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Set Workflow Variable is a fundamental workflow action that allows you to assign a value to a variable, based on the current place and decisions made in the workflow process. You could always create multiple variables within the action, but up till now you could only set one variable at a time. 

 

This approach meant that every time you wanted to set a variable value, you would need an individual instance of the Set Workflow Variable action. For instance, if a workflow had 2 variables (discount price and sales value) that were set in 2 different process stages(proposal and negotiation), you would have had to use 4 instances of this action. This also meant you required a lot of canvas space in the workflow designer. 

 

 

You may have noticed all the past tense in this discussion. That’s because new enhancements of the Set Workflow Variable action now allow you to assign values to up to 20 variables. Revisiting the earlier scenario, if the workflow designer needs to set 2 variables progressively at 2 different stages of a workflow, you now only need 2 instances of this action. 

 

The interface has been updated with a clear “Add Variable” button on the bottom of the left-hand side and a delete “X” button per variable.  

 

 

The enhancement is available to all new and existing instances of the action.  Previously configured Set Workflow Variable action instances will contain the current variable in the first position already set to its historical value. You can add new variables to this instance. 

 

This change has come at a great time with Nintex introducing subscription pricing and is a proactive response to help you reduce the number of actions required to manage variables in a workflow. Fewer actions translates to lower costs incurred by you and helps optimize the designer space required.

 

Related information

Nintex for Office 365 help: Set Workflow Variable action

Thanks! good to see some development is still taking place for Office 365...

Hallelujah!  This is wonderful!  The fact that it is available on existing actions is even better!  I will be testing it out momentarily!

wow, I don't understand the excitement, it's not like it's new capability or functionality. Can you give us insight how this is going to help you?

This is really a good idea so that it will allow me to narrow down the number of "set variable" action and so to save some actions for more important steps.

Warwick, this functionality is important because it helps you to not waste your Nintex license limits for declaring dozens of variables

Regards,

Tomasz

I tell you what would cut down on unnecessary actions - conditional start...

Fair point for those who are on an auctioned based workflow licence, I can only image that pain

Yes for online you are licensed per number of workflows/ forms for PROD/ DEV purposes (the same limits) and for the number of actions used in total, for all workflows of a certain type. So for ex. you have:
50 workflows, 250 Forms, 2500 actions   and... 250 Document Generations

if you choose that, you can still use user-based licencing with unlimited workflows/forms in Office 365, which is what i'm currently using, don't get hawkeye or cloud, but it's not viable to switch to consumption based for us.

Bit old but good overview here Nintex for Office 365 Licensing Explained 

The  license discussion on here is really interesting.  I am going follow up with my client, in the light of the new relaxed license changes. 

The set multiple variables in an action is both good and bad.  Good we can set so many in one action like I do with Update List Item however, we have remember what was set and where.  I take it there isn't a wizzy mouse over the Set variable action that shows what is being set ?  The labelling on a action is already at  best torturous , given it is difficult to see the default label and overwrite where necessary, with your own text.  Now with setting multiple variable assignments, I am thinking accurately updating the action label is now more of  an  imperative .

But you can always leave it as you had it previously – so to have every “Set variable” as a separate action. Now you have the flexibility and free choice ☺️

Regards,

Tomasz

It is a pain in the aspirations to have to add an action set repeatedly for something that should and could be easily handled in one action set.  If encompassing the functionality of multiple action sets in one reduces design time and has no adverse impact on performance, I am all for it.

Given some of the workflows that I have created, this is a timesaver.  So, I respectively beg to differ in that it is new functionality when taken from the perspective of design.

This is a good step forward.  Hopefully (NEXT) you will allow us to set multiple variables inside of the Query XML action (just like you do on Prem)!

I would love to have the functionality you mentioned

Oh yeah! And I'am craving for the release of action sets!

@Jan ,  as am I.  was chatting to Nintex support about these last week.  Is there a user voice to indicate what new features such as Action Sets are on the roadmap, in development and what is being currently released? 

The fact that Nintex needs so many incremental actions does make maintenance a challenge.  

Nintex User voice is a bit like Office 365 roadmap, don't believe the dates, and only believe it once you see it deployed.

Just for the record: Nintex has removed the 'limit' of 50 actions per workflow for the subscription licensing model.

Having one action to set multiple variables is still nice imo in respect to creating clear workflows.

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