Appian Glossary: 100 Terms You Need to Know

A comprehensive glossary of the most important Appian terms, concepts, and features.

Action
A user-initiated task such as starting a process or submitting a form.

Activity Class Parameters
Parameters that control the behaviour of process activities.

Admin Console
Central location for environment configuration and system administration.

Appian AppMarket
Marketplace where you can find prebuilt apps, plug-ins, and components.

Appian Designer
Web-based development environment for building applications.

Appian RPA
Robotic process automation capability in Appian for automating repetitive tasks.

Application
A container for related objects, processes, and interfaces in Appian.

Application Server
The server component that runs the Appian environment.

Authentication
Methods used to validate user identity such as SAML or LDAP.

Author
A role that grants permissions to edit Appian objects.

Business Data
Organisational data stored and used in Appian applications.

Business Process
A sequence of tasks or activities to achieve a business outcome.

Business Rule
A decision or policy implemented in Appian to guide processes.

Button Widget
A component in an Appian interface that triggers an action.

Browser Interface
End users access Appian apps through a web browser.

Call Integration Smart Service
Activity to connect to external systems via integration.

CDT (Complex Data Type)
Custom data structure defined in Appian.

Cloud Database
Managed Appian database instance for storing application data.

Collaborative Development
Multiple developers building and editing an app at once.

Component Plug-in
Third-party component added to extend Appian capabilities.

Constant
Reusable value stored in Appian to simplify application logic.

Content Management
Appian features for storing and organising documents.

Contextual Record Action
Record-level action tied to a specific record.

Critical Path
The sequence of dependent process steps that determine duration.

Custom Data Source
An external database connected to Appian via Data Source settings.

Data Fabric
Appian’s unified data layer connecting multiple sources in real time.

Data Source
Configuration that connects Appian to an external database.

Decision
A business rules engine component to model conditional logic.

Deployment
Moving applications or packages from one environment to another.

Designer Role
Security role for users who can create and edit objects.

Document Management
Storing, versioning, and controlling access to files.

Document ID
Unique identifier for a document in Appian’s knowledge center.

Drill-down Report
A report where users can click to view more detail.

Dynamic Link
A UI component that navigates or triggers actions.

Data Sync
Refresh process to keep Appian data model aligned with external sources.

Entity
A table or object representing structured data in Appian.

Environment
Separate Appian instance, such as Development, Test, or Production.

Error Handling
Configurations in processes or rules to manage errors gracefully.

Event
Trigger that initiates or influences a process.

Expression
Script or formula used to calculate values in Appian.

Feed
News-style view showing activity updates or announcements.

Field Validation
Rule to ensure correct input in interface fields.

Filters
Options to narrow down data in records, reports, or grids.

Form
User interface for entering or displaying data.

Function
Built-in reusable operations in Appian expressions.

Gateway
A process node that controls branching or merging of flows.

Group
A collection of users for security and assignment purposes.

Grid
A table-like component to display lists of data.

Guided Action
A structured process action presented to end users.

Governance
Policies for managing Appian applications across the enterprise.

Health Dashboard
Admin view that monitors system performance and status.

Hotfix
A patch provided by Appian to resolve issues quickly.

Human Task
Process activity that requires user input or approval.

Hierarchy
Nested group or object structure in Appian.

Historical Data
Stored past records and process data for analysis.

Identity Provider (IdP)
External system that authenticates Appian users.

Integration
Connection between Appian and an external application or service.

Interface
User-facing screens designed with SAIL.

Instance
A running version of a process model.

Invitation
Mechanism to bring new users into Appian environments.

Java Plug-in
Custom functionality created in Java and added to Appian.

JSON
Standard format for data exchange used in integrations.

JMS Queue
Messaging system that can integrate with Appian.

Job Scheduler
Tool to automate background tasks in Appian.

Joined Data
Data from multiple sources combined in Appian.

Knowledge Center
Repository for documents and collaboration.

Knowledge Object
Any item stored in Appian’s knowledge center.

Keycloak Integration
Identity provider integration example.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
Metrics tracked in reports.

Knowledge Management
Organising and sharing organisational content in Appian.

Load Testing
Performance test to simulate many concurrent users.

Local Variable
Temporary value stored during interface evaluation.

Logging
Recording events and system activity for troubleshooting.

Looping Sub-process
A process that repeats until a condition is met.

Low-Code Development
Appian’s visual and declarative application building approach.

Mobile App
Appian’s iOS and Android applications for end users.

Monitoring Console
Admin tool to observe processes and resources.

Multi-instance Node
Process node that spawns multiple concurrent activities.

Model-driven Development
Using visual models to design processes and interfaces.

Migration
Moving data and applications between Appian versions or environments.

News Feed
Real-time activity updates for users.

Node
Step or activity in a process model.

Notification
Alert sent to users about tasks or events.

Naming Conventions
Standard rules for object names in Appian.

Navigation
Ways to move between interfaces and records.

Object
A core building block in Appian (process model, interface, constant, etc.).

On-premise Deployment
Running Appian on local servers instead of the cloud.

Operational Report
Report showing system or process performance.

Option Picker
Interface component to select from predefined options.

Output Variable
Data produced by a process activity.

Package
A set of objects grouped for deployment.

Paging Grid
Grid that supports pagination for large datasets.

Parent Process
A process that calls sub-processes.

Plug-in
Extension that adds new functionality to Appian.

Process Model
Visual design of workflow in Appian.

Process Instance
A running execution of a process model.

Process Variable
Value stored and used during a process execution.

Process Report
Report on process execution data.

Production Environment
The live environment where users run apps.

Published Application
An app available for use by end users.

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