Community
- Command Central
- MVP Program
- Monthly Mission
- Blogs
- Groups
- Events
- Media Vault
Products
- Observability
- Network Management
- Application Management
- IT Security
- IT Service Management
- System Management
- Database Management
Content Exchange
- SolarWinds Platform
- Server & Application Monitor
- Database Performance Analyzer
- Server Configuration Monitor
- Network Performance Monitor
- Network Configuration Manager
- SQL Sentry
- Web Help Desk
Free Tools & Trials

Auto Post Notification after Task Completion

Hello,

I am working on creating a more efficient method for our help desk analysts to post notifications using task items within new incidents. Currently, we have different tasks associated with various ticket types. My goal is to add a process step that automatically posts an update or message to the incident once a task item has been completed.

We attempted to use the “Send Notification” option within the process for the service catalog item; however, it does not send or receive emails to our Samanage email address, which means the email is not posted to the incident comments.

Could anyone assist with this request?

Thank you :)

Find more posts tagged with

Service Catalog

catalog item

email alerts

Alerts

Accepted answers

All comments

jeremymayfield

SolarWinds Service Desk does not automatically post comments to incidents when tasks are completed, and the Send Notification workflow action will not create incident comments unless the notification is sent from outside the platform to the Samanage inbound email address. Because internal workflow notifications do not leave the platform, they cannot be ingested back into the incident via email.

To accomplish your requirement, the solution must rely on Service Desk Automations (preferred) or API-based automation rather than email-based triggers.

Below is a structured approach to implementing automated incident updates when task items are completed.

1. Problem Diagnosis

Task completion inside Service Desk does not trigger an internal comment to the parent incident.
The “Send Notification” workflow action:
- Sends an internal system-generated email
- Does not deliver externally
- Does not route back into Samanage’s inbound email listener
As a result, incident comments will not be created.

In short: internal workflow notifications cannot be used to auto-post incident updates.

2. Recommended Solution Path

A. Use Service Desk Automations (Best Practice)

If your environment supports Automations, this is the most reliable method.

Automation Approach

Create an Automation Rule scoped to “Incidents”.
Set the trigger:
- WHEN Task Status changes to Completed
Set the condition:
- Limit to the relevant catalog item or ticket category
Add the action:
- Add Comment to Incident
- Insert a formatted message such as:“Task ‘{{task.name}}’ has been completed by {{task.completed_by}} on {{task.completed_at}}.”

Result

Every time the designated task is completed, the platform automatically posts an internal or public comment to the incident.

B. Use Workflow → Update Record (If Automations Are Not Available)

In some configurations, Service Catalog workflows support:

Update Incident / Request
Set Field
Add Note or Description Update

Method

Inside the Service Catalog Workflow, after the Task step, add an Update Incident action.
Choose to update the Description or Notes field.
Insert dynamic variables to indicate the task completion.

Limitation

This does not create a comment; it modifies an existing field.
Auditable, but not ideal for conversation history.

C. Use the SolarWinds Service Desk API (Advanced Option)

If Automations cannot detect task completion on your subscription tier, use an API callback method.

Process Overview

Automation triggers on task completion → calls webhook.
Webhook posts to a small API script or serverless function.
The script uses the SolarWinds Service Desk API to:
- Create an Incident Comment via POST /incidents/{id}/comments.

Result

A clean, timestamped comment is added automatically every time a task is completed.

3. Recommended Implementation Strategy

Priority	Method	Pros	Cons
1 – Preferred	Automations → Add Comment	Native, reliable, low maintenance	Requires appropriate licensing tier
2 – Acceptable	Workflow → Update Record	Requires no API or external processes	Does not create true comments
3 – Last Resort	API-based solution	Highly flexible	Requires scripting and hosting

jeremymayfield

Do you have access to SolarWinds Service Desk Automations?

Is the incident created from a Service Catalog Item workflow?

Do you want the comment to be internal-only or a public user-facing update?

JustDiggz

Thank you for the response Jeremy,

We do have access to service desk automations. The incident itself would usually be created by end users. However, there is the possibility that incidents could be created by workflows it all depends on the type of incident and its purpose.

jeremymayfield

Key Principle:
Automations in SolarWinds Service Desk trigger off of record changes, not the method by which the record was created. Therefore, a correctly scoped automation will fire consistently across all scenarios.

You will implement:

A Task-based automation trigger
A conditional filter defining which tasks or incident types should produce comments
An action that adds an internal or public comment to the associated incident

This approach requires no API, no external email processing, and no workflow dependency.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1 — Define the Target Task Types

Different lines of business use different task sets. Begin by deciding which tasks should post comments.

Typical options include:

All tasks linked to incidents
Only approval tasks
Only workflow tasks tied to specific service categories
Only tasks created by a catalog workflow
Only technician-assigned tasks

Outcome: You have a defined set of conditions for automation scope.

Step 2 — Create an Automation Trigger

Navigate to Setup → Service Desk → Automations
Select Incidents as the automation type
Choose the trigger:
- WHEN Task Status changes
Set the status condition:
- TO Completed

Outcome: Automation activates only when a task is marked completed.

Step 3 — Apply Conditional Filters

Add Conditions:

Filter by Task Name (Recommended)
Example:
- Task Name contains “Notify User”
- Task Name equals “Technician Review Complete”
Optional: Filter by Service Category or Catalog Item
Example:
- Category equals “Access Request”
- Catalog Item equals “Employee Onboarding”
Optional: Filter by Incident Source
- Source = End User
- Source = Workflow

This ensures the automation fires only where intended.

Outcome: The automation applies to all relevant scenarios, regardless of incident origin.

Step 4 — Add the Automation Action

Select:

Add Comment to Incident

Then choose:

Internal comment (for technicians only)
Public comment (visible to end users)

Enter the comment template using placeholders, such as:

Task "{{task.name}}" has been completed by {{task.completed_by}} on {{task.completed_at}}.

You may include additional detail such as:

Details: {{task.description}}Associated Workflow: {{request.catalog_item.name}}Source: {{incident.source}}

Outcome: Each relevant task completion creates a standardized, timestamped comment.

Step 5 — Test the Automation

Create a test incident
Add a task that matches your conditions
Complete the task
Confirm:
- The automation runs
- A comment is added to the incident
- The comment is accurate and formatted correctly
- Internal/public visibility is correct

Outcome: The automation is validated and ready for production.

Key Considerations

1. Incident Origin Does Not Affect the Automation

Whether the incident was:

Submitted by a user
Generated by a Service Catalog workflow
Created manually by an analyst

…as long as the task is linked to the incident, the automation will trigger successfully.

2. Avoid Broad Automations

A poorly constrained rule (e.g., “Any task completed”) can produce excessive noise.

Filtering by:

Task name
Catalog item
Category

…ensures the comment is meaningful.

3. Use Clear, Consistent Comment Templates

This improves readability and provides auditing value.

JustDiggz

Thank you for the timely response, I am unable to find the "task status changes" trigger. Is this something we need to enable?

jeremymayfield

Sorry,

You can use the “Object Updated” trigger on the Incident object. Then you need to add a condition on the Task status field (or a related field) to fire the rule only when the task status becomes “Completed” (or whatever your finished status is). Then, as the action, you can add a comment to the incident, just like you planned.

If “Object Updated + Condition on Task Status” is not reliable or doesn’t work in your UI:

Use the Service Desk API — Create a small script (or serverless function) that:
- Polls for task updates via the API or receives a webhook (if available)
- When it sees a task status change to “Completed”, it uses the API to add a comment to the associated incident
Use a hybrid method — Combine what you can with Automations and supplement with the API for edge cases.