no default is set. If a parameter's default value is defined using an expression, that expression is also used as the default value for any associated fields in a process start form, and the reverse is also true.
Parameter?	Determines whether the variable is exposed as a process parameter. Parameters allow values to be passed into or out of the process when it is started or used as a subprocess, such as from start forms, related actions, and receive message events. Creating a parameter with a primitive system data type automatically adds a mapped field to the process start form. This does not happen for complex or custom data types, which a start form cannot populate.
Required?	Determines whether a value must be provided for the parameter when the process starts. Only applicable when Parameter? is set to Yes. You can specify a default value if the input should be optional.
Multiple?	Determines whether the variable holds a single value or a list of values.
Hidden?	Determines whether the variable is hidden from users viewing process details. Hidden variables do not appear in process history or reports, which can improve memory efficiency. Parameters cannot be hidden, and the value remains visible when monitoring the process instance.

Process Start Form tab

The Process Start Form tab of the process model properties lets you add a start form that gathers data needed to start the process. The data collected by a start form must be saved into a process parameter.

To add a start form to a process model:

1. In the process model, go to File > Properties.
2. Go to the Process Start Form tab.
3. Perform one of the following actions:
   • Click Create Interface to create a new interface from existing process parameters.
   • Select an existing interface by searching within the Type interface name here or browse… search box.

To make an action available to users when they are offline, refer to Enable Offline Actions and Tasks.

Deadlines tab

The Deadlines tab of the process model properties allows you to specify the target date and time for completion of the process.

To enable process deadlines, select the Enable deadlines checkbox. Once enabled, one of the following options is evaluated:

Option	Description
Interval-based	Set the deadline as a numeric interval, entered in the field or through an expression. Select the interval period from the dropdown: minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months.
Date-based	Set the deadline as a datetime value, entered in the field or through an expression.

Alerts tab

The Alerts tab of the process model properties specifies the recipients of an alert if there is an error in the process. Alerts can be left to a default setting or any combination of the following custom alert settings:

Options	Who will receive alerts
Default	Alerts are sent to process administrators, process model administrators, and system administrators when an error is encountered.
Custom Alert Setting #1	Alerts are sent to the process initiator.
Custom Alert Setting #2	Alerts are sent to the process model owner.
Custom Alert Setting #3	Alerts are sent to a user, group, or combination of the two, as defined by an expression.
Custom Alert Setting #4	Alerts are sent to a user, group, or combination of the two, selected through a user and group picker.

All process errors can also be viewed from the Monitor view in Appian Designer.

Data Management tab

All Appian processes, including completed and canceled processes, are retained in memory until archived or deleted.

Most canceled or completed processes are not needed for system-wide reporting and serve no essential purpose once they finish processing. Archiving or deleting these processes clears out unneeded processes and minimizes the size of the Appian databases.

The Data Management tab lets you specify a policy for automatically archiving or deleting completed and canceled process instances.

In the Automatic Process Clean-Up section, select one of the following options:

Option	Description
Use system default	Archives or deletes process instances based on the system-wide default, which is seven days after process completion or cancellation. You can customize this default interval directly in a self-managed environment or by opening a case with Appian Support in an Appian Cloud environment.
Archive processes	Archives process instances a set number of days after completion or cancellation. Enter a value from 0 to 999 in the days field. Enter 0 to archive an instance as soon as it completes or is canceled. You can continue to view the history of an archived process instance in the Process Activity tab under the Monitor view.
Delete processes	Permanently deletes process instances a set number of days after completion or cancellation. Enter a value from 0 to 999 in the days field. Enter 0 to delete an instance as soon as it completes or is canceled.
Do not automatically clean-up processes	Keeps process instances in memory indefinitely. Appian does not automatically archive or delete them.

For auditing purposes, whenever Appian archives or deletes a process instance, it records the event in the removed_processes log.

Archiving or deleting a process involves tradeoffs between system memory and reporting. For guidance on choosing a data-retention policy, see Considerations for Archiving Processes.

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