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Business Label

Overview

The Business Label is used to uniquely identify activities within a process. It facilitates tracking in the Process Explorer and provides better clarity during process execution.

Summary

A business label is assigned per activity and can contain dynamic placeholders that are replaced by actual values at runtime. This makes each process instance uniquely identifiable – for example, "Invoice No. 12345 for Max Mustermann".

Why this is helpful

Well-chosen business labels make processes transparent and traceable. In the Process Explorer, it becomes immediately clear which specific transaction (e.g., which invoice) is currently being processed.

Benefits

  • 🔍 Traceability: Each process instance is uniquely identified
  • 📊 Clarity: The Process Explorer immediately shows which specific transaction is involved
  • 🎯 Filterability: Transactions can be searched by specific labels

Defining Business Labels

Creating in the Process Designer

  1. Open the Process Designer.
  2. Select an activity (e.g., User Task or Service Task).
  3. Find the "Business Label" field in the Properties.
  4. Enter a meaningful label with or without placeholders.
  5. Save and deploy the process.

Where is the business label displayed?

The business label appears in the Process Explorer, in the task list, and in notifications. It helps to immediately understand the context of an activity.

Using Placeholders

Syntax

Placeholders are used in the format $(path.to.attribute) and are replaced at runtime by the corresponding values from the process data.

Examples:

$(customer_id)
$(invoice_number)
$(invoice_recipient.name)
$(order.order_date)

Typical Use Cases

Scenario Business Label Result at Runtime
Invoice approval Invoice No. $(invoice_number) Invoice No. 12345
Customer application Application from $(customer.name) Application from Anna Müller
Order Order $(order_id) from $(order_date) Order 9876 from 2026-01-14
Approval Approval for $(document.title) Approval for Vacation Request March

Best Practices

Clear and Unique Designations

Use labels that convey at a glance what they are about:

  • ✅ Good: $(invoice_number)
  • ❌ Bad: Transaction Email

Keep it Short and Concise

Long labels are truncated in lists and overviews:

  • ✅ Good: Application $(applicant.name)
  • ❌ Too long: Vacation application from employee $(applicant.firstname) $(applicant.lastname) from department $(department.name) for the period $(start_date) to $(end_date)

Use Template Functions

For more complex formatting, template functions can be used:

$uppercase($(customer.name)) - INV-$(invoice_number)

Result: MÜLLER GMBH - INV-12345

Practical Examples

Invoice Workflow

Business Label:

Invoice $(invoice_number) - $(invoice_recipient.name)

Display in Explorer:

Invoice 2026-0123 - Müller GmbH

Vacation Request

Business Label:

Vacation $(employee.name): $(start_date) - $(end_date)

Display in Explorer:

Vacation Anna Schmidt: 15.03.2026 - 29.03.2026

Order Process

Business Label:

Order $(order_number) from $(customer.company)

Display in Explorer:

Order ORD-2026-456 from TechCorp GmbH

Document Approval

Business Label:

Approval: $(document.title)

Display in Explorer:

Approval: Annual Report 2025

Troubleshooting

Placeholder is Not Replaced

Cause: The path to the attribute is incorrect or the attribute does not exist

Solution: - Check the path to the attribute in the process data - Use the correct JSONata syntax: $(path.to.value) - it is possible to view the available attributes in the Process Designer

Business Label is Not Displayed

Cause: Business label is empty or not set

Solution: - Ensure that the "Business Label" field is filled in - Redeploy the process for the changes to take effect

Label is Truncated

Cause: The label is too long for display

Solution: - Shorten the label to a maximum of 50-60 characters - Place the most important information at the beginning

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about Business Labels

Is the business label mandatory?
No, but it is strongly recommended. Without a business label, tracking in the Process Explorer is significantly more difficult.

Can I use multiple placeholders?
Yes, it is possible to combine any number of placeholders: $(field1) - $(field2) - $(field3)

What happens if a placeholder is empty?
The placeholder is replaced by an empty string. The result could then look like this: Invoice - Müller GmbH (note the double space).

Can I change the business label afterwards?
Yes, in the Process Designer. The change affects newly started process instances, not those already executed.

Are business labels displayed in reports?
Yes, business labels can be used in evaluations and reports to uniquely identify transactions.

Can I use HTML or special characters?
Basically yes, but it is recommended to use only alphanumeric characters, spaces, and common special characters (hyphen, underscore).

Are business labels unique?
No, uniqueness is not technically enforced. It is the responsibility to use unique labels (e.g., through IDs or numbers).

Relationship with Other Functions

Process Explorer

In the Process Explorer, business labels are prominently displayed and facilitate searching and filtering for specific transactions.

Notifications

In automatic email notifications, the business label can be used so recipients immediately know which transaction is involved.

Evaluations

Business labels can be used in evaluations and reports to uniquely reference process instances.

Next Steps